I composed this Psalm Offering in 1976 from musical sketches/assignments I composed in Music Theory 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the years 1970 and 1971. Dr. Callahan, my music theory professor gave us the assignment in the 2nd year of Musical Theory to compose music using changing meter. I took those assignment sketches and developed them 4 years later into this music, that I later revised in 1986 in its present form. I dedicated this music to Dr. Jim Callahan, my music theory prof. Dr. Callahan also was my piano professor. The man was an incredible composer and concert pianist. I am forever grateful to him for his patience and his commitment in developing me into the musician I am today.
As to the music, it has a saucy/sassy tangoesque quality about it. It is only 65 measures long and alternates from 5/4 meter to 6/4 to 3/4 back to 5/4 meter. There is even one measure of 4/4/ meter in it … only one. The left hand ostinatto pattern in 5/4 time, is reminiscent of what one hears in the Dave Brubeck’s quartet’s hit “Take Five” written by the quartet’s alto saxophone musician, Paul Desmond. It begins in an F minor key and modulates to a C major key, ending in A minor. Playing it now is as much fun as it was composing it over 40 years ago.
The picture is of me, at the time I was composing this, with my two sons, Andy and Luke (the infant).
