Remembering Stephen Paulus

After composer Stephen Paulus died on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, at the age of 65, people from throughout the music world shared their thoughts about the person, life and legacy of Paulus with Classical MPR.

Geoffrey Williams, countertenor,
New York Polyphony:

"As members of the community of singers and those who love ensemble singing, we honor Stephen for his gifts, most particularly in marrying text to music. May we strive in his memory to continue to express what we sing with the same integrity and grace."

Paul Smith, VOCES8:

"I was deeply saddened to hear of Stephen's passing. I have spent a good deal of time over the past few years working with VOCES8 in the Twin Cities, and many of the singers we met and worked with came into regular contact with him. They only ever had wonderful words to say about him. He wrote beautiful music and inspired many many people through his words, his deeds and his writing."

Jodi Gustafson, Creative Director, InVocation:

Even before we call on Your name
To ask You, O God
When we seek for the words to glorify You
You hear our prayer;
Unceasing love, O unceasing love,
Surpassing all we know.

It was just an ordinary rehearsal with the National Lutheran Choir, back in 1997. We were reading new music that night, and I can still hear the opening of Pilgrim's Hymn as I heard it then from within the alto section. Rich, sonorous, shimmering; I could barely breathe inside those chords, for sheer wonder. The depth and color of the music was so perfect with the depth and color of the text that I experienced something else: the truth embedded in the piece. Sight reading is not often like this. Figuring out intervals, vowels, phrasing on the fly is an intellectual exercise for me. But that night … magic. I've conducted the piece with several choirs since, and the magic always arrives. Rest in endless grace, Stephen Paulus, and thank you.

Even with darkness sealing us in,
We breathe Your name,
And through all the days that follow so fast
We trust in You;
Endless Your grace, O endless Your grace
Beyond all mortal dream

Daniel Kantor, composer:

"Stephen Paulus was a composer's composer. Ask any great composer or conductor today for a top-ten list of their favorite choral works and it's a good bet that a Paulus piece would be on that list. He could craft sonorities that extended the range of musical thought while remaining entirely accessible to the average listener's ear. His music exemplifies that rare inevitable quality that leaves listeners wondering how the world ever lived without it. Only the greatest of composers can pull this off, and Stephen was surely one of them."

Bob Peskin, Executive Director, Minnesota Chorale:

"We had commissioned works with him over the years, both for the Chorale and for the our Minneapolis Youth Chorus. He wrote a piece that was a joint commission that we premiered with the combined choirs of the adults and the kids, and as was always the case when working with Steve, he was an absolutely delightful person to be with — on a one-to-one basis but then when you were working together on a process of commissioning and creation, it was wonderful to see the ways in which he would listen to what you had to say, listen to your ensemble sing and incorporate all of that into the music that he created for you to premiere. And he was always so gracious with his time and with his talent, it's so hard for us to take in the idea that he's no longer with us. But we're also eternally grateful that the music that he left is music that will stay with us forever and will continue to enrich the lives of both singers and audiences.

"Another item we did, the Chorale recorded the oratorio he created, To Be Certain of the Dawn, that was recorded with the Minnesota Orchestra. The premiere was organized with the choir of the Basilica of St. Mary, but when the recording took place, it was the Minnesota Chorale and the Minnesota Orchestra. Again, it was a laborious process, but it was in service to the capturing of a brilliant piece of music. And again, the Chorale singers were grateful to be a part of that, to leave something lasting, especially on the subject matter that the oratorio is concerned with, remembrances in the wake of the Holocaust. That was an incredible experience for us and is a lasting tribute to Steve's genius, that that recording exists."

Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director, Conspirare:

"As a native Minnesotan myself, I always felt so proud that one of America's greatest choral composers was from my home state. My first encounter with Stephen's music was in the Minnesota All-State Choir in my junior year in high school. The commissioned piece that year was by Stephen, "Now is the Gentle Season." This subtle and sophisticated gentle miniature was a gem. I am not sure that our collection of 120 singers ever quite captured the nuance in his lovely piece, but it made a forever impression on me and I have loved his music and his presence in my musical life ever since. I had many memorable experiences with his music and I feel truly blessed to have gotten to know him quite well over the years.

"During these past many months, I received regular updates from his cherished friend and collaborator, Michael Dennis Browne. This has been a great gift as it allowed me to feel closer to Stephen, a man whom I came to truly love. I am greatly saddened by his leaving us. I still have about a thousand conversations I want to have with him, at least.

"For now, I will simply try to find ways to express my gratitude for the gift of his life and creative offering and to find ways for his vision and inspiration to inhabit my world in new ways."

Osmo Vänskä, Music Director, Minnesota Orchestra

"This sad news was unexpected for me; I was thinking that he was coming along slowly, but that he was coming back after the stroke; I was totally startled when I heard that he passed away. It happened far too early.

"He was a very talented composer. I have premiered three pieces of his, and we recorded the oratorio, To Be Certain of the Dawn. People mostly know about his choral works, but Stephen Paulus did great things for the orchestra, too. The last piece we did of his, TimePiece — I was involved as a conductor, and even played a little part on the clarinet — we premiered in 2011. That had a very strong jazz element, and I have to say it just showed how open-minded he was to go into some new areas of music, and it shows how skilled he was to be able to create that kind of piece.

"Steve was a very good listener. We had some conversations about the new pieces and he wanted to hear the opinions of everyone involved. As a conductor, I always had a chance to ask questions and he thought about them and we found a solution for any problem. He was always listening and giving comments about balance and about tempo, but he was always, always very positive. He was very easy to work with.

"I am happy that I had a chance to work with Stephen Paulus. I have many, many good memories, and I have to say I miss him very much right now."

John Nuechterlein, President and CEO, American Composers Forum

"It is a sad day for us at ACF, and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family. His music touched the lives of many, but he will also be remembered by hundreds of fellow composers for all he did to support them and their work. He gave generously of time and talent. We have all lost a gifted artist and a great friend."

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