Peter Hallock

Peter Rasmussen Hallock (November 19, 1924, Kent, Washington – April 27, 2014, Fall City, Washington) was an American organist, choirmaster, liturgist, countertenor, and composer and arranger of church music (anthems, hymns, psalm settings, and music for the Episcopal liturgy). Though he occasionally gave concerts, lectures, and seminars around the United States, his career was centered in Seattle, Washington. From 1951 to 1991 he served as organist and choirmaster at St. Mark's Cathedral, Seattle, during which he was conferred the title of Canon Precentor, the first layperson in the Episcopal Church (United States) to be so honored.^[1] Later, he served as organist at St. Clements (Seattle) until 2013. He also founded the Compline Choir from its predecessor chant study group in 1956; he led the choir until 2009. He never married.

Biography[edit]

After WWII, when he was discharged from the Army,^[2] Hallock pursued organ studies at the University of Washington, and also studied at the Royal School of Church Music. In 1986, with Carl Crosier, he founded Ionian Arts, a music publishing business.

Selected Compositions[edit]

Psalms 134 & 4 ^[3]
Psalm 23 ^[4]
Psalm 91 ^[5]
Psalm 139 ^[6]
Bring Us, O Lord God ^[7]
Draw On Sweet Night ^[8]
Easter Canticle ^[9]
If We Could Shut the Gate ^[10]
Ionian Psalter ^[11]
Lamentations of Jeremiah 1: 1-2 ^[12]
The Lord Is My Light ^[13]
Peace ^[14]
Phoenix ^[15]
To the Supreme Being ^[16]
Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem ^[17]

Notes[edit]

^ Announcement of Dr. Peter R. Hallock's death Bishop Greg Rickel, Diocese of Olympia, announcing the death of Dr. Peter Hallock
^ Enlistment Record for Peter R. Hallock World War II Army Enlistment Records, created 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002, documenting the period ca. 1938 - 1946. - Record Group 64, from The National Archives
^ The Compline Choir singing "Psalms 134 & 4" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Byrd Ensemble singing Psalm 23 Markdavin Obenza directs Psalm 23, from The Compline Psalter
^ The Compline Choir singing "Psalm 91" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Compline Choir singing "Psalm 139" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Compline Choir singing "Bring Us, O Lord God" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Byrd Ensemble singing "Draw On Sweet Night" Markdavin Obenza directs "Draw On Sweet Night", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Compline Choir singing the Easter Canticle Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Compline Choir singing "If We Could Shut the Gate" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ Bach Chamber Choir singing Psalm 72 from the collection of the Ionian Psalter Carl Crosier directs Psalm 72 with Katherine Crosier, organist
^ The Compline Choir singing "Lamentations" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Choir of St. John's Episcopal Cathedral (Denver) singing "The Lord Is My Light" Eric Plutz directs "The Lord Is My Light"
^ The Compline Choir singing "Peace" Peter Hallock directs one of his early anthems - "Peace", with a text by Henry Vaughan
^ Choral Arts NW singing "Phoenix" Richard Sparks directs "Phoenix"
^ The Compline Choir singing "To the Supreme Being" (live recording) Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson
^ The Byrd Ensemble singing "Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem" Markdavin Obenza directs "Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem"

References[edit]

The Life and Works of Peter R. Hallock (b. 1924), Doctoral Dissertation by Jason Anderson, DMA, 2007
Prayer As Night Falls Companion material to the book by long-time member of the Compline Choir, Kenneth Peterson
An interview with Peter Hallock, Video interview conducted in August 2013 at Peter's home, with session footage of the Byrd Ensemble singing three of Peter's compositions

External links[edit]

Works available from the Peter R. Hallock Institute
Works available from IONIAN ARTS, Inc.
Works available from GIA Publications, Inc.
Obituary from the Compline Choir
Obituary from the Seattle Times
Obituary from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Caution: contains factual errors)

[1] Announcement of Dr. Peter R. Hallock's death Bishop Greg Rickel, Diocese of Olympia, announcing the death of Dr. Peter Hallock

[2] Enlistment Record for Peter R. Hallock World War II Army Enlistment Records, created 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002, documenting the period ca. 1938 - 1946. - Record Group 64, from The National Archives

[3] The Compline Choir singing "Psalms 134 & 4" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[4] The Byrd Ensemble singing Psalm 23 Markdavin Obenza directs Psalm 23, from The Compline Psalter

[5] The Compline Choir singing "Psalm 91" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[6] The Compline Choir singing "Psalm 139" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[7] The Compline Choir singing "Bring Us, O Lord God" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[8] The Byrd Ensemble singing "Draw On Sweet Night" Markdavin Obenza directs "Draw On Sweet Night", directed by Jason Anderson

[9] The Compline Choir singing the Easter Canticle Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[10] The Compline Choir singing "If We Could Shut the Gate" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[11] Bach Chamber Choir singing Psalm 72 from the collection of the Ionian Psalter Carl Crosier directs Psalm 72 with Katherine Crosier, organist

[12] The Compline Choir singing "Lamentations" Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[13] The Choir of St. John's Episcopal Cathedral (Denver) singing "The Lord Is My Light" Eric Plutz directs "The Lord Is My Light"

[14] The Compline Choir singing "Peace" Peter Hallock directs one of his early anthems - "Peace", with a text by Henry Vaughan

[15] Choral Arts NW singing "Phoenix" Richard Sparks directs "Phoenix"

[16] The Compline Choir singing "To the Supreme Being" (live recording) Example from Kenneth Peterson's companion material for "Prayer As Night Falls", directed by Jason Anderson

[17] The Byrd Ensemble singing "Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem" Markdavin Obenza directs "Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem"

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