A Lowry Triptych - David Evan Thomas

Composer: David Evan Thomas Instrumentation: Solo piano Duration: Approx. 10 minutes Date Written: 2025 Premiere: Sonja Thompson, piano, July 17, 2025 in Minneapolis. Additional Information:  How Can I Keep from Singing?I Need Thee Every HourShall We Gather at the River Robert Lowry (1826–1899) was one of the most prolific and lyrical hymn-writers of the nineteenth century.  Raised Presbyterian, a religious experience at seventeen sent him into the Baptist fold. He studied at the University of Lewisburg (now Bucknell University), was ordained in 1854, and went on to serve congregations at several churches in the East. Lowry considered preaching his main vocation, and he was a spellbinding orator. Hymn-writing was a sideline, but he penned more than 500 hymn tunes, often writing text as well as music. And his rhetoric infects his music. His tunes are splendid, full-throated melodies that are great fun to sing. Though he was essentially self-taught as a musician, music was always nearb