Sing Noel graphic

CFAMC Listening Page #86

First issued Christmas Day 2011

A monthly musical offering by a composer member of the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers.
Both your listening and comments are encouraged.

Warren Gooch

Sing Noel

Performed by

Grace Community Church Choir

To view a PDF copy of the score while you listen, first download the score.

Te Deum

Performed by

Truman State University Chorus and Orchestra

Dr. Mark Jennings, Conductor

To view a PDF copy of the score while you listen, first download the score.

Program Notes

Sing Noel

This piece was written for my choir at Grace Community Church—a “pick-up” choir of 30-50 singers that ministers twice annually, at Easter and at Christmas. As this special events choir rehearses once (maybe twice) prior to each ministry, repertoire must be something the choir can learn quickly. “Sing Noel” is such a piece—a simple little expression of praise. It is published by API Music. The recording features a quartet from Truman State University, where I teach. It was performed as part of a Faculty Forum I presented on the creative process.

Te Deum

This composition was originally commissioned in 1990 by a large school district in Minnesota, where it was premiered by a city-wide festival high school choir and orchestra. More recently, the work has been extensively revised and re-edited. The “Te Deum” is an early Christian hymn of praise dating back to the fourth century, the text for which has been set to music by many composers over the centuries. “Te Deum” is a powerful declaration of faith that acknowledges the attributes of the Divine and calls on God for protection and redemption. Musically, the present composition is text-driven and attempts to capture the sense of awe, reverence, entreaty, and ultimately triumph that are reflected in the text, which has been shortened and adapted by the composer. To this end, the music relies heavily on modal and pentatonic scales and quartal harmonies This recording comes from a performance last spring by the Truman State University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Mark Jennings. This piece was most recently performed this October at the 2011 College Music Society Conference in Richmond, Virginia.

Composer’s Statement of Faith

I was raised in a Christian home and took that blessing for granted until, as a teenager, I realized that “God has no grandchildren” and committed my life to Christ. Shortly after that, I began my career as an educator, and have been one for over three decades. Nothing I have taught to a student compares with what God has been teaching me over the years. God has continually impressed upon this slow and often reluctant learner many great and rather obvious truths. Three of them are:

Whatever musical ability I might have is a gift from God and I hope always to use that gift in ways that are pleasing and honorable to Him.

Composer Biography

Warren Gooch’s music has been widely performed throughout North America, as well as Europe, Asia and Latin America. His work has been recognized by the National Federation of Music Clubs, Minnesota Orchestra, American Choral Directors Association, Music Teachers National Association, Percussive Arts Society, International Trumpet Guild, College Music Society, Music Educators National Conference, the Composers Guild, Composers and Songwriters International, Collegiate Band Directors National Association, American Composers Forum and numerous other organizations. He has been the recipient of over thirty composition awards and paid commissions. Approximately thirty of his works are published by Southern, Dorn, Kjos, Alliance, Flammer, Ensemble, Plymouth, and other publishers. Clockwork for orchestra is available on compact disk, recorded by the Slovak Radio Orchestra under the direction of the late Robert Black (MMC Recordings).

A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Gooch received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. He studied with Stephen Dembski, Joel Naumann, Thomas Wegren, Mary Mageau, Eric Stokes, and others, representing the varied aesthetic philosophies and stylistic positions of composers such as George Crumb, Milton Babbitt, Howard Hansen, and Nadia Boulenger. This broad background has informed Gooch’s own diverse and comprehensive style.

Gooch’s work as music theorist has been recognized by the College Music Society, and Gooch has authored a manual in the Benward/White Music in Theory and Practice textbook series published by McGraw-Hill. Professional affiliations include BMI, Society of Composers, American Composers Forum, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda, College Music Society, Music Theory Midwest, Macro Analysis Creative Research Organization, Music Teachers National Association, Music Educators National Conference, Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers, Wisconsin Alliance for Composers, Iowa Composers Forum and others.

Gooch chairs the Theory-Composition Area and coordinates the Master of Arts in Music program at Truman State University. He has been a finalist or semi-finalist for either that university’s “Educator of the Year” or “Advisor of the Year” awards on six occasions. He is also actively involved in church music.

- - -  SOLI DEO GLORIA!  - - -

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