“I liked the piece,” he said. But it was long, and Gold said he realized “it wasn’t going anywhere” as a religious composition. A couple of years ago, he re-arranged “A Prayer at Eventide” for band..
On Saturday, concert-goers may hear the new arrangement and other works by Gold when the Stafford Wind Symphony performs at Rochester Opera House.
Gold has had a distinguished career as a composer, professor of music and choral director.
A music professor at Nasson College in Springvale from 1964 to 1982, Gold later taught music in Vermont for 18 years. He and his wife Esther later returned to Maine where he continues to compose, is organist at St. George’s Episcopal Church, is the accompanist for Sanford High School and Sanford Junior High School choruses, and is a substitute teacher. Gold writes theater and music reviews for the Journal Tribune.
His music collection and papers have been donated to Florida Atlantic University Libraries, which describes Gold as “a prolific American composer of Jewish, secular and sacred music.” Their biography of him outlines some highpoints in his career —at the invitation of conductor Arthur Fiedler, he conducted the Boston Pops in his “Rhapsody for Orchestra” in 1954, and his Dedication Overture in 1959. In 1972, he composed “Haggadah” which was performed nationally by PBS in 1976.
Over the years, he has composed seven commissioned oratorios, two of which were performed at the National Cantors Convention.
As well as “A Prayer at Eventide,” Stafford Wind Symphony will perform the third movement of Gold’s Concerto for Clarinet.
In an interview Wednesday, Gold said he sat with assistant conductor Jeffrey Smith in June when Smith first played the piece.
“He liked it so much he asked me to score it for a concert band,” said Gold. Originally scored for an orchestra, Gold said the change “took some doing.”
“This clarinet piece is a very joyful composition,” he said, with elements of 1930s and 1940s popular music. “The prayer (A Prayer for Eventide) is just that.”
Gold has been immersed in music essentially his entire life. Born in New York City, his father was a leading personality in Jewish theater, said Gold, who as a boy got to know the theater’s composers. His father later became a cantor, and the family moved to Boston. He has earned degrees from Boston University and Harvard University.
His music, he said, reflects elements of both worship and the theater.
The Spring Concert takes place at 7 p.m. at Rochester Opera House. Tickets are available online at eventbrite.com, or at the door.
Gold said he plans to be there. It will be a special day for him for two reasons, the first, of course, is that the wind symphony will be playing his music. The second reason is that he will be marking the day of his birth.
“I can’t think of a better birthday present,” he said.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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