Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: voice, piano
Text / Source: Gaelic poems by Irish poets Cathal ó Searcaigh and Nuala O'Connor
Publisher: North Star Music

Songs:
Samhain 1994 (November 1994)
Tatú
Spadalán Frida Kahlo

Solas agus scáth is a set of three songs for voice and piano, setting Gaelic texts by Irish poets Cathal ó Searcaigh and Nuala O'Connor. Commissioned by Christine Thomas, the cycle brings together Samhain 1994 (November 1994), Tatú, and Spadalán Frida Kahlo, forming an intimate vocal collection shaped by poetry, language, atmosphere, and expressive nuance.

The title, suggesting “light and shadow,” offers a fitting frame for the cycle’s emotional world. Baxter’s lyrical vocal writing and tonal clarity support the natural contours of the Gaelic texts, while his contemporary harmonic color gives each song its own atmosphere and expressive profile. The cycle belongs within his broader catalog of art songs that engage poetry with directness, sensitivity, and formal craft.

Solas agus scáth is well suited for vocal recitals, contemporary art song programs, Irish-themed concerts, and programs exploring language, identity, poetry, and musical storytelling. The set calls for careful attention to diction, color, and the expressive relationship between voice and piano.