BENJAMIN DEAN TAYLOR, composer
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A Father's Hymn

Picture

Concert Band, lyrical ballad
Grade 3
4 minutes



In memory of Gary Sudano and commissioned by his children;
Alison Cole, Jim Sudano, and Julie Michael.


Premiered by
Deer Creek Middle School, Jim Sudano, director;
Littleton, Colorado

Carmel Middle School, Chris Drabyn, director;
Carmel, Indiana

Noblesville East Middle School, Betheny Hanlin, director; Noblesville, Indiana.





PERUSAL SCORE
a_fathers_hymn_taylor_perusal.pdf
File Size: 2690 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


(reading session recording provided by Indiana University with Jason Nam, conductor)

Program Note - The story behind the music

Gary Sudano (1942-2017) will always be remembered as a loving father and passionate music educator. This work is a gift from his wife Jan, his children, and the families in the three Band programs involved to honor his life and legacy. Gary absolutely loved classical music and for many years taught music courses at Purdue and Illinois State. Gary’s son, Jim, recalled his father’s favorite composers being Bach, Brahms, and Sibelius, just to name a few. In my early discussions with Jim about this commission, we both felt that Gary would want a reflective ballad that was influenced by classical music and several traditional hymn tunes. Thus, melodies from “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow”, “Be Still My Soul”, and “It is Well With My Soul” appear throughout the work - sometimes as a direct statement, sometimes as an echo, as if the listener is reflecting on a distant memory.

The work opens with a soft ostinato pattern consisting of the notes E, E, B, E, E, D, which are the musical pitch letters taken from the word “remembered”.  A descending line pushes the work to a momentary climax where a fanfare theme is presented in the trumpets based upon the letters in Gary’s name.  Another thematic element heard at significant moments throughout the work is a descending melodic theme consisting of the pitches D, A, D, which symbolizes the recurring influence our dads have in our lives.  I sincerely hope that my efforts to illustrate these themes and briefly describe the ideas behind them will be of benefit to all who perform, conduct, and listen to this piece.  This composition has become a deeply personal work for me.  I have a wonderful father, and now as a father myself of five sons, I understand the deep love inherent with that title.  I offer this work as a tribute to fathers everywhere who have loved us, played with us, encouraged us, and ultimately changed us.  




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For all other payment arrangements, please email benjamintaylormusic@gmail.com

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  • Home
  • Biography
  • Works
    • Orchestra >
      • Flex Works
      • Snitchin' in the Kitchen (grade 3 with audio track)
      • Electric Breakdance (string orchestra)
      • Aurum Tetra (Saxophone Quartet Concerto)
      • Aurum Tetra (string quartet concerto)
      • Worlds Without End
      • Dizzy Overture
      • Mile-High City (string orchestra)
      • Leaving White
      • Leap (chamber orchestra)
      • Drifting Indigo
    • Wind band >
      • Flex Works >
        • Electric Breakdance (grade 1) with audio track
        • Pandemic Pandemonium (grade 2)
        • Earth Resonance (grade 3 with audio track)
        • Intermountain Underground (grade 3 with audio track)
        • Snitchin' in the Kitchen (grade 3 with audio track)
        • Legos Emit Gnarly Overtones (grade 2 with audio track)
        • Techno Blade (grade 2) with audio track
      • Electric Breakdance (grade 1) with audio track
      • STACK (grade 1)
      • Legos Emit Gnarly Overtones (grade 2 with audio track)
      • Techno Blade (regular version, grade 2) with audio track
      • Pandemic Pandemonium (grade 2)
      • A Flicker in Time (grade 2.5)
      • Scooter Time (grade 2.5)
      • Party Potatoes (concerto + band, grade 3)
      • A Father's Hymn (grade 3)
      • Epic Bacon Funk (grade 3)
      • Intermountain Underground (regular version, grade 3 with audio track)
      • Into The Mist (grade 3)
      • Maze of 1000 Mirrors (March, grade 3)
      • Motorcycle Time (grade 3)
      • Our Puzzle (grade 3)
      • And May We Always Cherish (Grade 3)
      • The Hope Within (grade 3)
      • The Excitement of Fear (grade 3.5)
      • Another Day in the Park (grade 4)
      • Chinese Fire Drill (grade 4)
      • Cold Lights (band+video) (grade 4)
      • Mile a Minute (grade 4)
      • Seeds of Glass (band+video) (grade 4)
      • Shattering Infinity (grade 4)
      • Powerhouse (grade 4)
      • Trailing Clouds Of Glory (grade 4)
      • With Wings As Eagles (grade 4)
      • Leaving White (grade 5)
      • Whiz-Bang (grade 5)
      • Shattering Infinity (marching band)
    • Jazz Big Band >
      • Baby Jack's Blues
      • Can I See Your Socks
      • Chocolate Covered Cherries
      • Concerto por Trombonito
      • Garapan
      • High Road
      • No Improv Monday
      • The Greasy Toaster
      • White Cliffs of Dover (arr.)
    • Choir >
      • Little Lamb (SATB choir)
      • Eternity's Heirs
    • Saxophone(s) >
      • Sax Quartet Concerto Consortium Commission
      • Get More Epic!
      • Digital Goldfish (Sax Quartet)
      • Drum N Bari
      • The Secret Life
      • Shipbreaking
      • To Raise Up
    • Bass Clarinet >
      • Drum N Bass Clarinet
    • Bassoon >
      • Drum N Bassoon
    • Trumpet >
      • Stop.Rewind.Play. (solo + video)
      • Now You Will ... (solo)
    • Trombone(s) >
      • Funky Bone (trombone choir)
      • Beyond Coincidence (trombone choir)
      • A Call for Courage (trombone choir)
      • Can You Crack It? (solo and tape)
    • Euphonium >
      • Euph + Drum Set CONSORTIUM
      • Bitcoin's Bull Run (euph+EA)
      • FLOW (euph + EA)
      • Drum N Euph (euph + EA)
    • Tuba >
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      • Party Potatoes (concerto + band)
      • Drum N Tuba
    • Contrabass >
      • First Punch
      • FE26 (contrabass + electronics)
      • Digital Assistant
      • 7 Million Results
    • Percussion >
      • Silounds
      • Standard Literature (ensemble)
      • Unrepeatable Expression (ensemble)
      • Non-REM Sleep
    • Piano >
      • All That Remains (Piano + Electronics)
    • Chamber Works >
      • Panic Later (mixed quartet)
  • Contact
  • Dixieland Band
  • Family
  • Commissions
    • Solo + Death Metal
    • Sax Quartet Concerto Consortium Commission
    • Trumpet Consortium Commission
  • UMBS Presentation