|
||
James Welch comments on the music: "From the first time I came upon Dale Wood's organ music, I have admired his genius for choosing memorable tunes and giving them such imaginative arrangements. After sending him a fan letter some years ago, I received a personable reply almost immediately. We have continued to correspond, and he has honored me with several dedications in his collections. I have included a number of my favorite compositions by Dale Wood on previous recordings, including Instrument of Peace, Instrument of Wonder (a Christmas collection), and Around the World in Under 80 Minutes. Considering the wealth of material in his recent publications, I determined that it was time to devote an entire CD to this delightful music. "What is so captivating about Dale Wood's music? His arrangements draw from such disparate sources as early American hymns, Victorian hymns, contemporary hymns, gospel songs, Negro spirituals, international folk tunes, and even baroque chorales. He infuses into each setting his own joyful rhythmic style and rich harmonic language. Some pieces sparkle and dance, while others luxuriate in romantic sounds ... but he just as easily gives majestic hymns a vibrant treatment. Modal tunes from the Old World take on new life while some of his original melodies sound uncannily like ancient folk tunes. "Above all, it is Dale Wood's affection for these tunes that is so unmistakable. How grateful I am that he has shared this music with us." Dale Wood is a free-lance composer whose career was launched at the age of 13 when he won a national hymn writing competition for the American Lutheran Church. Over eight million copies of his published works have since been sold throughout the world, and performances have been noted in 59 foreign countries in recent years. Wood served as executive editor for The Sacred Music Press from 1975 to 1996. His hymns and canticles are found in the Lutheran Book of Worship, Worship II, Seventh Day Adventist Hymnal, The Presbyterian Hymnal, The United Methodist Hymnal, the Moravian Book of Worship, the Chalice Hymnal, and several hymnal supplements. He maintains his home and studio at The Sea Ranch in Northern California. For detailed information on Dale Wood and his work, visit http://www.mcn.org/k/woodworks. |
||