Southwestern Sketches

Homer C Nearing (1895-1986), was born in Springfield, Missouri, and graduated from the Kansas City Conservatory of music. During his career, he was a music professor and church musician from 1914 until 1920 in Texas. While there, he was inspired to compose his impressionistic organ suites by the history and terrain of the Southwestern United States.

The "Southwestern Sketches" were published by the H. W. Gray Co. in 1928 as part of their large, well-known "St. Cecilia Series".

They are like paintings that depict events of nature, native plants, and ancient traditions of the great southwestern segment of the United States.

This highly descriptive and evocative suite is made up of five movements - "San Jacinto Morning", "Yucca Blossoms", "The Haunted Mesa", "Shadows", and "A Forgotten Trail".

The language of the music is colorful, and your interest in it will depend upon your personal tastes. Sometimes the music is quite predictable, but is surprising and striking at other times.

The key sequence is odd when you listen to the movements in succession - C Major, F-sharp Major, F Minor, A-flat Major, and A Minor/Major.

For PROGRAM NOTES and INDIVIDUAL TIMINGS of the five movements, please see the First Comment.

Although I believe the work is in the Public Domain, I will not attach the score, as I believe "Michael's Music Service" has recently purchased the right to reprint the work.

Michael has done, excellent reprints of this and many other interesting works from days past, and if this style/period of music is of interest to you, I commend his web page to your attention.

However, I urge you not to take the "difficulty rating" too seriously. If you find this music to be "moderately easy," I suggest that you aren't putting enough into it!

A photo of Homer Nearing is attached below, as well as photos that will "represent the appearance" of the movements that you are listening to.

Please see the First Comment for more information.