Gerald Near

1992 Fisk at the Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX

1979 C. B. Fisk at House of Hope Presbyterian Church

Skinner & Aeolian–Skinner at the Washington National Cathedral, District of Columbia

1997 Casavant at Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI

1889 Whalley – Genung at 1st Presbyterian Church, Port Townsend, WA

Getting Near

…the music and insights of a prominent American composer of organ and church music, Gerald Near.

Program Broadcast dates:

• Week of February 2, 2015

Links and Resources:

• Printable program listings

Music played in the program

Hour 1

GERALD NEAR:  Toccata –Mary Preston (1992 Fisk/Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX) Pipedreams Archive (r. 7/1997)

NEAR:  A Triptych of Fugues –Aaron David Miller, organist.  NEAR:  Three Anthems (To Thee, o Lord, have I lifted up my soul; They that wait upon the Lord; Sing Alleluia) –House of Hope Motet Choir/Matthew Culloton, director; Aaron David Miller (1979 C. B. Fisk/House of Hope Presbyterian Church) Pipedreams Archive (r. 4/29/12)

NEAR:  Carillon on a Ukrainian Bell Carol –Larry Visser (1996 Austin-Allen/LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI) LaGrave 2013

NEAR:  Sonata No. 1 for Organ –Jeremy Filsell (Skinner & Aeolian-Skinner/Washington National Cathedral, District of Columbia) Raven 942

Hour 2

NEAR:  3 Chorale-preludes (Liebster Jesu; Freu dich sehr; Nun danket alle Gott) –Steven Egler (1997 Casavant/Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI) Prestant 1011

NEAR:  2 Chorale-preludes (Veni Emmanuel; A solis ortus cardine) –Elwood Bernas (1889 Whalley & Genung/1st Presbyterian Church, Port Townsend, WA) FPCPT 2006

NEAR:  Suite in Classic Style –Cheryl Gobbetti Hoffman, flute; Bruce Neswick (1988 Wilhelm/St. Alban’s School, Washington, DC) Raven 840

NEAR:  Air with Variations, fr Sonata Breve –Pamela Decker (1987 Kney/University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN) Pipedreams Archive (r. 10/27/08)

NEAR:  St. Mark’s Service (Magnificat & Nunc dimittis) –Llandaff Cathedral Choir/Michael Smith, director; Michael Hoeg (1937 Norman & Beard/Llandaff Cathedral, Wales) Priory 551

NEAR:  Choraleworks, Set I (Westminster Abbey; Moscow; Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland; Erhalt uns, Herr; O Welt, ich muss dich lassen; Mit Freuden zart; Herzliebster Jesu; In dulci jubilo; Salzburg) –Steven Egler (1997 Casavant/Central Michigan University) White Pine 203

 

Composer Gerald Near converses with Michael Barone" --> during a presentation at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul, MN.  Near talks about his musical beginnings, the transition from ‘playing by ear’ to composing, text setting, using a computer, and the creation of a new choral score commissioned by the church.

Listen online to the premiere performance" --> of this new score by Gerald Near for Choir, Strings and Piano:  Serenade on Poems by Robert Herrick. Enjoy the music more fully by following the individual movement'stexts here:
            To Music
            Thanksgiving to God for His House
            The Funeral Rites of the Rose
            Gather ye rosebuds
            A carol

The premiere performance of Near’s well-loved anthem “Sing Alleluia Forth” was presented in an early PIPEDREAMS program (#8438), as was his 1998 Organ Concerto, commissioned for an AGO Convention in Denver (#9846).