Jim's Birthday Commission

Every year friends and family ask me if there's anything that I want for my birthday and I never have a good answer. At the soon-to-be ripe old age of 32, I don't really have the desire for more "stuff." Gone are the days of pages-long birthday lists containing the latest video games, toys, books and movies. I still enjoy those things, but they don't bring me real lasting joy. So what does bring me joy now?

Obviously, I'm passionate about music. After all, it's what I do for a living! But one of the things that brings me the most joy in that realm is the creation of new music. To date, I've commissioned at least 12 new pieces of music. These have been pieces of solo organ music, music for organ and soprano, and choral music. The wonderful thing about the commissioning of new music is that it's not just a gift for me, but a gift for all who get to hear or perform it. It's also lasting, something that can be shared and not something that will just collect dust on a shelf. So I began to wonder if there was a way that people could share in that joy of new music with me, regardless of whether or not they were musicians. That's when the idea of a "Birthday Commission" came to me.

So, this year, in lieu of gifts, I would love for family, friends, or anyone who wants to take part in the creation of new art, to contribute to my Birthday Commission fund and take part in this exciting project.

Now you're wondering, who will write this new piece of music? Well, this was an easy one for me. I thought "What (living) composer do I play a lot music by?" Someone whose music is always fun and satisfying to play; someone who really understands and writes well for my instrument (the organ); and someone whose music would be enjoyed by many. Those questions very quickly led me to one name - Craig Phillips!

Craig is a prolific and award-winning American composer of both organ and choral music. He currently serves as Director of Music at All Saints' Church, Beverly Hills and his music can be heard in churches and cathedrals across the country Sunday after Sunday. Additionally, he was named the American Guild of Organists Distinguished Composer in 2012. You can find out more about him by visiting his website https://craigphillipscomposer.com/

I always have some of Craig's music under my fingers and am constantly programming it for church or concert use. His music is fresh, innovative, well-crafted, and accessible. Every piece of his that I've performed is a joy to play and after some preliminary conversation with him I'm delighted that he's agreed to write a new piece for me!

So how does it work? Once the funds have been raised, Craig will set to work on writing a new solo organ work approximately 3 to 3.5 minutes in length. We've not decided yet what the form of the piece will be - it could be something that is based on a favorite hymn tune of mine, something more general that would work well for both church and concert use, who knows - there are endless possibilities! And that's the fun part, getting to collaborate with the composer and crafting something new. Once the piece is completed, I will give its world premiere performance. More details on that later!

So with that, I hope you'll consider contributing to the creation of new music to celebrate my 32nd rotation around the Sun! Any amount big or small is appreciated. If you're unfamiliar with Craig's music and would like to hear me play one of my favorite pieces of his - the energetic toccata on 'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty' - you can do so at 1:45 in the following video. Thank you and enjoy!