Hal Hopson obit

In memoriam – Hal H. Hopson

 

He was not on the list.

From the Hymn Society Facebook page:

We are deeply saddened to learn of the death at age 92 of life member Hal H. Hopson, a prolific and well known American composer, arranger, and church musician. He had a strong interest in congregational song, composing many hymn tunes and responsorial psalm settings. Hal and his wife Martha were frequent participants in Hymn Society conferences, with Hal presenting sectionals at some of them. We have not yet learned of funeral plans but will pass those along as soon as we receive word.

Hal H. Hopson was one of the most prolific composers of church music of his generation. With more than 1,800 published works for 30 publishers, Mr. Hopson's music was heard weekly in congregations throughout the country. His compositions reflected respect for the best liturgical tradition, scripture, and theology. Mr. Hopson composed music that was accessible to nearly all choirs and congregations, always striving to include rather than exclude. His published repertoire included almost every conceivable genre: anthems for children, youth, and adult choirs, as well as compositions for organ, piano, harpsichord, and handbells. Mr. Hopson especially wrote for congregations in concertato anthems, hymn tunes, responsorial psalm settings, and liturgical services.

A church musician throughout his professional life, Mr. Hopson also served as a conductor-clinician for workshops and choral festivals in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia, and as a professor of church music at Westminster Choir College and Scarritt Graduate School. He was also a hymn writer whose texts appeared in major denominational hymnals.

Hal Hopson was born in Mound, Texas, in a family of thirteen children where music making played a prominent role. His first piano teacher was his older sister, Merle, whom he held in deep regard for her enormous musical and personal influence on his life. Hopson's well-known hymn tune, MERLE'S TUNE, was named in her honor. He first accompanied worship services at age thirteen and later graduated from Baylor University and Southern Baptist Seminary with B.A. and M.S.M. degrees, respectively. He pursued additional study at universities and conservatories in the United States and Germany.

As a recipient of many honors for his distinguished service to music, Mr. Hopson was listed in the International Who's Who in Music, Cambridge, England. He served on the national boards of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, Choristers Guild, and the Church Music Institute, and received annual awards from ASCAP for many consecutive years. His expertise in psalmody and liturgy led to appointments on the Symposium for Church Composers sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Milwaukee and the Task Force on Psalmody sponsored by the Presbyterian Church, USA, which resulted in the official Psalter for the denomination.

God with Us, a cantata by Hal Hopson, was chosen during the American Bicentennial in 1976 for placement in a time capsule to be opened and performed at the Tercentennial in 2076. This composition was selected because it was judged representative of choral music of the century.

In the summer of 2013, Austin, Texas, became the home of Hopson and his wife, Martha Smith Hopson, also a church musician. They had three children, six grandchildren, and enjoyed living in the