DAVID HURD AT ST. JAMES' EPISCOPAL CHURCH, JANUARY 16, 2003

   This festival featured hymns and organ works by the artist,
beginning with an improvisation on the tune "O Trinity of Blessed
Light". A series of hymns - sung by the audience - interspersed with
hymn voluntaries made up the program, which closed with another
improvisation using themes from some of the hymns. The music
was grouped into sections: "gathered to sing", "in the evening",
"spiritual life and reconciliation", "disciples and ministers",
and "our parting hymn of praise". Of the hymns, my favorites were
"Christ, Mighty Saviour" [Tune: Mighty Saviour] and the tune Redding,
the latter used for the text "O Sacred Head Now Wounded". This hymn
already has a powerful traditional tune 'Herzlich tut mich verlangen',
harmonized by one J.S. Bach, and it was with some skepticism that I
awaited this moment in the program. Not to worry! Hurd's tune Redding
was a near perfect vehicle for the text. The only problem with the
hymns was that the music in the booklet had only the melody, and the
introduction was sometimes was not sufficiently well indicated;
especially when there were a measure or two between verses (as in
"Jesus Calls Us" [Tune: St. Andrew]). The printing of only the melody
also meant that there was no part singing, with the exception of a
descant ("Ye who claim the faith of Jesus" Tune: Julian]). This
practice of not making the harmonization available is common
in Episcopalian hymnody; in the pew version of the 1940 Hymnal
there were no harmonizations shown; in the 1982 Hymnal about half the
tunes (usually the newer ones) show only the melody. It is probably
easier to get a "contemporary" sound if only the melody is to be
sung; in the other hand well-harmonized four part tunes can be
exceptionally successful. Perhaps this is the challenge in modern
hymnody: to compose contemporary-sounding tunes with harmonizations
that are idiomatic to four part singing. Of the organ compositions
the Partita on Detroit was especially noteworthy. The partita is
essentially a series of variations - eleven in this case. I was
reminded of my paternal grandfather, who used to play fiddle for
square dances in rural middle Tennessee, and about whom it was said
"he could play all night and never play the same tune twice". With this
many variations it is difficult not to repeat some musical ideas, but
Hurd managed easily. Overall this was a moving evening, and Hurd came
across as the consummate complete organist - technically and musically
skilled, a brilliant improviser, and talented composer as well. The
physical resources - the relatively new Steiner-Reck organ, and the
resonant St. James nave - also deserve praise. It was an evening to
remember.

                                               - Glenn A. Gentry