- Feb 5, 2002
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Concert organist and composer S. Andrew Lloydbelongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But his latest composition, about to make its world debut, draws from the famous Catholic poem, “The Hound of Heaven.”
“As a composer, I want to give my listeners and my performers an opportunity to touch the divine,” the 44-year-old musician based in San Antonio, Texas, told Our Sunday Visitor. “If there’s an opportunity to have that experience, I want to give that to you.”
Lloyd spoke ahead of the world premiere of his new creation, “Amaranthine,” taking place at Carnegie Hall in New York City on April 9. The piece draws inspiration and takes its name from “The Hound of Heaven” by the Catholic English poet Francis Thompson (1859-1907). Selections from the poem — which describes God’s relentless pursuit of the human soul — appear in the composition for voice and piano.
The piece, which consists of five movements, will be performed by opera singer and Sony Classical artist Rachel Willis-Sørensen together with pianist Tamar Sanikidze. The performance presented by the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts comes after “Amaranthine” won the 2022 prize of The Ariel Bybee Endowment at the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts.
Lloyd, who serves as the Bess Hieronymus endowed fellow and assistant professor of organ and composition at the University of Texas at San Antonio, expressed excitement about the upcoming concert and applauded Willis-Sørensen as a world-class performer with a “transcendent” voice.
Referencing the concert program notes, he shared that the entire program, including his piece, “revolves around this idea of things hidden and then revealing themselves … of being brought to the light.”
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
“As a composer, I want to give my listeners and my performers an opportunity to touch the divine,” the 44-year-old musician based in San Antonio, Texas, told Our Sunday Visitor. “If there’s an opportunity to have that experience, I want to give that to you.”
Lloyd spoke ahead of the world premiere of his new creation, “Amaranthine,” taking place at Carnegie Hall in New York City on April 9. The piece draws inspiration and takes its name from “The Hound of Heaven” by the Catholic English poet Francis Thompson (1859-1907). Selections from the poem — which describes God’s relentless pursuit of the human soul — appear in the composition for voice and piano.
The piece, which consists of five movements, will be performed by opera singer and Sony Classical artist Rachel Willis-Sørensen together with pianist Tamar Sanikidze. The performance presented by the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts comes after “Amaranthine” won the 2022 prize of The Ariel Bybee Endowment at the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts.
Lloyd, who serves as the Bess Hieronymus endowed fellow and assistant professor of organ and composition at the University of Texas at San Antonio, expressed excitement about the upcoming concert and applauded Willis-Sørensen as a world-class performer with a “transcendent” voice.
Referencing the concert program notes, he shared that the entire program, including his piece, “revolves around this idea of things hidden and then revealing themselves … of being brought to the light.”
Drawing from Catholicism
Continued below.
New piece by Mormon composer draws inspiration from Catholicism
Concert organist and composer S. Andrew Lloyd belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But his latest composition, about to make its world debut, draws from the famous Catholic poem, “The Hound of Heaven.”
www.oursundayvisitor.com
