When I started this blog, I never anticipated writing this kind of post. But the impression Stephen Paulus made on this composer (and many others I’m certain) and my learning today of his passing yesterday compels me to do so.
I first learned of Stephen’s music when I sang several of his traditional Christmas Carol arrangements with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. At first, they struck me as a bit odd – not harmonically conventional at all. But I soon found that “oddness” turned to “freshness” and they quickly became my favorite arrangements of those carols.
I later met Stephen when he came to Pittsburgh in 2001 for the premier of his three movement work,We Sing Thy Birth, commissioned by Brady Allred and the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh. Five composers were commissioned for the Bach Choir’s Christmas Concert that year: Joseph Wilcox Jenkins, Mack Wilberg, Kieren MacMillan, Stephen and myself. I, by far the lesser known of the five, composed The Dream Isaiah Saw for the occasion, but I have always felt that Stephen’s pieces were the best of the lot. Pick up a copy of the CD Cantate Hodie and you’ll see I’m correct. Brady eventually introduced me to Stephen and I will always remember how gracious and supportive Stephen was towards me. I emailed him several times over the following years and he always answered my correspondences promptly and in a friendly manner – he was always gracious and polite, never pretentious or arrogant in the least.
Not long ago, I purchased a CD of his music and after listening to his Pilgrims’ Hymn for about the 100th time, I sent him a email to tell him I thought it to be, in its simplicity, the most beautiful sacred choral piece I had ever heard. In his typically unassuming way, he simply thanked me for the thought. Two weeks ago, as I was preparing my list of Favorite Sacred Choral Works, I listened to Pilgrims’ Hymn once more and quickly put it atop my list.
I hardly knew Stephen Paulus, but I will miss him terribly.