The Sound of Place (2023)

Karen Beaumont (b. 1965) — The Sound of Place (2023) for organ

0:00 | 1. Appalachia
2:18 | 2. Oxford (UK)
6:01 | 3. New York City
9:46 | 4. Milwaukee (Wisconsin)

The composer writes: “While we may go to many places in our lives, certain places make a deeper mark on our life's story and our being. There is a constellation of experiences in these places, and how we feel, what a place brings us, our contribution to a place, how our life story and being is marked by a place are questions that are difficult to answer in words. My attempt here is to communicate this phenomenon through music. It begins with Appalachia and the formative times as a girl spent at my grandparents' house in the Wayah Valley of North Carolina. Next is Oxford (UK), where I performed six times. New York City must be part of the mix, as before COVID, it was a significant part of my professional and personal life for thirty-one years. And finally, Milwaukee (WI), the place I have, at the time of this writing in 2023, made my home for forty years. Ultimately, the goal is music that communicates whether or not the title is known, and if it is known, that the title will further hone the listener's perception.”

American organist and composer Karen Beaumont (b. 1965) received her degree in Music History from the University of Wisconsin and studied organ with Gerre Hancock, John Behnke, Jeffrey Peterson, and Carol Haakenson. Beaumont has performed as a recitalist in numerous venues throughout the USA and the UK. From 1988 to 2011 she provided the organ and choral music for St. James Episcopal Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her album of classic French noëls was released on the Pro Organo label in 2020. Her musical compositions have been published by Lorenz, Leupold Editions, Fagus-Music, and SMP Press.

Published by SMP Press

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?Ntt=beaumont+sound+of+place&aff_id=88095