Music by
DANIEL DORFF

Midsummer Daydream for Flute, Viola (or Trumpet), and Harp  
Duration: c. 7'

DETAILS
COMMISSIONED by a consortium led by the Astralis Chamber Ensemble.

HEAR & WATCH the PREMIERE by Angela Massey flute, Kris Marshall trumpet, and Rachel O'Brien harp
BUY from your favorite sheet music dealer, or direct from Presser.


PROGRAM NOTES
In Spring 2020, flutist Angela Massey was about to marry Kris Marshall, the trumpet player in her Astralis Chamber Ensemble. I was planning a wedding gift for them, perhaps the flute/trumpet equivalent of an operatic love duet, when Angela coincidentally asked if Astralis could commission me to write a trio for flute, trumpet, and harp, as a program opener for their 2021-22 concert tours.

At first the uncommon instrumentation seemed challenging both for balances and for future performances beyond the commissioners, especially at an ominous time with the open-ended pandemic curtailing all activities. But it's a beautiful sonority, and it's always a delight to work with Angela and Astralis. We agreed this would be both a wedding present and a consortium commission, imbued with optimism both in the music and in our determination to get co-commissioners and performance dates as soon as public performances resumed. The result is a 7-minute, giddy fast-slow-fast overture, with a love duet as the middle section.

Revisiting the acoustic challenges of the original instrumentation, I've also prepared a scoring of Flute, Viola, and Harp which adds its own shade of beauty.
Midsummer Daydream sample page

 

last updated May 25, 2026
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