4:00 - 5:30 p.m., Sunday, May 12, 2013

Neu Chapel Sanctuary, University of Evansville Campus, 1800 Lincoln Ave, Evansville, IN

Douglas Reed, University Organist/Professor Emeritus of Music, will play a concert entitled Amazing Grace in Neu Chapel on May 12, at 4:00 p.m.  A matinee performance of his concert in Siegen, Germany later in May, the program will include music by American composers William Albright, William Bolcom, Sydney Hodkinson, and Daniel Pinkham.

Reed will perform three compositions based on familiar hymn tunes. These include Pulitzer Prize winning composer William Bolcom’s Gospel Prelude on “Amazing Grace” and Prelude on “Abide With Me" as well as Pinkham’s Variations on “Wondrous Love.”

The program will also include a 35th anniversary performance of William Albright’s Organbook III (1977-78) premiered by the composer on the Neu Chapel Holtkamp organ in 1978.  Albright had strong ties with the University of Evansville who commissioned him to write Four Fancies for harpsichord (1978) with the support of the Mesker Music Trust, and Symphony for organ with percussion (1986) with the support of the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The most recent works on the program are Swing Shift and Zephyrs from Sydney Hodkinson’s Organmusic (2012). Hodkinson conducts the Contemporary Ensemble and teaches composition at the Aspen Colorado Music Festival and School.  A composition professor and conductor of the Musica Nova Ensemble at the Eastman School of Music for many years, Hodkinson wrote Papillons, Book III (1984) for Douglas Reed, and Cantata Sancta (2001) with the support of the McGary Family of Newburgh, Indiana and the Friends of UE Music for the dedication of the Francile MacDonald McGary portative organ.

Sponsored by the University of Evansville Department of Religious Life, the program is free and open to the public.