Locklair’s Gorgeous Harmonies

Atlanta Brassworks

On September 9, Dan Locklair’s From the rising of the sun… receives its world premiere in Atlanta at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church (UMC). The six-minute work for brass quartet, percussion, and organ was commissioned by the church to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its large sanctuary which houses two unique and extraordinary organs built by Mander Organs of London, England. From the rising of the sun… will be performed by Atlanta Brassworks, percussionist Michael Cebulski, and Peachtree Road UMC Associate Organist Nicole Marane.

Nicole Marane, Organ

“I love playing Dan Lockair’s organ music,” Nicole Marane comments. “He has a wonderful gift of creating different colors and sound sensations, through his writing for the organ, registration suggestions and the interplay of instruments in his ensemble writing. I also enjoy that his music incorporates a combination of rhythmic drive and gorgeous harmonies. The Peachtree Road United Methodist Church congregation has already enjoyed hearing his Phoenix Fanfare and Processional, also written for organ, brass and percussion. I am thrilled with anticipation at the thought of the congregation hearing From the rising of the sun…, which incorporates all of the elements I love about Locklair’s music. I’m very much looking forward to performing this premiere, and I’m now even more inspired to learn more of [his] music.”

 

 

“Dan Locklair was indeed a perfect match for this commission…This new work celebrates the tenth anniversary of our church and magnificent organ. After reading the piece for the first time, I realized how much Dan had researched the building itself—portraying the grandeur of the space in every single note. “From the rising of the sun…” is definitely another masterpiece from Mr. Locklair.”

—  Scott Atchison, Peachtree Road UMC Music Director and Organist

 

 

Summer 2012 also brought another Locklair world premiere. On July 7, organist Michael Lodico, Jr. gave the first performance of O Festive Day during his recital at the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, North Carolina. The one-movement, six-minute piece was commissioned as a birthday gift for North Carolina English- and French-language educator Mary Alice Lodico (the performer’s mother). In addition, Ms. Lodico was also a Rockefeller Foundation grant recipient, whose travels and research took her throughout France where she collected French children’s songs. Her collected studies subsequently entered the US and French elementary school curriculum, and Locklair chose three of her songs—“Dans le pré s’en va le train,” “Les mains volent,” and “L’araignée Gypsie”—as the basis of O Festive Day.

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