Lucas Meachem (baritone), Irina Meachem (piano)

Scheer: American Anthem
Farwell: Three Indian Songs, Op. 32: No. 1, Song of the Deathless Voice
Still, W G: Grief
Weill, K: Four Walt Whitman Songs: No. 2, Beat! Beat! Drums!
Musto: Shadow of the Blues: No. 2, Litany
Hagerman: The Rich Man
Price, F: Night
Heggie: Pieces of 9 / 11: IV. That Moment On
Jacob-Bonds: A Perfect Day
trad.: Oh, Shenandoah
trad.: In the mornin'
Gordon, R I: We Will Always Walk Together
Foster, S: Hard Times Come Again No More
Emmett, Dan: Old American Songs, Set 1: No. 1, The Boatman's Dance
Lowry, R: Old American Songs, Set 2: No. 4, At the River

‘Shall We Gather’ responds to the darkness of the pandemic and social distancing with the simple question of its title.

Through fifteen art songs by and about a broad swath of people from the United States, Lucas and Irina Meachem offer a vision of Americanness centred around the things that call on us to gather and that we gather to call upon. Those things, they say, are rooted in an act of hope in the promise of resilience that underlies our national character. By channelling the feelings of those gatherings we’re missing we can, perhaps, conjure a greater sense of togetherness, of commonality.

‘Shall We Gather’ is an emotional and heartfelt plea for a better, more tolerant world, a world that one hopes will emerge a better place after the trauma of the pandemic.

"This debut solo album from acclaimed baritone Lucas Meachem is a collection of American art song that certainly tugs at the heartstrings...All proceeds from the disc go to the Meachems’ ‘Perfect Day Music Foundation’, a charity promoting diversity in classical music. In all, a commendable venture, performed with real flair and programmed from the heart." - BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2021