Russell Schulz-Widmar

Russell Schulz-Widmar (born Russell E. Schulz; 29 July 1944) is a composer, author, and conductor, and a former Professor of Liturgical Music at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. For much of his career he lived in Austin, Texas and upon retirement he has divided his time between Berlin, Germany and Dallas, Texas. He is married to Hubertus Schulz-Wilke.

Biography
Born into a family of German and Dutch immigrants, Russell Schulz grew up northwest of Chicago, near the village of Hebron, Illinois. He graduated with honors with a B. Mus. from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. He received his M. Mus. from the School of Music at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and his D.M.A from The University of Texas at Austin. He also studied at the Royal School of Church Music in London/Croydon. In 1988 he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Valparaiso University. In 2012 The Seminary of the Southwest awarded him the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters.

In 1971, while he was a student at The University of Texas, he and his wife Suzanne Widmar took over as co-Directors of Music at University United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas. In 1993, Schulz left University United Methodist Church to take a position as the Director of Music at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Austin, Texas. He remained in the position until July, 2008.

In 1974 he became Organist/Choirmaster at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest (now The Seminary of the Southwest) and later became Professor of Liturgical Music there. From 1975 to 1985 he was also Visiting Lecturer at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. From 1978 to 1985 he was a member of the Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church, served on the Executive Editorial Board of that commission, and chaired the hymn music committee of the Hymnal 1982. In 1979, 1981, and 1983, on behalf of the Standing Commission and funded by the Lilly Foundation, he arranged biennial conferences for music professors/directors of music at the 10 US Episcopal Seminaries. From 1999 to 2001 he was a member of the Task Force for founding of the Armstrong Community Music School of the Austin Lyric Opera. Also at ALO, he served many years on the Triangle-on-Stage Committee. He was founding President of the Austin Boys' Choir and was a member of the founding Board of Directors of Conspirare: Craig Hella Johnson and Company of Voices. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Capital City Men's Chorus and also the Austin Choral Union. He served on the faculty of the Evergreen Conference in Evergreen, CO, and then from 1980 to 1987 he was Dean of that conference. He served on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, and from 1987 to 1989 he was President of the Society. At the University of Texas he served on doctoral committees, served as faculty at conferences, lectured periodically at the School of Architecture, served on CAPO (Committee for the Advocacy of Pipe Organs) and also on the Advisory Board of the Center for Sacred Music.

He has had a lifelong interest in ethnomusicology, particularly in the study of music as a lens into a culture. He interviewed and photographed hundreds of people in such diverse cultures as the former East Germany, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, Russia, Egypt, Kenya, India, Australia, the UK, Mexico, Brazil and Chile.

As Editor or Chair
The Book of Canticles

El Himnario Provisional

The Hymnal 1982 - The current hymnal in use by the Episcopal Church of the United States of America

Hymnal Supplement II

Hymns III

A New Hymnal for Colleges and Schools - A progressive, non-denominational hymnal by Yale University Press

Praises Abound - a collection of meditations based on hymns and original hymns by students at the Seminary of the Southwest, Austin

Shepherd Songs - A collection of thirteen new hymns, commissioned by members and friends of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Austin.

Songs of Thanks and Praise - A nondenominational hymnal supplement

Choral works
"Adam Lay Ybounden"

An Advent Processional

Autumn Carol

"Bethlehem"

"Boundless Love"

"By Gracious Powers"

A Carol for Christmas

"Forth in Thy Name"

"Give Rest, O Christ"

"God Remembers"

Good Friday Anthems

Heavenly Dance

"Here, O My Lord"

"How Can I Keep from Singing"

"How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord"

"I Am Resurrection"

"I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say"

"I Saw Three Ships"

"In Remembrance" (1990)

"In the Bleak Mid-winter"

"Infant Holy"

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem"

"Jerusalem, My Happy Home"

"Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head"

Joseph's Lullaby

"Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor"

Lullaby

"Mary Said Yes"

"Midnight Clear"

Miriam Dances at the Red Sea

A Neo-gothic Carol: "Ave Mary"

A Neo-gothic Carol: "To Us this Morn"

"O God of Gentle Strength"

"O Gracious Light" (after Arnatt)

"O Gracious Light"

"The Peace of God"

"Remember Christmas"

"Rest In Peace:" A Song of Farewell

Resurrection Dance

"The Royal Banners of Our King"

Sanctus/Picardy

Sky Song

Song of Mary: Magnificat

Song of Simeon: Nunc Dimittis

Song of the Advents

"Songs of Sovereign Grace"

"The Sons of Asaph"

Spring Carol

Stille Nacht

Summer Carol

"Sweet Music"

"Sweet Spirit, Comfort Me"

"There Is a Happy Land"

"This Is the Feast of Victory for Our God"

Three French Carols

"Through all the Changing Scenes of Life"

"Unto Us Is Born a Child"

Visitation Carol

Volemus Pastorcitos

"We Are Not Our Own"

"We Come, O Christ"

"When In Our Music God Is Glorified"

"Wonder, Love, and Praise"

"Your Love, O Christ"

Large works
St. Andrews Evensong

St. Andrews Mass

Mass of the Good Shepherd

Stabat Mater, for choir and orchestra

Requiem, for choir and soloists with organ and six instruments

Solo vocal works
"How Can I Keep from Singing?"

"Now the Green Blade Riseth"

"What Child Is This?"

Organ works
Adeste fideles

Adoro te devote

Ar Hyd y Nos

Beach Spring

Conditor alme siderum

Dialog

Duet and Trio on 'Hyfrydol'

Easter Hymn

Elegy on Old Hundredth

Fantasia on the Danish Amen

Grosser Gott/Te Deum

Hyfrydol

Intonation on 'All Glory, Laud and Honor'

Introduction and Varied Harmonizations of 'Easter Hymn'

Ite missa est

Jesu dulcis memoria

Land of Rest

Lasst uns erfreuen

Lord Have Mercy (from Danish Amen Mass)

Lourdes Hymn

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Organ Mass: 'Lord, have mercy'

Organ Mass: 'Holy, holy, holy Lord"

Partita on 'Ah, Holy Jesus'

Picardy

Prelude on an Ancient Melody

Prelude on 'Lasst uns erfreuen'

Prelude on 'Middlebury'

Procession

Procession for the Ascension Vigil

Quite Alleluias

Requiem aeternam

Sicilian Mariners

Simple Gifts

St. Catherine

St. Flavian

Stille Nacht

Sussex Carol

Sweet Sacrament

Tantum ergo/Pange lingua

Triptych on Veni Creator Spiritus

Ubi caritas

Variations on 'O Come All Ye Faithful'

Variants on 'St. Columbia'

Variants on 'Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence'

Veni Creator

Veni Creator Spiritus

Veni, veni Emmanuel

Victimae paschali laudes

We Gather Together

When Jesus Wept

Wie Schön Leuchtet

Wondrous Love

Hymn texts
"We Are Gathered All Together"

"You, Lord, We Praise in Songs of Celebration"

"Your Love, O God, Has Called Us Here"

Hymn tunes
Anna Marie

Bordy

DeVries

Kelfer

Moehr

Molly

Sanjeev

Wilke

Wilmersdorf

plus dozens of harmonizations

Unpublished works
The Journey (SATB version)

Requiem (version with full orchestra, 1998)

Songs from Buckeye Trail

Some writing
Forewords, for four hymn collections: Patricia Clark, Thomas Pavlechko, Richard Proulx, K. Lee Scott

Reviews of books by Richard Arnold, Fred Pratt Green, Marion J. Hatchett, Robin Leaver, Alan Luff, Cyril Taylor, and Arthur Wenk.

Hymnal 1982 Companion: "Hymnody in the US since 1950" plus many short articles

Duty and Delight - Routley Remembered: "The Hymn Renaissance in the US"

In The Hymn, July 1982: "American Hymnody: A View of the Current Scene"

Some Presentations on US Hymnody and Church Music
All Saints Episcopal Church, Austin: Bailey Lectures

Colorado State University, Ft. Collins

Concordia University, River Forest, IL

Saint Mary's University, San Antonio

Seminary of the Southwest: Harvey Lectures

Schmelztiegel der Traditionen / Melting-pot of Traditions, von Arne Reuel, Deutschland Radio Kultur

Texas Lutheran University, Seguin

University of Texas

Valparaiso University

Westminster Abbey, London

Westminster Choir College, Princeton. NJ

Yale University Divinity School, New Haven, CT

Hymn Society Conferences: Bethlehemn PA; Charleston, SC; Ft. Worth, TX: Louven, Belgium; Oberlin, OH; Washington, DC

Major works conducted
Bach: Brandenburgs, cantatas, Magnificat

Brahms: Requiem

Duruflé: Requiem

Fauré: Requiem

Peter Hallock: Phoenix

Handel: Chandos Anthems, Israel in Egypt, Jubliate Deo, Messiah, organ concerti

Haydn: Creation, Little Organ Mass, Lord Nelson Mass, St Nicholas Mass

Mendelssohn: Elijah, St. Paul

Mozart: Requiem, church sonatas, Colloredo Mass, Coronation Mass, Sparrow Mass, Missa brevis in F

Perry: Judith (with added texts by Fred Pratt Green)

Proulx: Acclamations, Mass for the City

Rutter: Requiem

Schubert: Deutsche Messe, Mass in G

Schulz-Widmar: Requiem, Service for the Seminary of the Southwest, Stabat Mater

Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem

Vivaldi: Gloria

Other performances
Rites in Ragtime: Music of Scott Joplin as Religious Expression

Voice and Verse: Combining Handel's Messiah and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Music Festival

American Songs of Praise: 1976

A Festival of Fred Pratt Green