Manifestation of a Hymn
By Deborah Thurlow
Manifestation of a Hymn is a string work composed in the minimalistic style. The idea of this work is to get into the mind of a composer and how the process develops into a musical score. It starts off with musical fragments of a song my grandmother composed to get me to sing along with her at the piano. The words were, "Baby loves the Lord," and then I would sing, "Hallelujah." It gradually builds into her melody and two minutes into the piece I interweave my hymn-like melody with hers...making a wonderful union of the two of us. My grandmother's melody is stated throughout with the Hallelujah motif.
About the Artist
Deborah Thurlow
Deborah Thurlow is an educator, French hornist, composer, singer songwriter, music director and playwright. She resides in Teaneck, New Jersey since 1997 with her husband, Michael, who is now deceased. She is presently a middle school band director with the East Orange, New Jersey school district. She had received her MFA from SUNY Purchase in Performance in 1993. Studied composition and orchestration with John Corigliano at Lehman College where she received her CUNY BA in 1990. She has performed with the Pina Baush Ballet, Franz Kaman, David Amram, Anthony Davis, The New York Composers Orchestra, Clive Smith and many others too numerous to mention. Thurlow has also performed overseas in Italy, Switzerland and the second time Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Luxenberg, Belgium and Holland on tour with the musical, EVITA, in 1994. Her brass works are published with Ensemble Publications. She has received grants from Meet the Composer, William Petshek Music Fund and The Puffin Foundation in Teaneck, New Jersey. She was Composer in Residence at Morehead State University in Kentucky and has been reviewed favorably in the New York Times and other printed media. She has three recording credits from Capstone Records, I AM (2001), Patchworks (2004) and The Darwin Effect (2008). In 2013 she released her alternative, independent recording as singer/songwriter called, Collage, which made the list for Grammy Nomination consideration. She is the music director of her group, Turn on the Music, a contemporary music ensemble. The instrumentation is French Horn, Violin, Electric Guitar and Electric Bass. Her one act play, The Creative Void of the Planet Earth, had seven Equity Showcase performances with The New Media Repertory under the direction of Miranda MacDermot in 1997. You can email Deborah Thurlow at dt@deborahthurlow.com