Music Piece

100th Anniversary Music Piece

Faithfulness by Dr. Noel Chevalier, Luther English Professor, and Jason Cullimore (HS'90), Luther College Alumnus.

 

Dr. Noel Chevalier

Dr. Noel Chevalier is an Associate Professor of English at Luther College, University of Regina. Born in Comox, British Columbia, he grew up mainly in Ottawa, and attended Carleton University and Queen’s University. His primary research interest is in the literature of the eighteenth century, but his teaching and research cover a diverse range of topics, from literary responses to the Bible, to the historical contexts of globalization, to images of science and scientists. He recently co-edited, with Min Wild, a collection of essays, Reading Christopher Smart in the Twenty-first Century: “By Succession of Delight” (Bucknell University Press).  His literary interests are also balanced by a passionate devotion to music — vocal and instrumental, sacred and secular, classical and popular — which he was delighted to draw on in assembling the texts for Luther’s Centennial music.

 

The texts themselves derive from a variety of sources, all having to do with the theme of “faithfulness.” At the core are excerpts from Psalm 85 (“Steadfast love and faithfulness”) and Isaiah 40 (“Have you not known”). These biblical texts offer bold, public declarations of faith in the world, as Luther College itself is a public declaration of faith within the City of Regina. However, interspersed with these texts are private reflections from Christopher Smart (1720-1770) (the “For” statements in Movements 3 and 5), obscure modernist poet David Schubert (1913-1946) (Movement 2), and the 17th-century divine Francis Quarles (1592-1644) (Movement 4). Although some of these texts have deep personal significance for the compiler, he would also like to note how Jason’s imaginative and thoughtful musical response deepened the implications of the words even further: many more meanings became apparent while he was learning to sing them.

 

Jason Cullimore (HS'90)

Composer Jason Cullimore (HS'90) has had a long relationship with Luther College. A graduate of the High School, he currently teaches a course in the Psychology of Music to undergraduate students at the Luther College, University Campus. Jason is a professional composer, having had works performed by the Regina and Victoria Symphony Orchestras. His film scores, television scores and instrumental music have been recognized in the form of three nominations for the 2013 Western Canadian Music Awards, a Gemini nomination, and top prizes for his classical and jazz compositions in the UK Songwriting Contest and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. in Creative Technologies and Computer Science at the University of Regina, devising software that will allow composers to craft musical compositions that respond and adapt to feedback from their listeners.

 

When Jason was approached to compose a choral work to help celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Luther College, he recognized that it was a wonderful opportunity to give back to an institution that has been a significant influence in his life. Jason has found the text, which was assembled by Luther College Professor Dr. Noel Chevalier, to be an inspiration. He has attempted to convey in his score the emotions he finds within the text: joy, hope, and love. Jason would like to thank all of the individuals at Luther College who have helped him in the production of “Faithfulness”, as the music reflects not only his interpretation of the inspirational text, but also his sense of connection with the Luther family, a family of whom he is thankful to be a member.