Spotlight of Composers Played

Some Composers that have been heard at East Columbus Chrisitan Church

Don Hodell Chilcote - piano

CARTER, JOHN -JOHN EDWARD CARTER (b. 1930) is Director of Music at University Baptist Church, Columbus, OH. He was born in Nashville, TN and received his B.M. from Trinity University in San Antonio and an M.M. from Peabody College in Nashville. John is a well-known composer with several hundred choral compositions to his credit as well as several musicals, an opera, and a dozen collections for keyboard and organ. He and his wife, Mary Kay Beall, often collaborate as writers and in Music Ministry. They have been featured on the cover of Creator magazine. John has been a member of the Editorial Board at Hope Publishing Company since 1981 and serves today as an emeritus editor. He is a recognized clinician and choral conductor, and is particularly noted for his versatile writing style and his long-standing creative productivity. John has three hymn credits in Hope's new hymnal WORSHIP & REJOICE (2001) and the catalog shows 115 separte titles listed under his name.

BOCK, FRED - FRED BOCK(1939-1998) was born in New York City just before the advent of World War II. The son of a Physician he was always a bright and precocious, uniquely talented individual. He attended Ithaca College, where he received a B.S. in Music Education. He completed his M.M. in church music at the University of Southern California. Fred was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from Taylor University, Upland, Indiana in the 1980’s. Fred published his first organ collection with Hope in 1966 prior to the founding his own sacred music publishing company, Fred Bock Music. Over the years he continued his relationship with Hope, publishing anthems, organ folios and, with his wife Lois, a book CREATING FOUR-PART HARMONY – Effective Ideas for Ministers of Music and their Wives – Code No. 964. Fred was also a church musician, first at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles and later at First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood. It was from Bel Air, that he realized the need for a new hymnal and in 1976, he put together a committee that produced HYMNS FOR THE FAMILY OF GOD one of the most successful hymnals published by an independent company during the last half the 20th century. Fred was very active in the Church Music Publishing Association, served on its Executive Board for many years and as its President on three different occasions. Tragically, just short of his 60th birthday he went into hospital for a routine procedure, which ultimately claimed his life. Fred closed the foreword to KEYBOARD DUETS FOR ORGAN AND PIANO Hope Code No. 201 with these words which give the measure of the man….”I shall never forget the evening of October 16, 1968*…*The evening referred to by Mr. Bock was when he fell asleep during an organ recital he was giving.

WYRTZEN, DON - DONALD JOHN WYRTZEN (b. 1942) was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received an early start in music, radio and television while associated with his father Jack Wyrtzen founder of Word of Life International. A graduate of the Moody Bible Institute, The King’s College and Dallas Theological Seminary he became Editor-in-Chief of Singspiration Music and was later a creative resource for The Benson Music Group. A superb keyboard artist he has written several widely used hymns such as “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” “Love Was When,” and “Finally Home.” In 1994 Hope released a collection of his including twelve titles. The folio is simply entitled DON WYRTZEN PIANO Code No. 1711. His hymn "Worthy Is The Lamb" appears as #116 in Hope's new hymnal WORSHIP & REJOICE (2001) Mr. Wyrtzen lives today in Brentwood, Tennessee.

SHACKLEY, LARRY - LARRY SHACKLEY (b. 1956) is more formally known as Lawrence Craig Shackley. Born and raised in Chicago, he and his wife, Joni, and their four children now live in Columbia, SC. Larry is currently the Music Program Director on the faculty at Columbia International University. He received his Bachelors Degree in Communications from Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, and his Masters Degree in Music Composition from the University of South Carolina. He also attended Eastman School of Music. His past employment includes a stint as composer/producer for Moody Broadcasting in Chicago, and as a staff member and featured keyboard artist at Willow Creek in Barrington, IL. Most of his published works are found in the Hope catalog. He has five keyboard collections with the company including SPIRITUAL JAZZ (Code #1951), piano settings with optional rhythm included. His most recent Praise & Worship collection of duets for synthesizer and piano, is entitled SYNTH PRAISE II (Code #8006). He also has a number of anthems in the Hope catalog, the most recent being his very popular TWELVE GATES INTO THE CITY (HO 1828), GOOD NEWS! THE CHARIOT'S COMIN! (C 5019)and GO DOWN MOSES! (C 5129).

JOEL RANEY (b. 1956) began playing piano at age three, born to a musical family in Alabama. He studied piano and organ at the University of North Alabama, and later received his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School of Music in piano performance. Joel resides in River Forest, IL, with his wife, Susie, and their three sons, Charlie, Sawyer and Jesse. Joel's career in music began in the Southern Baptist Church, but also includes work in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago in

both theater and jazz performance. He currently makes his living writing and arranging music for radio and television commercials in his own Chicago-based production company and studio, CATFISH. Joel serves as Worship Pianist at the First Presbyterian Church of River Forest, IL. His love for the "old gospel hymns" brought about the publication of his solo piano book and recording, AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE. (Hope Code No. 1952). The CD of this collection is Code No. 1953. Joel is a gifted concert pianist and has recently joined forces with Jane Holstein for a series of duo-concerts featuring the piano and organ in an innovative keyboard excursion, exploring a variety of styles in sacred and classical music. Joel is the creative force behind this team, arranging for the two instruments and they now have a half a dozen such products available from Hope Publishing Co.
 

 HELVEY, HOWARD

HELVEY, HOWARD (b. 1968) was born in Columbia, Missouri, and resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. An active composer, arranger and pianist, he serves as organist/choirmaster of the historic Calvary Episcopal Church. Mr. Helvey hold a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master of Music degree in composition and piano performance from the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music. With the Hope Publishing Company he has primarily published Christmas choral music, hymns and choral responses. .

TERESA WILHELMI -  Teresa Wilhelmi has entertained audiences since the age of three. She is a musical improv artist, composer, arranger and producer credited with theatrical scores, choral arrangements and over a dozen books of popular keyboard arrangements. She is a popular speaker and entertainer at conferences across the country.  Teresa is fun, even wild. Her expressions on the piano range from the whimsical to the deepest expressions of emotion. Often chided as a child for not "playing normally," she freely improvises on the piano and in all of life. Growing up riding fast motorcycles in the rough, rugged mountains of Southern Oregon, Teresa developed a drive for life that is expressed through her music and her presence on stage. As a cancer survivor, Teresa knows well the pain cancer patients endure. She has suffered through multiple surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. While beating cancer is life changing, the cancer does not define a person. She challenges cancer survivors to reach beyond their cancer and ignite their explosive creativity within. Their own pain and endurance provides enormous creative fuel. In her seminars Teresa uses the piano to expand peoples' limited notions of their own capabilities. For example, she selects from the audience a person who has never played piano and within one minute has them improvising the 12-bar blues.  Taught the Bible from an early age, Teresa developed a wealth of scriptural knowledge that she employs in meeting life's everyday challenges. The Bible is with Debbie Reynolds replete with studies of characters that, creatively acting on faith, endured hardships to achieve success against great odds. Teresa speaks of these creative faith-walkers from the scriptures, drawing lessons for the many challenges we all face today. Teresa weaves inspirational speaking with her improvisational music to provide motivation for growth and learning. Teresa's fun, mind-stretching presentations encourage people to adopt a Life Is Improv attitude and take the path of life-long, joyful learning.   A spirited presenter, she weaves her skills as an improvisational pianist and vocalist into her presentations, winding tales to music and demonstrating the importance of taking creative risks Teresa's passion for with Erin Brockovich people is as strong as her love of music. As a result she has entertained and inspired people around the globe from all walks of life, from professionals at corporate events to residents of a leper colony and a prison for prostitutes in Asia. Teresa's humor and energy result in a fun style all her own. Her ability to communicate her passion encourages others to chase after their dreams, and creates an exciting and uplifting experience.                                    

MARK HAYES  (March 28, 1953–)

Mark Hayes earned a B.M. degree in piano performance, graduating magna cum laude from Baylor University, but his degree was only a small part of what he gained from those four years. During his college years his dream to become a composer and arranger of contemporary Christian and sacred music was born and nurtured. Today Mr. Hayes’s choral and orchestral writing is widely acclaimed and performed internationally. He is well-known for his unique choral settings which draw from diverse styles such as gospel, jazz, pop, folk and classical to achieve a truly "American sound." His personal catalog, compiled over the last sixteen years, includes over 450 published original compositions and arrangements, which are distributed by leading music publishers and regularly featured by the American Choral Directors’ Association and Music Educators’ National Conference. Mr. Hayes has served as an adjunct professor of composition at Midwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, and has eight solo piano albums and twelve keyboard folios to his credit. In addition to his involvement in the sacred and secular choral music fields, Mr. Hayes is increasingly sought after as an orchestrator and conductor. He is a re-occurring recipient of the Standard Award from ASCAP, and arranged an album which won a Dove Award, equivalent to a Grammy in gospel music.