"Lovely... The Atlanta musicians do very well indeed. I commend Laura Ardan on clarinet, especially for her solo "Poor Butterfly," and artistic director and pianist Paula Peace, who gets the fun of the score without sacrificing its wit... you can cuddle up to this disc on cold winter nights -- a joy."
Steven Schwartz, Classical CD Review ~ December 2009

"[a] superb ensemble...Mozart's Kegelstatt Trio is given an elegant, amiable reading; it sounds like a fluid conversation between old friends, which is exactly what Mozart intended...Paula Peace's piano solo in 'What A Friend We Have In Jesus' has great spirit...Christina Smith plays with joyful brightness...The recording has a warm ambience ideal for chamber music....This is a highly graifying recording, offering variety and splendid playing."
American Record Guide ~ January / February 2008

"The Atlanta Chamber Players [play the Harbison] with great delicacy and flair..."
BBC Music Magazine ~ December 2007

We are pleased to offer this recording which, much like a typical Atlanta Chamber Players concert, celebrates diverse style periods and a variety of instrumental combinations.

Featured is the debut recording of John Harbison’s "Songs America Loves to Sing", which we co-commissioned and premiered in 2004. These ten "songs" alternately showcase each of the five instruments in solos and canons while spotlighting familiar American tunes, hymns and political anthems - ranging from "Amazing Grace" and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" to "We Shall Overcome" and "Aura Lee". Throughout our performances to date of Songs - in Atlanta, Paris and Rome – we have been inspired by this music’s beautiful and original accompaniment settings, as well as awed by John Harbison's ability to craft a double inversion canon over a fixed harmonic scheme, enabling us to enjoy the "St. Louis Blues" in a whole new light.
Paula Peace, April 2007

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Since their founding in 1976, the ATLANTA CHAMBER PLAYERS have earned an outstanding international reputation through critically acclaimed performances in more than 200 cities in the US, France, Italy and Switzerland and worldwide through live international radio broadcasts on NPR’s "Performance Today" during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. The group is regarded as a pioneer among American chamber groups and is widely respected as one of the most acclaimed arts organizations in the Southeast.

The group’s broad repertoire ranges from traditional masterpieces by Beethoven and Brahms to contemporary classics by Crumb and Messiaen, featuring musicians from the wind, string, and brass families in combinations with piano. In addition, ACP has a long-standing commitment to performing the music of living American composers and has premiered more than 50 works, including November 19, 1828 and Songs America Loves to Sing from Pulitzer Prize-winner John Harbison.

The ensemble appears in numerous artistic, educational, and outreach concerts each season, as well as touring residencies and television and radio broadcasts. Affiliate Artists at Georgia State University’s School of Music since 1991, the group previously served in residence at Kennesaw State and at Emory University. In 1979, ACP was one of the first ensembles nationally to participate in Chamber Music America’s prestigious Paul Residency Program.