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Simplistic. Out of touch. Unfashionable. These are some of the descriptions assigned to Virgil Thomson’s music. It is true his music doesn’t veer far from the ear’s comfort zone, but the listener is hard-pressed to find art music that is as down to earth and quintessentially American as his. In fact, Thomson wrote music that was instrumental in informing the styles of several of his colleagues, not the least of which is Aaron Copland. The Symphony on a Hymn Tune was completed in 1928. There are actually at least a couple of hymns that surface throughout the piece, the main one being a Scottish melody that is commonly associated with the text for “How Firm a Foundation“. You can also hear “Jesus Loves Me“ finding its way through the tapestry of this first symphony by a composer whose music deserves more frequent appearances in concert halls today. And excellent recorded performance by James Sedares and the New Zealand Symphony orchestra The paintings
