PROGRAM NOTE
Originally conceived as the middle movement of a suite, this piece was written for the Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Divisional Band of which the composer is also the leader. Based on the original song by James Curnow, Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness, it juxtaposes this melody with the old chorus that says, “If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy, let Jesus come into your heart.”
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Stephen Hull spent five years as a child in Zambia where his Salvation Army officer parents were missionaries. Upon returning to the United States at age 10, he lived in Chicago and Royal Oak, Michigan where he was a music teacher until entering the training college in 1982. The next 20 years were spent in corps appointments in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.
In 2004, he returned to full time teaching in Florida, covering all levels from kindergarten to Grade 12 music with a focus on middle and high school band. From 2011 – 2016, he was the full-time music director at the Naples Corps where he developed and ran an after-school music program for low-income children. After teaching high school band for a year, Steve began his current tenure in 2017 as the Divisional Music and Gospel Arts Director for the Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Division based in Milwaukee. He has been married to his wife Jacqueline for 44 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.
This is his first published piece in the MLB journal.