Gary Fry’s Arrangement to be Premiered at Elmhurst Symphony’s November 17 Concert
An arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision” by Gary Fry, composer/arranger for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus’s Welcome Yule! concerts for 18 years, will be featured at the Elmhurst Symphony’s “Surround Sound II” concert at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 17, at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church.
Gary Fry’s works have been performed more frequently by the CSO Orchestra and Chorus than those of any other living composer. Emmy Award-winning Fry has written nearly a hundred works for the CSO as well as for other major and regional orchestras throughout the country. America’s largest churches have also commissioned sacred music for chorus and orchestra from Fry.
Long active in commercial music, Fry has composed for film, television, live theater and ballet, and has created more than 2500 radio and television commercials for hundreds of major national advertisers, including McDonald’s. He received a 2006 Emmy Award for his work for Chicago’s CBS affiliate WBBM-TV. Air travelers hear Fry’s electronic version of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue when passing through the United Airlines terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Recently his orchestral setting of the national anthem was featured on the Thanksgiving Day broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys football game.
Music education and music for children are other areas in which Fry is active. His teaching resumé includes positions on the faculties of the University of Miami, Northwestern University, and Midwest Young Artists, and he has conducted workshops and seminars at many other educational institutions. His extensive background in choral music has led to commissions from academic and professional vocal ensembles around the country. Fry is also artistic director and composer-in-residence for the annual Rhythms of One World multinational choral festival at the United Nations in New York City.
Fry’s composition for the ESO, “Be Thou My Vision,” was originally written for the annual Old St. Patrick’s Church Siamsa na nGael Celtic music festival held at Orchestra Hall. It is a familiar hymn tune known as Slane and dates back to medieval times in Ireland. The hymn receives a fresh Celtic setting in this arrangement. After a meditative, plainchant-like opening and a lush a cappella choral verse, it suddenly bursts into a strong, driving rhythmic approach well suited to the text of the verse “Be Thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight.” The final verse dances to a joyous, full-blown Irish reel, rising to a glorious conclusion for “High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.” The “Surround Sound II” concert marks the first performance of this version especially arranged for the Elmhurst Symphony. Join us to hear the thrilling conversion of the entire concert space at ECRC into a glorious instrument resonating with the sound of women’s voices, brass, percussion, piano, organ, and strings.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the concert, call 630-941-0202 or visit www.elmhurstsymphony.org.