User:Jonathunder/Near

From the German Wikipedia:

Gerald Near (born 1942 ) is an American church musician and composer.

Near was a composition student for Leo Sowerby at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He studied at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with Leslie Bassett (composition), Robert Glasgow (organ) and Elizabeth AH Green (conducting). He continued his composition studies at the University of Minnesota under Dominick Argento.

After working as a choirmaster at Calvary Episcopal Church in Rochester, Minnesota, Near was musical director and organist at St. Matthew's Cathedral, Dallas, Texas, and Composer in Residence at the Cathedral of St. John, Denver, Colorado. Eventually he became choirmaster and cantor at the Holy Faith Episcopal Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Near mainly composed church music, including masses, motets and chorales as well as organ works, u. a. a Classical Style suite for organ and flute and a triptych for harpsichord.

From English sources:

From 2009 to 2014, he was director of the Community Chorus in Green Valley, Arizona.

Sources

Christopher Fresolone: THE PEDAGOGICAL USE OF GERALD NEAR’S CHANTWORKS (dissertation), 2012 — CHAPTER THREE: GERALD NEAR BIOGRAPHY (page 23)

Fresolone, p. 25: "Other published works include...service music and two hymns, Evening Hymn and Lowry, in the Episcopal Hymnal (The Hymnal 1982)."

The Hymnal 1982 — 37, 454

Gloriæ Dei Cantores — Gerald Near

Getting Near: the music and insights of a prominent American composer of organ and church music, Gerald Near., Pipedreams

AllMusic — works by Gerald Near

Concordia Publishing House — Gerald Near

Hymnary.org — Gerald Near

MorningStar Music — Gerald Near

Gerald Near — List of Choral Works by Date

The organ and choral music of composer Gerald Near, who lived in Rochester for several years, will be performed as part of Zumbro Lutheran Congregation's 125th anniversary.

A 7 p.m. service Oct. 14 will recognize the international stature of Near's work.

Near was director of music at Zumbro from 1974 to 1976 and also directed music at Calvary Episcopal Church.

Much of his music is dedicated to use in churches.

It is both modern and reminiscent of the great English Church tradition of which he is a follower.

Near lives in Dallas where he continues to write music and has established a publishing house.

Presenting the Zumbro program will be Jeffrey Daehn, minister of musis at Zumbro, and Merrill N. Davis III, also a former music director at Zumbro.

In addition, directors Willard Johnson and Lloyd Ketterling will lead the Zumbro Lutheran Choir.

Daehn said among selections to be heard are The Best of Rooms, dedicated to the Rochester Community College Choir when Johnson was director; Christ at the Garden and This is the Day the Lord Hath Made, all for choir; the Passacaglia which was premiered on organ by Jeff Davis, A Tryptich of Fugues and an organ processional.

"Gerald Near's music for organ has a distinctive contemporary flavor to it, and is infused with a harmonic flavor that is decidedly Mr. Near's", Daehn said.

One of the composer's evening hymns also will be sung.