About the Music
Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo brings to life the global aspect of the traditional Psalm 100 text, “O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands,” by setting it in seven different languages and drawing from a wide spectrum of musical influences. Each movement combines some characteristics of its language-group’s musical culture with the composer’s own musical language. Movements include liturgical Latin, intertwined Hebrew and Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Zulu, Spanish, Song of the Earth (untexted), and a closing movement combining several of these languages with English. The result is a stunning global celebration of joy, as all the earth sings as one, “omnis terra, jubilate!”
About the Composer
Dan Forrest (b. 1978) has been described as having “an undoubted gift for writing beautiful music….that is truly magical” (NY Concert Review), with works hailed as “magnificent, very cleverly constructed sound sculpture” (Classical Voice), and “superb writing…full of spine-tingling moments” (Salt Lake Tribune). Since its first publication in 2001, Dan’s music has sold millions of copies, and is well established in the repertoire of choirs in the U.S. and and around the world.
Dan’s choral works have received numerous awards and distinctions, including the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer’s Award, the ACDA Raymond Brock Award, the ALCM Raabe Prize, and many others. His commissioned choral works have been premiered in major venues around the world and featured on national radio and TV broadcasts. His major works Requiem for the Living (2013) and Jubilate Deo (2016), have quickly become standard choral/orchestral repertoire of ensembles around the world, and his newest major work LUX: The Dawn From On High (2018) is now receiving similar critical acclaim.
Dan is highly active in the music publishing industry, publishing choral music with Hinshaw Music, Beckenhorst Press, and, recently, through his own company, The Music Of Dan Forrest (distributed by Beckenhorst Press). Dan also works as co-editor at Beckenhorst Press, and has published with more than a dozen other publishers. He adjudicates regional and national composition contests, and keeps a full schedule of commissions, workshops, recordings, adjunct professorships, and residencies with universities, churches, and community ensembles, collaborating as accompanist, presenting his music, and teaching composition and music theory. Dan oversees and teaches at the annual John Ness Beck Foundation Choral Composers’ Workshop, and serves as Artist-in-Residence at his home church, Mitchell Road Presbyterian (PCA).
Dan holds a doctorate in composition from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in piano performance, and is a Fellow of Melodious Accord. His academic background includes several years as a professor and department head (music theory and composition) in higher education. More information about Dan and his work can be found at www.danforrest.com.
The mission of rehearsing and performing together is to bring harmony, healing, and hope to each other
as the Tri-State community celebrates diverse cultures through the unifying language of music.
All are welcome.