(no subject)
Symphony No. 1 is a memorial for two professors that had a profound impact on my musical and personal development. Dr. James D. Holloway and Dr. Raydell Bradley both died tragically, shortly after I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University. Both men were in their early forties and their deaths had a profound impact on me. I was very close to both of them. We made music, went out, talked about music and all aspects of life together. I had a relationship that was stronger than professor-student with both men; they were my friends as well.
Dr. Holloway was the Professor of Organ at PLU and taught my counterpoint and orchestration classes. He was murdered on the Pacific Lutheran University campus by a deranged individual. The assailant gunned him down in front of one of the dorms. He did not know his killer at all. It was a random act of violence and a completely senseless death. I never grieved in such a profoundly sad way before. I have never been as sad and angry as I was on the day and the months following his death.
Dr. Bradley was the Director of Bands and the conductor of The University Wind Ensemble of which I was a member. He also was my conducting professor. About two years later, Dr. Raydell Bradley died of kidney failure. He was waiting for a transplant when he contracted an infection that his body could not fight. His death was just as profound to me as Jim’s. I felt that the world was losing a great conductor, clinician, and mentor, while I was also losing a great friend.
I mention this background because Symphony No. 1 was written as a memorial and tribute to both men. The symphony is based on the Martin Luther hymn entitled A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, . We would play it ever day in Wind Ensemble rehearsal as a warm up. Dr. Bradley would often have his conducting students conduct A Mighty Fortress during the warm up. He often asked the students to phrase the hymn differently in sections and to add fermatas that were not present in the score. This forced the ensemble to watch the conductor and it forced the conductor to be very clear on the podium. The hymn fits my memory of Dr. Holloway as well. He was the music director of the Lutheran Church as PLU. He knew this hymn and played it on many occasions.
The three movements of the symphony represent a timeline of emotions that I felt when they died. The 1st movement, Sorrow, Anger, and Unrest, represents the emotions I was feeling during the first few weeks of each of the professors’ deaths. There was never inner calm. I was continually becoming emotional and there was no comfort that I could find in anything. I was very angry at the way both men died. They both had more to teach the world and me and I had more to share with them. I slept very little and my emotions would swing violently between sorrow, anger, and unrest. It was a very turbulent time in my life.
The 2nd movement, Contemplation of the Afterlife, deals much more directly with Jim’s death than Raydell’s. When Jim died, I did not believe in God. Jim and I would talk about my non-belief on many occasions. Jim was the exact opposite of me in terms of faith. He was a man of great faith. He would pray with his students often, and he dutifully worked for the Lutheran church. He would never proselytize me, only share his ideas. It was a very loving and open environment to talk about very deep matters. When Jim died I told myself many times, “For Jim’s sake, I hope there is a God.” I hope this for Raydell’s sake as well. He was a pianist in a gospel church choir and had a strong sense of faith as well. This second movement depicts my struggle with my own faith and my hope that there is an afterlife.
The 3rd movement, Memories, is lighter than the first two movements. It represents the fondness I have of both professors and the memories of the times we shared together. The penultimate point of the piece happens near the end of the third movement when the hymn is stated in full. I had wonderful relationships with both of these professors and in this movement I want to reflect and celebrate the job I feel for having known them.
Neil Anderson-Himmelspach
April 21, 2006