Wake Forest Magazine December 2003 - Past Issues - Wake Forest ...

O sing a new song
Alumni couple honors former chaplain Ed Christman with an
original composition written by Dan Locklair.
Dan Locklair (left) with
Ed Christman (’50, JD ’53),
Mary Ann Taylor (’56, MD ’60),
and Gerald Taylor (’58)
When Ed Christman (’50, JD ’53) retired
in July after more than thirty years as
University Chaplain, the tributes were
plentiful, as were the stories from those
for whom he was an inspiration. But
Christman perhaps never anticipated that
the occasion of his retirement would be
the source of another inspiration—this
one in the form of an original piece of
music, written in his honor by Composerin-Residence
and Professor of Music Dan
Locklair.
Such a singular commemoration of
Christman’s service to the campus
community was commissioned by Mary
Ann Hampton Taylor (’56, MD ’60), former
director of the Student Health Service, and
her husband Gerald Taylor (’58), a retired
dentist. She had known Christman when
they were students and worked closely
with him during their years together in
the Division of Student Life.
The decision to honor him in a musical
way was a simple but profound middle-ofthe-night
epiphany for Mary Ann, said the
Taylors. Locklair, a prolific and award-winning
composer who couldn’t have closer
Wake Forest ties, was their obvious choice
to bring it to fruition. Although they did
not know him personally, they were familiar
with his work and his stature among
American composers.
The Taylors wanted the work to reflect
their admiration for Christman, his dedication
to all things Wake Forest, and his
compassion for all Wake Forest people.
The result is “O Sing to the Lord a
New Song,” a setting of Christman’s
favorite psalm, Psalm 96, in a composition
for chorus and piano. The five-minute
piece received its world premiere on
December 4 at the Concert Choir’s Holiday
Choral Concert under the direction of
Brian Gorelick. A second performance was
held three days later at the annual Love
Feast in Wait Chapel, a service near and
dear to Christman’s heart, said Locklair.
“I always encourage people who commission
choral or vocal works to make suggestions
of texts,” said Locklair, “and Mary
Ann did just that. Choosing a good and
effective text is always a challenge for a
composer because a number of texts, even
ones that read well, are not effective
when set to music. When we discovered
from Ed’s wife, Jean, that Psalm 96 was
among his favorite texts, everything
clicked. The Psalms, of course, were originally
sung, and as a result, are among the
most musical texts in the Bible.”
Locklair first met with the Taylors in
February and completed the composition
in April. “O Sing to the Lord a New Song”
is a very personalized work, since all musical
materials in it are based on Edgar
Douglas Christman’s initials, EDC, said
Locklair. “Reflective of the vibrant and
energetic text, I hope that my setting of
Psalm 96 captures not only the energy and
vibrant praise of this Psalm, but also Ed’s
own great spiritual and physical energy as
well,” he said. “It was an honor to celebrate
Ed’s rich legacy to Wake Forest in
this way.”
—Cherin C. Poovey
December 2003 19