» Dan Locklair Commissioned by American Guild of Organists, Greater Greensboro, NC, Chapter for New Concerto for Organ and Orchestra

American composer Dan Locklair has been commissioned by the American Guild of Organists Greater Greensboro, North Carolina for a Concerto for Organ and Orchestra. The new work will be premiered at the June 2011 Region IV AGO Convention in Greensboro.

The composer has written the following about the new work, “My new Concerto for Organ and Orchestra is cast in three movements. Approximately twenty minutes in length, the composition is cyclic in nature with all movements being linked by that most basic of harmonic materials, the triad. Further, the 11th century plainsong melody, Divinum mysterium, is at the heart and soul of the serene middle movement. Even as the opening movement begins and ends with music of grandeur, the Concerto concludes with the highly rhythmic and driving third movement, the Toccata. I am very excited about this new concerto commission for the 2011 Region IV AGO Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina!”

» Organ Music of Dan Locklair Performed on June 23 at Harbison Chapel of Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania.

Composer Dan Locklair’s Glory and Peace for solo organ will be presented by organist Thomas Murray on Wednesday, June 23 – 7:30 PM at Harbison Chapel of Grove City College, 100 Campus Drive in Grove City, Pennsylvania. This performance, which will also feature other masterworks of organ literature, is part of the Organ Historical Society’s 2010 National Convention in nearby Pittsburgh.

Glory and Peace (2008) is a suite of seven reflections for organ, inspired by George Herbert’s poem King of Glory, King of Peace. It was commissioned by the Anglican Musicians Foundation, the Los Angeles Conference Committee and the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and was premiered by Thomas Murray in June 2009 at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as a part of the 2009 National Conference of the Anglican Association of Musicians (AAM). Hear excerpts of the work.

Thomas Murray, concert organist and recording artist, is University Organist and Professor of Music at Yale University. Visit him at http://www.concertorganists.com/site2009/artist2.aspx?id=64.

For more information about the June 23 concert, call 724-458-2000 or visit http://www.organsociety.org/2010/page6/page6.html.

» Organ Music of Dan Locklair Performed on June 5 at Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California

Composer Dan Locklair’s Glory and Peace for solo organ will be presented by organist Thomas Murray on Saturday, June 5 – 8:00 PM at Cathedral of Christ the Light, 2121 Harrison Street in Oakland, California. This performance will be part of the Conroy Memorial Organ Dedication Recital Series, and will also feature other masterworks of organ literature.

Glory and Peace (2008) is a suite of seven reflections for organ, inspired by George Herbert’s poem King of Glory, King of Peace. It was commissioned by the Anglican Musicians Foundation, the Los Angeles Conference Committee and the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and was premiered by Thomas Murray in June 2009 at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as a part of the 2009 National Conference of the Anglican Association of Musicians (AAM). Hear excerpts of the work.

Thomas Murray, concert organist and recording artist, is University Organist and Professor of Music at Yale University. Visit him at http://www.concertorganists.com/site2009/artist2.aspx?id=64.

Admission to the June 5 performance is by free will offering. For more information about the concert, call 510-832-5057 or visit http://www.ctlcathedral.org/.

May 2010
» Chamber Music of Dan Locklair Performed at Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston, South Carolina on May 31

Composer Dan Locklair’s Sonata da Chiesa for flute and organ will be presented on Monday, May 31 – 8:00 PM at Grace Episcopal Church, 98 Wentworth Street in Charleston, South Carolina as part of the 2010 Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Performers will be Jessica Hull-Dambaugh, principal flutist in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and organist Greg Homza, a DMA candidate at Indiana University.

Sonata da Chiesa was written in 1998 and consists of four movements – 1. Processional – Beginning of Worship, 2. Adoration and Praise, 3. Faith and Aspiration (Chaconne) and 4. Amen – Close of Worship. The piece has been recorded for An Old Salem Christmas by flutist Laura Dangerfield and organist Scott Carpenter for the Raven label (OAR-860).

Other works on the May 31 program include Veni Creator Spiritus by Richard Proulx, who passed away recently, a Corelli sonata, the Meditation from Thaïs and other pieces for organ and ensemble. Other performers include organists Bob Gant and Julia Harlow, violinist Aaron LaVallee, violist Peter Kiral, viola and tenor Walter Boyce.

For ticket information about the concert and more about the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, call 843-724-7295 or visit http://www.piccolospoleto.com/home/default.aspx. The concert is sponsored by the Charleston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

April 2010
» Organ Music of Dan Locklair to Be Performed by Thomas Trotter at Petersham Festival in Great Britain on April 24

Rubrics, A Liturgical Suite for Organ by American composer Dan Locklair will be performed by Thomas Trotter, one of Britain’s finest organists, on Saturday, April 24 – 8:00 PM as part of his recital at St. Peter’s Church, Church Lane, off Petersham Road in Petersham, Surrey, England, presented by the Petersham Festival (http://www.petershamfestival.org/index.htm).

Rubrics is one of Dan Locklair’s most performed works. It consists of five movements – I. “…’Hallelujah’, has been restored…”, II. “Silence may be kept”, III. …and thanksgivings may follow.”, IV. “The Peace may be exchanged” and V. “The people respond – Amen!” It has been recorded by Mr. Trotter on his Sounds Phenomenal CD for Organ Historical Society (SHCD3), by Marilyn Keiser on Rubrics: The People Respond – Amen! for pro organo (CD 7025) and by Barbara Harbach as part of Contemporary Organ Music on Gasparo (GSCD-277).

Other composers on the April 24 program include J.S. and J.C. Bach, John Stanley and Jehan Alain. For tickets and more information, call 0844 586 7644 or visit http://www.petershamfestival.org/index.htm.

Thomas Trotter is one of Britain’s most widely admired musicians. In May 2002 he received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Instrumentalist Award in recognition of his particular achievements in 2001 and as “one of the foremost exponents of the organist’s art”. He makes the organ one of the most warmly Romantic of instruments. His technical and musical accomplishments have played a significant role in raising the profile of the organ…” Visit him at http://www.concertorganists.com/site2009/artist2.aspx?id=73.

» Organ Music of Dan Locklair to Be Performed by Marilyn Keiser at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. on April 16

Three works by American composer Dan Locklair, Rubrics, Celebration and In Mystery and Wonder (The Casavant Diptych), will be performed by Dr. Marilyn Keiser, one of America’s finest organists, on Friday, April 16 – 7:30 PM as part of her recital at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 520 Summit Street in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This performance is presented by St. Paul’s, The University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Winston-Salem Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

This concert celebrates the release of The Music of Dan Locklair (LRCD-1110), a collection of some of the composer’s finest organ music, performed by Ms. Keiser. Other selections on the disk are Salem Sonata for organ, PHOENIX Processional (Solo Organ Version, and The Æolian Sonata for organ. For complete program notes about the pieces and more about the CD…

Other composers on the April 16 program include Herbert Howells, J.S. Bach, Rheinberger and Vierne. More about Marilyn Keiser…

» Chamber Music of Dan Locklair Performed at Weymouth Center in Southern Pines, North Carolina on April 11

Composer Dan Locklair’s Dream Steps, A Dance Suite for flute, harp and viola will be performed on Sunday, April 11 – 3:00 PM in the Great Room of Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, 555 East Connecticut Avenue in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

Dream Steps was written in five movements – I. Barcaroles and Recitatives, II. Awakenings, III. Bars of Blues, IV. Ballade in Sarabande and V. Barcaroles, and has been recorded by the Mallarmé Chamber Players for Albany – Dan Locklair: Chamber Works and Capstone – Chamber Music for Harp, Flute, and Strings.

Other works on the program include Quartet for flute and strings by Franz Hoffmeister, Deux Poemes du Ronsard for soprano and flute by Albert Roussel, Sabina for solo viola by Andrew Norman and Exodus for soprano, violin, viola, cello, and harp by Elena Ruehr.

Performers include Ilana Davidson, soprano, Laura Gilbert, flute, Jacqui Carrasco, violin, Jonathan Bagg, viola, Elizabeth Beilman, cello and Jacquelyn Bartlett, harp.

Admission to the April 11 concert is by membership or $15 ticket. For more information, call 910-692-6261 or visit http://www.weymouthcenter.org/.

March 2010
» New Rubric Newsletter available

» Choral Music of Dan Locklair Performed by Akron Symphony Chorus on March 14 in Akron, Ohio

Composer Dan Locklair’s changing perceptions, a five-movement choral cycle for SATB chorus and piano will be performed by the Akron Symphony Chorus, Hugh Ferguson Floyd conductor, as part of their Spring Concert on Sunday, March 14 – 2:00 PM at Our Lady of the Elms, 1375 Exchange Street in Akron, Ohio.

changing perceptions was commissioned and premiered in 1987 by The Choral Art Society of Portland, Maine (Dr. Robert Russell, Music Director). Created in memory of the composer’s father, changing perceptions and its accompanying Epitaph was the top prize winner of the 1989 Barlow International Composition Competition. The poetry of changing perceptions concerns issues of life and death and includes poetry by Carol Adler, from her collection, Day Lilies, and poems by Christine Teale Howes, Joy Kogawa and John G. Magee, Jr. The piece has been recorded for the Dan Locklair: Choral Music CD, with Robert Russell conducting the Choral Art Society.

Tickets for the March 14 concert are $15 each, general admission only, $7.50 for students. For tickets and information, call 330-535-8131 or visit http://www.akronsymphony.org/akron-symphony-chorus-spring-concert/. More about the Akron Symphony Chorus at http://www.akronsymphony.org/chorus/.

» Choral Music of Dan Locklair Performed by Providence Singers on March 6 in Providence, Rhode Island

Composer Dan Locklair’s Stirring the Silence will be performed by the Providence Singers, Andrew Clark, artistic director, on Saturday, March 6 – 8:00 PM at the VMA Arts and Cultural Center, 1 Avenue of the Arts (Brownell Street) in Providence, Rhode Island. They will be joined by the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus, Christine Noel, founding director.

Stirring the Silence, for divided SATB choir, children’s voices and string orchestra, is based on a poem by Fred Chappell, and was commissioned by the Virginia Chorale. The piece was premiered in March 2007 by the Chorale and Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Virginia Beach, as part of a telecast concert surrounding the Virginia Festival of American Voices.

For tickets and more information, call 401-751-5700 or visit Ticket Purchase. More about the Providence Singers.

» Loft Recordings has issued The Music of Dan Locklair (LRCD-1110), a collection of some of the composer’s finest organ music, performed by the internationally renowned Marilyn Keiser.

Selections on the disk are Rubrics (A Liturgical Suite for Organ) [1988], Salem Sonata for organ [2003], PHOENIX Processional (Solo Organ Version) [1996 - from PHOENIX Fanfare and Processional) [1979/85], Celebration (Variations for Organ) [2003], The Æolian Sonata for organ [2002] and In Mystery and Wonder (The Casavant Diptych) [2004].

For complete program notes about the pieces and more about the CD.
More about Marliyn Keiser.

November 2009
» Dan Locklair Naxos CD Featured for November on Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music Website.

American composer Dan Locklair’s Naxos CD, which includes his Symphony of Seasons, Harp Concerto, In Memory H.H.L. and other orchestral works is a featured recording for the month of November on the Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music website. The page about the disk is at http://www.pytheasmusic.org/new_music_recordings.html#featured_recordings. More about the CD at the Naxos site.

The Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music is a wide ranging web nexus for contemporary concert music. Their mission is to promote contemporary composers and their music through information, understanding and performances. Visit them at http://www.pytheasmusic.org/.

» Music of Dan Locklair to Be Performed by Saint Thomas Choir in Manhattan on November 18.

American composer Dan Locklair’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Montréal) for SATB (divisi) and organ will be performed by the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, John Scott, Conductor, at their choral evensong service on Wednesday, November 18 at 5:30 PM at Saint Thomas Church, 1 West 53rd Street in Manhattan.

The pieces were commissioned by the Montreal Boys’ Choir Course (of the Royal School of Church Music) in 1999 for SATB choir and organ and was premiered there in August, 2000, conducted by John Scott.

For more information about Saint Thomas Church, visit them at http://www.saintthomaschurch.org.

» See Photos of Dan Locklair at Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival 2008

October 2009
» Dan Locklair’s In Mystery and Wonder (The Casavant Diptych) will be performed by Dr. Marilyn Keiser, one of America’s finest organists, on Tuesday, October 20 – 7:30 PM as part of her recital at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. This recital is part of the inaugural season of The Great Organ: Great Artists series at the Cathedral .

Composed late in 2003, In Mystery and Wonder (The Casavant Diptych) for organ was commissioned by Casavant Frères, Limitée, of Saint-Hyacinthe (Quebec), Canada, in honor of this distinguished pipe organ builder’s 125th anniversary. Multiple premieres of one or both movements of the piece were given by a host of organists worldwide on Casavant organs during the November 13, 2004 anniversary weekend.

Marilyn Keiser is Chancellor’s Professor of Music Emeritus at Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, Bloomington, where she taught courses in sacred music and applied organ for 25 years. Prior to her appointment at Indiana University, Dr. Keiser was Organist and Director of Music at All Souls Parish in Asheville, North Carolina and Music Consultant for the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, holding both positions from 1970 to 1983. Early in 2010 a new CD will be released on the Loft label featuring Marilyn Keiser playing the organ music of Dan Locklair. More about her at Concert Organists. http://www.concertorganists.com/site2009/artist2.aspx?id=59

» Music of Dan Locklair Premiered by Saint Thomas Choir in New York City Available Online

The World Premiere performance of American composer Dan Locklair’s anthem for SATB chorus, a cappella, In the Sight of God, is available for listening online. The new work was performed by the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, John Scott, Conductor, at their service on Sunday, October 4 at Saint Thomas Church in New York City.

The service will be available for streaming for the rest of this week at http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/stream.html. More about the service and its music at http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/leaflet.html.

In the Sight of God, dedicated to the St. Thomas Choir and its Director, John Scott, can be heard at 51 minutes into the service. Dan Locklair’s Brief Mass and motet, Pater Noster, can also be heard during this service. The choir has previously recorded Brief Mass and Pater Noster as part of their American Music from Saint Thomas CD for Koch International Classics.

July 2009
» Videos now available.

June 2009
» World Premiere of Organ Music by Dan Locklair Performed by Thomas Murray on June 29 at Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles
For more information…

Access Rubric, the newsletter of Dan Locklair

» Organ Music by Dan Locklair Performed by Marilyn Keiser on June 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina
For more information…

April 2009
» Dan Locklair’s Phoenix for Orchestra was featured on KBAQ 89.5 FM’s Arizona Musicfest broadcast and webcast on Tuesday, April 21 – 7 PM Mountain Standard Time.

» Dan Locklair’s The Lilacs Bloomed (A Choral Triptych for SATB Chorus and piano) was given its World Premiere by the Wake Forest University Concert Choir, Dr. Brian Gorelick, Conductor, and Dr. Joanne Inkman, accompanist on Thursday, April 23 – 7:30 PM as part of the Spring Chorale Concert at Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

March 2009
» Dan Locklair’s St. John’s Suite for organ was featured on American Public Media’s Pipedreams radio show on March 2.

For more information…

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Spring 2009 Volume 3, Number 1

Spring 2010 Newsletter Volume 3, Number 2