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CFAGO Presents “A Community Sing-In: The Music of David Hurd,” Led by Jones High School Master Singers
The Central Florida Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (CFAGO) presents “A Community Sing-In: The Music of David Hurd”, Sunday, April 21, 2024, 4:00 PM, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 2499 N. Westmoreland Drive, Orlando, FL 32804. The audience is the choir and will be anchored by Jones High School Master Singers, Tarin Davies, Director, and members of CFAGO.
With over 200 choral and organ works in print plus recordings, David Hurd, an internationally renowned composer, concert organist/improvisationist and choral director, will lead a community gathering in an afternoon of the singing of his recently created choral work, “When in Our Music,” as well as a bevy of hymn settings composed by him. In addition, the audience will be treated to several Hurd organ improvisations.
His concert piece, “In Honor of Martin,” was featured at New York City’s Lincoln Center by the Dessoff Choirs and his “Gloria, Gloria” was premiered at Lincoln Center by the Boys Choir of Harlem and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Hurd’s music is published by a number of major houses including, GIA Music Publications, Hope Publishing and MorningStar Music Publishers. Glory to God: Presbyterian Hymnal, The Hymnal 1982 (Episcopal), Gather (Roman Catholic), The Lutheran Hymnal, The New Century Hymnal (The United Church of Christ) are samples of the hymnals of nearly all mainline denominations containing his music. Dr. Hurd’s numerous choral works are staples of church choir libraries.
As a concert organist, David Hurd enjoys instant recognition both at home and abroad. Since winning both first prizes (in performance and improvisation) of the 1977 International Congress of Organists, he has performed throughout North America and Europe, has been a featured artist at numerous national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists. He was invited to perform at the Internationaal Orgelfestival Haarlem, during which he received the diploma for improvisation at the Stitchting Internationaal Orgelconcours
In 2010, he became the fifteenth recipient of The American Guild of Organists’ Distinguished Composer award. Dr. Hurd is now Organist/Choirmaster of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in New York City, following a tenure of 39 years on the faculty of The General Theological Seminary in New York City.
Dr. Hurd was born in New York City, studied both at the Preparatory Division of the Juilliard School and at Manhattan’s High School of Music and Art. Dr. Hurd attended Oberlin Conservatory, and went on for further study at the University of North Carolina and at the Manhattan School of Music. His organ teachers have included Bronson Ragan, Garth Peacock, Arthur Poister, and Rudolph Kremer.
For over a century the Jones High School (JHS) Choir has been an Orlando leading cultural entity. The JHS Master Singers are a select ensemble of 12 outstanding vocalist of the JHS Choir.
CFAGO offers this concert free to the public as part of the organization’s purpose to advance the cause of organ and choral music, as well as to promote their understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment. For the last 12 years, CFAGO has awarded $16,500 in scholarships to local high school students pursuing college training in organ performance.
Event information may be found at cfago.org.