Transcript
HURD: What we are going to do, we're going to share some music, and I'm going to share some things with you about some of the music that we are going to share. But I want to tell you a little story first, that, well, several years ago I was going someplace on an airplane, I don't remember where. But I was sitting next to someone, and I guess we encountered some turbulence
or something. (inaudible). And the gentleman asked me what I did for a living or whatever. And I mentioned that I was a musician. Well, the plane continued to bounce around, and so he asked me further. And I went on with, "I play the organ." And I think I remember what it was. I was flying up to Boston to meet with an
organ dealer about getting my own house organ. That's what it was. And so he (inaudible), I'm really making this up as I go along. No, what happened was that he said to me, "Oh, you're getting an organ? Well, they don't make them anymore, do they?" And I said, "Well, yes, they do, as a matter of fact. They do still make them."
And he was not to be convinced. No, they don't make pipe organs anymore. (inaudible). I happened to have a copy of The American Organist in my briefcase, and I thought, no. I'm not even going to take it out. Now (inaudible) nothing to do with anything. But (inaudible), because what I, it's similar to the fact that
you've been handed a couple of sheets of paper with several pictures on them. And I suppose, going back maybe about 15, 20 years, I thought church music was really such a neat thing. And I enjoyed music whenever I was in church, and I sort of thought it was something I wanted to do with some part of my life.
And I almost felt the really, sort of funny desire to write some of [your?] church music. And I suppose it's beyond 15 years or so. But (inaudible) hymn tunes. I mean, it's all been written already. (inaudible). And so, just like the man on the airplane, I just sort of thought, well, it's sort of a neat idea.
It would be sort of a novelty to write a new hymn tune. (inaudible). So then I came to New York after I did my undergraduate work at [Oberlin?], and worked for a little while with [the Latter Day?] Community Church at Wall Street. And this was a really exciting time because (inaudible) that had the resources to do
everything immediately, as soon as it's possible to do. So that with (inaudible) and resources (inaudible) can be found in our parish and all, they were doing a very valiant job, a really (inaudible) in the community. Every text that came out of the liturgical commission immediately was set to music. And some stuff was being sung at Trinity. Well, that year (inaudible) as an apprentice of Trinity was extremely valuable, and
also extremely [determining?] year in what I [decided?] to do. Larry was writing music left and right for new texts that came out. But more than that, Calvin Hampton made-- I hope (inaudible)-- Calvin is not an Oberlin alumnus, but from several years earlier, and until very recently was
organist choir master at Calvary Church (inaudible). And Calvin was, at the early '70s, beginning to write hymn tunes. And so I said, "Well, here is the proof that..." (inaudible). But (inaudible) hymn tunes. Then I heard some of Calvin's tunes and I realized, well, these don't sound like hymn tunes. (inaudible)
And yet, it really fascinated me that he really could take some different styles, some (inaudible) new music, and make an old text come alive with a totally different meaning. And some of them (inaudible), this is a fairly unlikely sort of (inaudible). But at least it's a cute experiment. And onwards, I felt wow,
this is a really exciting experience. That's why I got into writing hymn tunes, very strangely. Because I'd find a text somewhere that I thought wow, this is very important to be sung. [We'd?] have the occasion where we might want to do this. And but, you know, (inaudible). And (inaudible)
(inaudible). Or I was thinking about a text, and another idea (inaudible), so I wrote them down. I didn't do very much of them, as far as trying to share them with anybody. But then I got tied up (inaudible) church music, and found out that (inaudible). Some dude (inaudible). And not only (inaudible).
(inaudible) not tied to a [particular?] denomination that are, just, sort of free-floating within (inaudible). But there's a tremendous upsurge of (inaudible). And that's really an exciting thing. I mean, (inaudible) the church is extremely healthy or extremely desperate. I'm not sure. But [I'm glad?] it says that the church is alive, [even?] if in desperation.
And so a little publication of my hymn tunes came out last summer called, very modestly, the (inaudible) contemporary. I didn't title the book, but that's what it says in letters far too large on the front. But (inaudible). So what I have written you today are a few of the ones that,
for one reason or the other, were chosen. And I would like to maybe take a look at [our?] first one, I Sing As I Arise Today. I'm sure that you are all familiar with this practice of naming hymn tunes something, and they're always called something. And this one is called [King?]. And it may be appropriate in (inaudible).
Because this hymn tune came after Larry King, organist at Trinity Church Wall Street, who sort of was very instrumental in introducing me to the whole idea of (inaudible). And he, in fact, introduced me (inaudible), which I had never seen before. Text attributed to St. Patrick. And which I thought really, really
was a kind of a good text that should be sung somewhere. And since it was in the wrong meter, of course, (inaudible). But (inaudible), which is very much in the style of (inaudible).
And that is the hymn tune that doesn't start off bom bom bom bom bom. [And two or three?] chords later comes to a perfect [authentic?] cadence, and then it's over. And it starts up (inaudible). But this is a [cyclical?] piece that has interludes that are kind of between the stanzas. So actually it goes on like an anthem, and this is
very significantly different to the (inaudible) presupposition one has about hymn tunes. Just a little chunk of something that starts and stops and starts and stops. And so let's just, I'll play through the melody, and you might find it has some logic, and you might find that it doesn't. But anyway, this is what it sounds like.
(music)
HURD: And well, I guess without saying anything more, let's just try it.
(music)
HURD: This, of course, (inaudible). You just never start in one key and end in another. And the relationship between D-flat major and B-flat major are, well, one could make an argument for it. But there again, the other thing is that you mustn't write a hymn tune in five flats, because
Susie and Ralph can only count to four. That's really a [comment?]. The fun thing is, as I've been... This tune has been (inaudible). Why [wouldn't?] you write this in B-major? And (inaudible) never occurred to me to write it in B-major. I mean, this was a B-flat major tune. Was just born in B-flat. And but the good thing was I got (inaudible) in B-major, and it's just far less
comfortable on keyboard. The chords fit together much better in B-flat, so that that's the way it's been. Anyhow, let's [turn all the way to the back page?]. Stable ground (inaudible). This tune... Funny thing is I'm [one of?] the only artists in New York
who does church music, but hardly ever does it on Sunday. Being a (inaudible) Sunday services, because the [main?] parishes won't allow us to. And because students, of course, are away on Sundays. So that I have my weekends off, which I really cherish. But what that means is that
Christmas, I haven't done Christmas for years, because the seminary is obviously not in session at Christmas time, and we are on Easter time, so I always do that. But I have just grown completely out of touch with the Christmas repertoire in the past several years (inaudible). And so (inaudible)hymnal commission, I was a little less than interested, really, in what the new Christmas texts
were. And who needs a new Christmas text? Is the other question. Everybody's going [to do?] the same hymns on Christmas Eve. They're going to do Hark! The Herald, Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, most likely, Angels We Have Heard On High. And (inaudible). And then sometimes, we have one week after Christmas, if you (inaudible). So that there's not very much
room in the general popular repertoire for new Christmas songs. And that (inaudible). The Holy Spirit is an amazing, an amazing theme. And I was flipping through my book of texts, and I came across Richard [Wilburn's?] poem, (inaudible). And it really struck me. Something really very strange happened, that I remembered
(inaudible). Oh, this is going to demand a very special tune, because of the way the text is shaped. It's not just (inaudible) leads into a certain [theme?], because that repeated line in the middle, in the middle of every line, and every stone shall cry, and every stone shall cry. And the way that works poetically. (inaudible). And so I start to
think about how could that not work out. And this tune evolved. And it's (inaudible) in the new Episcopal hymnbook for this text. It's very much in a [balanced?] style, and the name of this tune is (inaudible), and it was named after William (inaudible) Rogers, who was my childhood choirmaster and
is still choirmaster at the same parish. And she was like (inaudible). So I [want to see if I can [remember?] the accompaniment that I have. But the melody, you'll notice the very same [theme?] twice. That (inaudible) is good in a hymn tune. You can get twice the knowledge out of half the notes.
(music)
HURD: Let's see. The second [tape?] (inaudible), is the story behind this tune (inaudible). Long story. At any rate, this
tune is called Absalom Jones. And as many of you might know, Absalom Jones was the first black priest to (inaudible) church. And he was director of St. Thomas Church in Philadelphia, and at the time of 1801, January 1, there was some legislation passed which became effective that day
to a great end, to the slave trade. And [Michael Fortune?], who was in Absalom [Jones'?] congregation, wrote a poem called New Year's Day. (inaudible) which is... [O my?]
gracious power. I forgot the first two syllables. To Thee, O my gracious power. And this particular poem was [unearthed?]. But it was sung as an anthem that day that this legislation became effective. And several years ago, in our celebration at (inaudible) Seminary, this poem [came to my?] attention. And we decided we would sing that poem. (inaudible) source for the
music, so that since the text [fell into?] the wrong meter, I decided to write a tune and call it Absalom Jones. Turns out that the text is interesting historically, but it doesn't necessarily make a good hymn, in terms of the text having a kind of having a universality or a kind of statement that is not (inaudible). And
it occurred to me that this (inaudible) poem was (inaudible) same time as social concerns in a broader way. And I thought it would be an appropriate text for this tune. This tune, again, has a first and second half which are almost the same, but (inaudible). And I think you almost have to hear the harmony to
see where it's going.
(music)
HURD: OK. Again, I have something that gets (inaudible). Rebellion. There's one other thing here I'd like to do, and that is on the front side of the blue sheet, of the last sheet, one of the things that, in the hymnal process of an Episcopal
(inaudible) right now has received a lot of attention, is to try to get some better translations, some more accurate and more contemporary translations of some of the ancient Medieval [offices?] for all of the hours. And so we have quite a (inaudible). But in terms of (inaudible) go to bed immediately after they leave here. But
one of the new texts to the Episcopal hymnal is this O Christ, You Are Both Light And Day. And I was sort of doodling around, and (inaudible) began to think. Now, what does a (inaudible) feel like, and try to get this sort of sense of what an hour was like, and the mood, and try to tape to that.
And I was thinking in terms of the way in which [Lori?] (inaudible), for example, in several of his (inaudible) texts and his (inaudible) uses (inaudible) melodies. And really sort of closed them with [a wrong?] sort of rich fabric. And that has a kind of impressionistic
sensuality that some might think unsuited to (inaudible), but others find (inaudible). Well anyway, apart from sensuality, I was (inaudible). And so I started playing (inaudible) chords around a [third?] simple tune. And this is not sort of chant at all. But it
sort of works like a chant of an office hymn. And can be sung acapella.
(music)
HURD: Most of the historical melodies for the office hymns were very simple, [sonatic?], straightforward tunes, like this. And so I thought, well, this will satisfy the needs of some religious communities that don't normally have an organ available, or an organist available (inaudible). But then, for what those situations where an organ would not be available, particularly one (inaudible)
(inaudible), I put some chords together. So, and the odd thing is it [causes?] (inaudible) churches to debate endlessly is that the way this (inaudible) is intended to be played, the organist plays the melody with the feet. And hymnals never have accompaniment to a melody (inaudible). So we've gotten [grief on that?]. (inaudible)
going to have a conflict [over the feet?]. At any rate, I'm going to see if I can play this on the organ.
(music)
HURD: Definitely for the laypeople. Well, now I'm going to take my life in my hands and... A few years ago... The reason when we started with the hymn tune was that (inaudible). And several years ago, he asked me if I would write him a piece of organ
music. And I laughed and said, "Yeah, sure." And because, the funny thing was that I found that I wrote much more easily for text, for words, when words are present, than just to write pure music with no textual agenda. And I think part of that was that I didn't see myself as a composer. I saw myself
as one who wrote music. And most of the church [musicians?] I wrote, I wrote because I felt there was a need for something. But again, I didn't really think there was a great need for me to write an organ piece. But Larry thought that there was. And he insisted that I write him this piece. And for about two years, (inaudible). Then, one day, I got a check in the mail. And
it was a retainer. And I realized he meant [good on this?]. Then, the next time I had a chance to talk him, he announced to me that he was going to be chaplain in England the following summer, and wished to play my new piece at Norwich Cathedral and at St. Paul's in London. Well, (inaudible). That sort of meant I had to start [writing some?] notes. But I still
(inaudible). And so what I did was, he suggested again, "Well, turn to a text, if that's what turns you on. So I was thinking about what text turned me on. I thought that hymn (inaudible) really had always turned me on, because I always liked that particular text, and it always said something really, (inaudible) of that text. And I
always thought I really liked (inaudible). And one of the, when I was an undergraduate, one of the first composers I discovered, [I had?] not known before, was (inaudible). And (inaudible). But (inaudible) wrote a [wonderful amount of verses?] today, which
rapidly became part of our repertoire. And I probably wore them out on a lot of audiences (inaudible). So I thought, (inaudible) and write some verses (inaudible). And as it, so I'm going try to play now. I know I should not make an excuse. But the fact that I wrote this means nothing (inaudible), although I should be able to.
. But we're going to try to (inaudible). It has four movements, and it is not intended for liturgical (inaudible) performance. It just would (inaudible). But the, whenever I've performed this piece, I've given a (inaudible). And so, although I do think that
music does speak for itself, when there is a text involved, I think it's only fair to sort of say something about it. So what I think I'll do is I'll say something about each movement as we go. The first movement is the shortest one. It's also the last one that I wrote. It was getting very close to Larry's departure for England. And he didn't have the time, and I didn't have the time. So [the first?] movement was a short
(inaudible). And it is based on the solemn tone for the very first verse (inaudible). And we praise Thee, O God, we acknowledge Thee, O Lord. And what I've done with that melody is that, it happens sort of in long notes [in the
pedals. And under a configuration. And in the middle, a sort of little fugue breaks out. And then, in the end, we get the second half of the praise, [again stated in the pedal?]. So it's fairly straightforward. The organ (inaudible) chamber line in the pedal.
If you'd like to follow along in the text, it's number 589.
(music)
HURD: The second movement is called Four Fantasies, and it's also called The Adoration [of the?] Name of Christ. And the four fantasies are depictions of the four bodies of persons or souls which, in this hymn, are offering praise to God. The first fantasy is the glorious company of the apostles
praise Thee. And the apostles, numbering 12, I thought that I'd sort of use a 12-tone system here. And so this piece is set up as a 12-tone piece. And the tone row, I should just play the pitches of the tone row. But it comes back later on.
(music)
HURD: Those are (inaudible). But those are the most important ones to remember, [because?] those are the ones that come back later on. But any way, so that's the first one. The second fantasy is the goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee. And in that, you will hear an ascending motifs. It's like trumpeting sounds, it seemed to me. And it also seemed to me that the prophets were the ones who sort of trumpeting all sort of odd
news at various times, and so I thought this sort of trumpeting figure with ascending motifs. And also, some fairly confused counterpoint, that maybe tries to represent a confusion the prophets generated by trumpeting their odd tides. At any rate, then the third fantasy is the noble army of martyrs praise Thee.
And the martyrs are characterized by a lot of major chords flying around. And they're just a big mix of bold, major chords, just flat-faced, juxtaposed next to one another with various inversions, but mostly in root position. And I suppose this was really to represent the strength of conviction of those who would be willing to suffer martyrdom.
And so their jubilation is represented by major chords. Then, the fourth fantasy is the holy church throughout the whole world doth acknowledge Thee, Father of [myth?] and majesty, Thy one true and [holy?] Son, also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. And with this text, the holy church, we return from the more flamboyant, fanciful things
to a rather more turgid sound, which I suppose is sort of, I was thinking at times, the church tends to be rather conservative, and sometimes very heavy. And yet, grand and sort of glorious in a way. So it's a much more sober movement that might sort of remind you more of some older [arbor?] music. So, Four Fantasies, or the Adoration.
(music)
HURD: Thank you. The third movement was the first one written. And it is called The Humbling, and it's based on the verse, "When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man, Thou didst humble Thyself to be born of a virgin." And this is the nativity movement. I call it (inaudible) hymn. And its components are
a long flute solo, which is followed by a middle section in which there are fragments of the chant that goes to these words. And in the final section, the hymn Divinum Myseterium, Of The Father's Love Begotten, is played by the right foot of the organist. And then the same flute melody that was heard in the beginning is sitting up on top
of a lot of rather busy chords that have a lot of notes in them they might not require to have. And at any rate, it's trying to gather together the whole idea of the incarnation in terms of traditional hymn association of Divinum Mysterium, with this portion of today, which is focusing on the nativity.
(music)
HURD: (inaudible) haven't seen this side for a long time. The last movement is called The Opening of Heaven, and it's, well, it tries hard to live up to such an ambitious title. It's also called Introduction Fugue and (inaudible), because that's what it's made up of. The introduction is an introduction that announces the two
principle themes of the fugue. One is Dies Irae, the old Medieval sequence hymn that used to be characteristic of funeral services, requiems. Big wrathful day of mourning. So that tune represents the death side of this kind of thing. And
then, as its foil, the tune of (inaudible), [Christus?] the Pascale Victim (inaudible). And so what happens in the introduction and the fugue is that these two tunes slug it out. And that's when Thou hadst overcomest the sharpness of death -- to give away the punch line -- Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. So that this is kind of like, well, I only realize this
after the fact, but it probably sort of is a takeoff on (inaudible) idea of the battle between life and death. So I've done using Gregorian melodies that symbolize death and life. And then the final part of this movement uses the chant for the verse that reads, "Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father." So that
what happens is the introduction and the fugue, with death and life battling it out, and then there's just a great desolation. And for a moment, probably, it's a little uncertain as to what's going to rise out of the ash. And then the (inaudible) begins, which in its own sort of recurring bass line, recurring harmonic progression way, sort of
builds gradually and towards the climax.
(music)
HURD: Excuse me, the registration here has got sort of tangled. Let me start at (inaudible) once more.
(music)