A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' derives from Greek (''hymnos''), which means "a song of praise." Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymnbooks.

Origins[link]

Ancient hymns include the Egyptian ''Great Hymn to the Aten'', composed by Pharaoh Akhenaten; the ''Vedas'', a collection of hymns in the tradition of Hinduism; and the Psalms, a collection of songs from Judaism. The Western tradition of hymnody begins with the Homeric Hymns, a collection of ancient Greek hymns, the oldest of which were written in the 7th century BC, praising deities of the ancient Greek religions. Surviving from the 3rd century BC is a collection of six literary hymns () by the Alexandrian poet Callimachus.

Patristic writers began applying the term , or ''hymnus'' in Latin, to Christian songs of praise, and frequently used the word as a synonym for "psalm".

Christian hymnody [link]

Originally modeled on the Psalms and other poetic passages (commonly referred to as "canticles") in the Scriptures, Christian hymns are generally directed as praise and worship to the monotheistic God. Many refer to Jesus Christ either directly or indirectly.

Since the earliest times, Christians have sung "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs", both in private devotions and in corporate worship (; ; ; ; ; cf. ; ).

One definition of a hymn is "...a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshipper's attitude toward God or God's purposes in human life. It should be simple and metrical in form, genuinely emotional, poetic and literary in style, spiritual in quality, and in its ideas so direct and so immediately apparent as to unify a congregation while singing it".

Christian hymns are often written with special or seasonal themes and these are used on holy days such as Christmas, Easter and the Feast of All Saints, or during particular seasons such as Advent and Lent. Others are used to instill reverence to the Holy Bible or to celebrate Christian practices such as the eucharist or baptism. Some hymns praise or address individual saints, particularly the Blessed Virgin Mary; such hymns are particularly prevalent in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and to some extent "High Church" Anglicanism.

A writer of hymns is known as a ''hymnist'' or ''hymnodist'', and the practice of singing hymns is called ''hymnody''; the same word is used for the collectivity of hymns belonging to a particular denomination or period (e.g. "nineteenth century Methodist hymnody" would mean the body of hymns written and/or used by Methodists in the 19th century). A collection of hymns is called a ''hymnal'' or ''hymnary''. These may or may not include music. A student of hymnody is called a ''hymnologist'', and the scholarly study of hymns, hymnists and hymnody is hymnology. The music to which a hymn may be sung is a hymn tune.

In many Evangelical churches, traditional songs are classified as hymns while more contemporary worship songs are not considered hymns. The reason for this distinction is unclear, but according to some it is due to the radical shift of style and devotional thinking that began with the Jesus movement and Jesus music.

Music and accompaniment [link]

In ancient and medieval times, stringed instruments such as the harp, lyre and lute were used with psalms and hymns.

Since there is a lack of musical notation in early writings, the actual musical forms in the early church can only be surmised. During the Middle Ages a rich hymnody developed in the form of Gregorian chant or plainsong. This type was sung in unison, in one of eight church modes, and most often by monastic choirs. While they were written originally in Latin, many have been translated; a familiar example is the 4th century ''Of the Father's Heart Begotten'' sung to the 11th century plainsong ''Divinum Mysterium''.

Western church [link]

Later hymnody in the Western church introduced four-part vocal harmony as the norm, adopting major and minor keys, and came to be led by organ and choir. It shares many elements with classical music.

Today, except for choirs, more musically inclined congregations and ''a cappella'' congregations, hymns are typically sung in unison. In some cases complementary full settings for organ are also published, in others organists and other accompanists are expected to transcribe the four-part vocal score for their instrument of choice.

To illustrate Protestant usage, in the traditional services and liturgies of the Methodist churches, which are based upon Anglican practice, hymns are sung (often accompanied by an organ) during the processional to the altar, during the receiving of the Eucharist, during the recessional, and sometimes at other points during the service. These hymns can be found in the United Methodist Hymnal. The Doxology is also sung after the tithes and offerings are brought up to the altar.

Contemporary Christian worship, as often found in Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism, may include the use of contemporary worship music played with electric guitars and the drum kit, sharing many elements with rock music.

Other groups of Christians have historically excluded instrumental accompaniment, citing the absence of instruments in worship by the church in the first several centuries of its existence, and adhere to an unaccompanied ''a cappella'' congregational singing of hymns. These groups include the 'Brethren' (often both 'Open' and 'Exclusive'), the Churches of Christ, Mennonites, Primitive Baptists, and certain Reformed churches, although during the last century or so, several of these, such as the Free Church of Scotland have abandoned this stance.

Eastern church[link]

Eastern Christianity (the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches) have a very rich and ancient hymnographical tradition.

Eastern chant is almost always a cappella, and instrumental accompaniment is rare. The central form of chant in the Eastern Orthodoxy is Byzantine Chant, which is used to chant all forms of liturgical worship. Exceptions include the Coptic Orthodox tradition which makes use of the sistrum, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which also uses drums, cymbals and other instruments on certain occasions.

The development of Christian hymnody [link]

Thomas Aquinas, in the introduction to his commentary on the Psalms, defined the Christian hymn thus: "''Hymnus est laus Dei cum cantico; canticum autem exultatio mentis de aeternis habita, prorumpens in vocem''." ("A hymn is the praise of God with song; a song is the exultation of the mind dwelling on eternal things, bursting forth in the voice.")

The Protestant Reformation resulted in two conflicting attitudes to hymns. One approach, the regulative principle of worship, favoured by many Zwinglians, Calvinists and some radical reformers, considered anything that was not directly authorised by the Bible to be a novel and Catholic introduction to worship, which was to be rejected. All hymns that were not direct quotations from the Bible fell into this category. Such hymns were banned, along with any form of instrumental musical accompaniment, and organs were ripped out of churches. Instead of hymns, biblical psalms were chanted, most often without accompaniment, to very basic melodies. This was known as exclusive psalmody. Examples of this may still be found in various places, including the "free churches" of western Scotland.

The other Reformation approach, the normative principle of worship, produced a burst of hymn writing and congregational singing. Martin Luther is notable not only as a reformer, but as the author of many hymns including ''Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott'' (''A Mighty Fortress Is Our God''), which is sung today even by Catholics, and ''Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ'' (''Praise be to You, Jesus Christ'') for Christmas. Luther and his followers often used their hymns, or chorales, to teach tenets of the faith to worshipers. The first Protestant hymnal was published in Bohemia in 1532 by the Unitas Fratrum. Count Zinzendorf, the Lutheran leader of the Moravian Church in the 18th century wrote some 2,000 hymns. The earlier English writers tended to paraphrase biblical texts, particularly Psalms; Isaac Watts followed this tradition, but is also credited as having written the first English hymn which was not a direct paraphrase of Scripture. Watts (1674–1748), whose father was an Elder of a dissenter congregation, complained at age 16, that when allowed only psalms to sing, the faithful could not even sing about their Lord, Christ Jesus. His father invited him to see what he could do about it; the result was Watts' first hymn, "Behold the glories of the Lamb." Found in few hymnals today, the hymn has eight stanzas in common meter and is based on Revelation 5:6, 8, 9, 10, 12.

Relying heavily on Scripture, Watts wrote metered texts based on New Testament passages that brought the Christian faith into the songs of the church. Isaac Watts has been called "the father of English hymnody," but Erik Routley sees him more as "the liberator of English hymnody," because his hymns, and hymns like them, moved worshipers beyond singing only Old Testament psalms, inspiring congregations and revitalizing worship.

Later writers took even more freedom, some even including allegory and metaphor in their texts.

Charles Wesley's hymns spread Methodist theology, not only within Methodism, but in most Protestant churches. He developed a new focus: expressing one's personal feelings in the relationship with God as well as the simple worship seen in older hymns. Wesley wrote: :''Where shall my wondering soul begin?'' :''How shall I all to heaven aspire?'' :''A slave redeemed from death and sin,'' :''A brand plucked from eternal fire,'' :''How shall I equal triumphs raise,'' :''Or sing my great deliverer's praise.''

Wesley's contribution, along with the Second Great Awakening in America led to a new style called gospel, and a new explosion of sacred music writing with Fanny Crosby, Lina Sandell, Philip Bliss, Ira D. Sankey, and others who produced testimonial music for revivals, camp meetings, and evangelistic crusades. The tune style or form is technically designated "gospel songs" as distinct from hymns. Gospel songs generally include a refrain (or chorus) and usually (though not always) a faster tempo than the hymns. As examples of the distinction, "Amazing Grace" is a hymn (no refrain), but "How Great Thou Art" is a gospel song. During the 19th century the gospel-song genre spread rapidly in Protestantism and, to a lesser but still definite extent, in Roman Catholicism; the gospel-song genre is unknown in the worship ''per se'' by Eastern Orthodox churches, which rely exclusively on traditional chants (a type of hymn).

The Methodist Revival of the 18th century created an explosion of hymn writing in Welsh, which continued into the first half of the 19th century. The most prominent names among Welsh hymn-writers are William Williams Pantycelyn and Ann Griffiths. The second half of the 19th century witnessed an explosion of hymn tune composition and choir singing in Wales.

Along with the more classical sacred music of composers ranging from Mozart to Monteverdi, the Catholic Church continued to produce many popular hymns such as Lead, Kindly Light, Silent Night, O Sacrament Divine and Faith of our Fathers.

Many churches today use contemporary worship music which includes a range of styles often influenced by popular music. This often leads to some conflict between older and younger congregants (see contemporary worship). This is not new; the Christian pop music style began in the late 1960s and became very popular during the 1970s, as young hymnists sought ways in which to make the music of their religion relevant for their generation.

This long tradition has resulted in a wide variety of hymns. Some modern churches include within hymnody the traditional hymn (usually describing God), contemporary worship music (often directed to God) and gospel music (expressions of one's personal experience of God). This distinction is not perfectly clear; and purists remove the second two types from the classification as hymns. It is a matter of debate, even sometimes within a single congregation, often between revivalist and traditionalist movements.

American developments[link]

African-Americans developed a rich hymnody from spirituals during times of slavery to the modern, lively black gospel style. The first influences of African American Culture into hymns came from Slave Songs of the United States a collection of slave hymns complied by William Francis Allen who had difficulty pinning them down from the oral tradition, and though he succeeded, he points out the awe inspiring effect of the hymns when sung in by their originators.

Thanks to Thomas Symmes a new idea of how to sing hymns spread throughout the churches in which anyone would sing a hymn any way they felt led to; this was opposed by the views of Symmes colleagues who felt it was "like Five Hundred different Tunes roared out at the same time." William Billings, a singing school teacher, created the first tune book with only American born compositions. Within his books, Billings did not put as much emphasis on "common measure" which was the typical way hymns were sung, but he attempted "to have a Sufficiency in each measure". The Boston Handel and Haydn Society aimed at raising the level of church music in America, publishing their "Collection of Church Music". In the late 19th century Ira D. Sankey and Dwight L. Moody developed the relatively new subcategory of gospel hymns.

Hymn metres[link]

The ''metre'' indicates the number of syllables for the lines in each stanza of a hymn. This provides a means of marrying the hymn's text with an appropriate hymn tune for singing. In practice many hymns conform to one of a relatively small number of metres (syllable count and stress patterns). Care must be taken, however, to ensure that not only the metre of words and tune match, but also the stresses on the words in each line. Technically speaking an iambic tune, for instance, cannot be used with words of, say, trochaic metre.

The metre is often denoted by a row of figures besides the name of the tune, such as "87.87.87", which would inform the reader that each verse has six lines, and that the first line has eight syllables, the second has seven, the third line eight, etc. The metre can also be described by initials; L.M. indicates long metre, which is 88.88 (four lines, each eight syllables long); S.M. is short metre (66.86); C.M. is common metre (86.86), while D.L.M., D.S.M. and D.C.M. (the "D" stands for double) are similar to their respective single metres except that they have eight lines in a verse instead of four.

See also[link]

Carol

Chorale

Contemporary worship music

Doxology

Hymn Society in the United States and Canada

Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland

List of Chinese Hymn Books

List of Hymnals

List of Roman Catholic hymns

Metrical psalter

Psalm

Sacred Harp

Shape note

Vedic Chant

References[link]

External links[link]

The links below are restricted to either material that is historical or resources that are non-denominational or inter-denominational. Denomination-specific resources are mentioned from the relevant denomination-specific articles. — 2000 pages of hymns in both staff and neumatic notation — Site with extensive hymn searching tools

Category:Religious music Category:Christian songs Category:Christian music genres Category:Song forms Category:Hymnology Category:Greek loanwords Category:Christian genres Category:Christian terms

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Name	Brooke Fraser
Img capt	Fraser during the NZ Fashion Week 2010
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Brooke Gabrielle Fraser
Birth date	December 15, 1983
Birth place	Wellington, New Zealand
Origin	Wellington, New Zealand
Genre	Pop, folk rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active	2002–present
Associated acts	Hillsong
Label	Sony Music, Wood + Bone
Notable songs	Deciphering MeLifelineShadowfeet
Website	}}

Brooke Gabrielle Fraser Ligertwood, better known as Brooke Fraser (born 15 December 1983) is a New Zealand award-winning folk-pop and Christian music artist. Her third studio album ''Flags'' has become the most successful album of her career, with the single "Something in the Water" reaching number one on the RIANZ singles chart in 2010.

Early life[link]

Fraser is the eldest of the three children born to former All Black Bernie Fraser, who was born in Lautoka, Fiji, and his wife Lynda Fraser. She grew up in Naenae, Lower Hutt and attended Dyer Street School, Naenae Intermediate School and Naenae College.

Fraser took piano lessons between the ages of seven and seventeen. She started writing songs at age twelve and taught herself the acoustic guitar at fifteen. Despite her skills as a singer she has never taken singing lessons.

She performed at Parachute, an annual New Zealand music festival in 2000 – including a special guest performance in 2007.

She began writing for the ''Soul Purpose'' magazine at age fifteen, and was later made editor in 2002. She gave up her job as editor shortly after moving to Auckland in late 2002 in order to pursue her music career.

Musical career[link]

In 2002, while Fraser was in Auckland, Scotty Pearson, the drummer for Elemeno P, organised a meeting with producer Matty J for her. Matty J became her manager, liaising with the major labels who had shown interest and compared their offers. Fraser had about five different labels offer her deals and chose to sign a multi-album deal with Sony Music at the age of 17.

''What to Do With Daylight''[link]

Fraser's first album, ''What to Do with Daylight'', was released in New Zealand in late 2003, debuting at number one and achieved gold status in the same week. The album eventually went seven times platinum, selling over 105,000 copies in New Zealand alone. It remained on the album charts for sixty-six weeks. All five singles from the album reached the top twenty in the New Zealand Singles Chart. Her album also topped the New Zealand Top 50 Albums of 2004.

Following the release of ''What to Do with Daylight'', Fraser toured Australia and New Zealand with American artist John Mayer and then toured New Zealand with veteran U.K. rock artist David Bowie. Whilst on tour with John Mayer, she met with his guitarist and keyboardist Michael Chaves who, after recording Mayer's album ''Heavier Things'', Fraser enlisted to play on her album and future concerts.

''Albertine''[link]

In 2005, prior to writing and preparing her follow-up album, Fraser took a trip to Africa to immerse herself in Rwanda before visiting her sponsor children in Tanzania, as she is an advocate for child sponsorship. In this trip, she was so moved that she wrote the song ''Albertine'' about a young child (named Albertine), whom she met while in Rwanda. It was later decided to make this song the album's title track.

For the second album, Fraser decided to enlist a new band, primarily constructed from American musicians who'd worked with an array of notable artists, both live and recorded. In 2006, Fraser and the band went into the studio in Los Angeles to record the album. Later Fraser allowed her fans to listen to the album's first single ''Deciphering Me'' via her MySpace page. The single was later released initially to radio and ultimately to CD single, and achieved number four in the New Zealand single charts.

On 4 December 2006 ''Albertine'' was released in New Zealand, achieving double platinum status less than a month after its release and has remained, to date, in the top 20 every week since. The album was released in Australia and internationally on 31 March 2007. In Australia, it charted at number twenty-nine in its first week on 9 April and has thus far achieved Gold sales status.

On 6 April 2007, Fraser performed "Deciphering Me" for the Good Friday Appeal, an annual televised fundraising event to raise money for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

In 2008, Fraser appeared on the Dave Barnes song "Believe" from his album ''Me + You + the World'', performing backing vocals.

''Albertine'' was also Fraser's U.S. debut, released 27 May 2008 and entered the Billboard 200 at number ninety on 19 July 2008. Her album propelled in success with online sales after being chosen as Editor's Choice on iTunes. On 4 July 2008 Fraser supported Canadian artist/U2 collaborator Daniel Lanois at the Montreal Jazz Festival. In August she toured the southern U.S. In September, she re-toured several major U.S. cities and completed the tour at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, UK.

''Flags''[link]

''Flags'' was recorded at East West Studios in Hollywood in the summer of 2010 and released by Wood & Bone Records on 12 October 2010. Fraser celebrated with sold-out tours in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. ''Flags'' reached the #1 spot on the New Zealand album chart, #3 in Australia, and entered at #59 on the Billboard 200 in the US, and climbed as high as #3 on the U.S iTunes album chart. "Flags" has been certified Gold in Australia and 3x Platinum in New Zealand where it was the 6th highest selling album of 2010. The first single, “Something in the Water,” has achieved extensive radio success across the globe, notably receiving BBC Radio 2 A-list rotation upon release. The single has gone on to achieve double platinum sales in NZ where it spent 21 weeks in the 2010 singles chart. The single has reached #2 in the Dutch airplay chart whilst residing in the top 5 singles chart for 6 consecutive weeks. The single has charted in Poland and Belgium at #15 and #23 respectively, as well as being certified Gold in both Germany and Italy. ''Flags'' was released in July 2011 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and debuted in the following positions: #6 in Germany, #33 in Austria & #24 in Switzerland. One month on from release, "Flags" remained in the German top 20 at #13 and "Something in the Water" on the singles charts at #8. "Flags" was released in October 2011 in Hungary, reaching #15 on the national album chart by 2nd week of release. ''Flags'' is due to be released in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland on 7 November 2011. ''Flags'' has received accolades from peers and press alike. Sara Bareilles announced to her 2 million followers on Twitter "If you don’t know her, you should. @brookefraser is a freakin gem. New album out now. Yay." and Women’s Wear Daily has called Brooke "The Kiwi Norah Jones."

In its review of ''Flags'', ''Glide Magazine'' said: "Brooke Fraser’s third release, ''Flags'', is a wonder. From the stunning lyrical imagery throughout to the impressive guest vocalists who join her (Cary Brothers, Jon Foreman and Aqualung among them), from Fraser’s ethereal and breathy performances to the wide-ranging soundscapes, this record is drenched in beauty and stands as one of the more remarkable achievements of 2010."

In support of "Flags" release in Switzerland, Brooke will be appearing in November 2011 at the “ENERGY STARS FOR FREE” event in Zurich alongside Lenny Kravitz and Snow Patrol.

Personal life[link]

After the success of her first album, Fraser moved to Sydney, where she has lived since 2004. On 17 March 2008 she married Scott Ligertwood, in Sydney, changing her name to Brooke Ligertwood. "Brooke Fraser" has remained her stage name for her activity as a Sony BMG recording/touring artist. She continues to write songs for Hillsong Church, now as "Brooke Ligertwood". Among her notable congregational songs are "Desert Song" and "Hosanna". After touring her second album ''Albertine'' for almost 4 years, Fraser returned home to Sydney. She took almost a year off from music-making. After attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the US and seeing Fleet Foxes set she was inspired to work on her latest album ''Flags''.

Fraser also runs a blog from her website where she comments on everything from touring, to fashion and food.

Philanthropy[link]

Fraser has enjoyed success in her career for many years, and she has always used her position to highlight many worthy causes and charity projects, and raising large amounts of money for them in the process. In late 2010 whilst on tour in the U.S. promoting her third album ''Flags'', Fraser, in conjunction with charity: water ran a birthday campaign asking her fans to donate $27 in honor of her 27th birthday. The goal was to raise $50,000 to build clean water wells in Ethiopia. Joining the likes of Justin Bieber, Will Smith and Adam Lambert Fraser's birthday campaign was a success raising over $54,000. She has vowed to continue her work with charity: water on future projects.

Fraser has worked with World Vision as an Artist Associate since 2001. She has visited Cambodia and Tanzania with World Vision, the Philippines with Opportunity International and independently traveled to Rwanda in June 2005, in June 2006 as part of charity event "Hope Rwanda", and in May 2007 when she filmed the music video for the song "Albertine" off her second studio album of the same name. In 2006 she, along with Petra Bagust and Tau from Spacifix, appeared in an advertisement for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine; an event which raises funds for children in third world countries. She also sponsors eleven children through World Vision and makes child ways of contributing to the work of World Vision (i.e. fundraising t-shirts etc.).

Discography[link]

;Studio albums

''What to Do with Daylight'' (2003)

''Albertine'' (2006)

''Flags'' (2010)

Awards and nominations[link]

;APRA Awards |- |2004 |"Better" |rowspan="2"|Most Played Composition in New Zealand | |- |rowspan="3"|2007 |rowspan="2"|''Deciphering Me'' | |- |rowspan="2"|APRA Silver Scroll | |- |"Albertine" | ;New Zealand Music Awards |- |rowspan="6"|2004 |Herself |People's Choice Award | |- |rowspan="3"|''What To Do With Daylight'' |Album of the Year | |- |Best Female Solo Artist | |- |Breakthrough Artist of the Year | |- |rowspan="2"|"Lifeline" |Single of the Year | |- |Songwriter of the Year | |- |rowspan="6"|2007 |Herself |People's Choice Award | |- |rowspan="3"|''Albertine'' |Album of the Year | |- |Best Female Solo Artist | |- |Highest Selling Album | |- |rowspan="2"|"Deciphering Me" |Single of the Year | |- |Airplay Record of the Year | |- |2009 |Herself |International Achievement | |- |rowspan="5"|2011 |''Flags'' |Album of the Year | |- |''Flags'' |Best Pop Album | |- |"Something in the Water" |Single of the Year | |- |Herself |Best Female Artist | |- |Herself |People's Choice Award |

;GMA Dove Awards

Year	! Nominated work	! Award	! Result
		!	Herself	Female Vocalist of the Year

References[link]

External links[link]

Official Brooke Fraser website

New Zealand Herald article

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Christian religion-related songwriters Category:New Zealand female singers Category:New Zealand pop singers Category:New Zealand singer-songwriters Category:New Zealand Christians Category:Australian Christians Category:Hillsong musicians

ang:Brooke Fraser de:Brooke Fraser es:Brooke Fraser fr:Brooke Fraser it:Brooke Fraser mi:Brooke Fraser nl:Brooke Fraser pl:Brooke Fraser pt:Brooke Fraser sv:Brooke Fraser

name	Oscar Emmanuel Peterson
landscape	yes
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Oscar Emmanuel Peterson
birth date	August 15, 1925
origin	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
death date	December 23, 2007
Death place	Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
instrument	Piano
genre	Jazz
occupation	Pianist, composer, vocalist
years active	1945–2007
label	Mercury, MPS, Pablo, Telarc, Verve
website	www.oscarpeterson.com }}

Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career. He is considered to have been one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, having played thousands of live concerts to audiences worldwide in a career lasting more than 60 years.

Biography[link]

Peterson was born to immigrants from the West Indies; his father worked as a porter for Canadian Pacific Railway. Peterson grew up in the neighbourhood of Little Burgundy in Montreal, Quebec. It was in this predominantly black neighbourhood that he found himself surrounded by the jazz culture that flourished in the early 20th century. At the age of five, Peterson began honing his skills with the trumpet and piano. However, a bout of tuberculosis at age seven prevented him from playing the trumpet again, and so he directed all his attention to the piano. His father, Daniel Peterson, an amateur trumpeter and pianist, was one of his first music teachers, and his sister Daisy taught young Oscar classical piano. Young Oscar was persistent at practising scales and classical etudes daily, and thanks to such arduous practice he developed his astonishing virtuosity.

As a child, Peterson also studied with Hungarian-born pianist Paul de Marky, a student of István Thomán, who was himself a pupil of Franz Liszt, so his training was predominantly based on classical piano. Meanwhile he was captivated by traditional jazz and learned several ragtime pieces and especially the boogie-woogie. At that time Peterson was called "the Brown Bomber of the Boogie-Woogie."

At age nine Peterson played piano with control that impressed professional musicians. For many years his piano studies included four to six hours of practice daily. Only in his later years did he decrease his daily practice to just one or two hours. In 1940, at age fourteen, Peterson won the national music competition organized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After that victory, he dropped out of school and became a professional pianist working for a weekly radio show, and playing at hotels and music halls.

Influences [link]

Some of the artists who influenced Peterson's musicianship during the earlier type of years were Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole, James P. Johnson and Art Tatum, to whom many have tried to compare Peterson in later years. One of his first exposures to Tatum's musical talents came early in his teen years when his father played Art Tatum's Tiger Rag for him, and Peterson was so intimidated by what he heard that he became disillusioned about his own playing, to the extent of refusing to play the piano at all for several weeks. In his own words, "Tatum scared me to death" and Peterson was "never cocky again" about his mastery at the piano. Tatum was a model for Peterson's musicianship during the 1940s and 1950s. Tatum and Peterson eventually became good friends, although Peterson was always shy about being compared with Tatum and rarely played the piano in Tatum's presence.

Peterson has also credited his sister Daisy Sweeney — a noted piano teacher in Montreal who also taught several other noted Canadian jazz musicians — with being an important teacher and influence on his career. Under his sister's tutelage, Peterson expanded into classical piano training and broadened his range while mastering the core classical pianism from scales to preludes and fugues by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Building on Art Tatum's pianism and aesthetics, Peterson also absorbed Tatum's musical influences, notably from piano concertos by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Rachmaninoff's harmonizations, as well as direct quotations from his 2nd Piano Concerto, are thrown in here and there in many recordings by Peterson, including his work with the most familiar formulation of the Oscar Peterson Trio, with bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis. During the 1960s and 1970s Peterson made numerous trio recordings highlighting his piano performances that reveal more of his eclectic style that absorbed influences from various genres of jazz, popular and classical music.

Norman Granz[link]

An important step in his career was joining impresario Norman Granz's labels (especially Verve) and Granz's "Jazz at the Philharmonic" project. Granz discovered Peterson in a peculiar manner. As the impresario was being taken to the Montreal airport by cab, the radio was playing a live broadcast of Peterson at a local night club. Granz was so smitten by what he heard that he ordered the driver to take him to the club so that he could meet the pianist. In 1949, Granz introduced Peterson at a Carnegie Hall ''Jazz at the Philharmonic'' show in New York.

So was born a lasting relationship and Granz remained Peterson's manager for most of his career. One poignant illustration: in the last two years of his life, Peterson doted on a boxer dog that he named "Smedley," Peterson's nickname for Granz. On the day of Peterson's death, Smedley lay on the bed with him and would not leave.

This was more than a managerial relationship; Peterson praised Granz for standing up for him and other black jazz musicians in the segregationist south of the 1950s and 1960s. For example, in the Canadian Broadcasting Company's two-part documentary video ''Music in the Key of Oscar'', Peterson tells how Granz stood up to a gun-toting southern policeman who wanted to stop the trio from using "white-only" taxis. The entire documentary is a fascinating account of Peterson's life from his Montreal childhood, to his career, to his family relations and includes interviews with Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Ella Fitzgerald. Its narrative ends in 1993, just before Peterson's debilitating stroke.

In the course of his career, Peterson developed a reputation as a technically brilliant and melodically inventive jazz pianist and became a regular on Canadian radio from the 1940s. His name was already recognized in the United States. However, his 1949 debut at Carnegie Hall, New York City, arranged by Norman Granz, was uncredited; owing to union restrictions, his appearance could not be billed.

Through Granz's ''Jazz at the Philharmonic'' he was able to play with the major jazz artists of the time. Some of his musical associates included Ray Brown, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Milt Jackson, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Anita O'Day, Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, and Stan Getz.

Duets[link]

Peterson made numerous duo performances and recordings with bassists Ray Brown, Sam Jones, and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, guitarists Joe Pass, Irving Ashby, Herb Ellis, and Barney Kessel, pianists Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Benny Green, and Keith Emerson, trumpeters Clark Terry and Louis Armstrong, and many other important jazz players. His 1950s duo recordings with bassist Ray Brown mark the formation of one of the longest lasting partnerships in the history of jazz. Peterson's 1970's duo with guitarist Joe Pass has been considered one of the highest standards in the genre.

According to pianist/educator Mark Eisenman, some of Peterson's best playing was as an understated accompanist to singer Ella Fitzgerald and trumpeter Roy Eldridge.

Trio[link]

Peterson redefined the jazz trio by bringing musicianship of all three members to the highest level. The definitive trio with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis was, in his own words "the most stimulating" and productive setting for public performances as well as in studio recordings. In the early 1950s, Peterson began performing with Ray Brown and Charlie Smith as the Oscar Peterson Trio. Shortly afterward the drummer Smith was replaced by guitarist Irving Ashby, formerly of the Nat King Cole Trio. Ashby, who was a swing guitarist, was soon replaced by Barney Kessel. Kessel tired of touring after a year, and was succeeded by Herb Ellis. As Ellis was white, Peterson's trios were racially integrated, a controversial move at the time that was fraught with difficulties with segregationist whites and blacks.

''Oscar Peterson Trio at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival'' is widely regarded as the landmark album in Peterson's career, and one of the most influential trios in jazz. Their last recording, ''On the Town with the Oscar Peterson Trio'', recorded live at the Town Tavern in Toronto, captured a remarkable degree of emotional as well as musical understanding between three players. All three musicians were equal contributors involved in a highly sophisticated improvisational interplay. When Herb Ellis left the group in 1958, Peterson and Brown believed they could not adequately replace Ellis. Ellis was replaced by drummer Ed Thigpen in 1959. Brown and Thigpen worked with Peterson on his famous albums ''Night Train'' and the successful ''Canadiana Suite''. Brown and Thigpen left in 1965 and were replaced by bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes (and later, drummer Bobby Durham). The trio performed together until 1970. Their albums included pop songs such as The Beatles' "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby". In the fall of 1970, Peterson's trio were successful in their album ''Tristeza on Piano'' which was a eulogy of the recently deceased Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, the Monterey Pop Festival stars. This record was released on CD in 1985, went out of print, and then came back remastered in 2005 as an anniversary edition. Selections from this trio's work have been incidentally used for Japanese anime and other live action films. Jones and Durham left in 1970.

In the 1970s Peterson formed another landmark trio with virtuoso guitarist Joe Pass and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass. This trio emulated the success of the 1950s trio with Brown and Ellis, gave acclaimed performances at numerous festivals, and made best-selling recordings, most notably the 1978 double album recorded live in Paris. In 1974 Oscar added British drummer, Martin Drew, and this quartet toured and recorded extensively worldwide. Pass said in a 1976 interview: "The only guys I've heard who come close to total mastery of their instruments are Art Tatum and Peterson".

Quartet[link]

A quartet was a less permanent setting for Peterson, after the trio or duo, as it was hard to find equally powerful musicians available for a tightly knit arrangement with him. After the loss of Ellis his next trio eventually turned into a quartet after he added a drummer — first Gene Gammage for a brief time, then Ed Thigpen. In this group Peterson became the dominant soloist. Later members of the group were Louis Hayes, Bobby Durham, Ray Price, Sam Jones, George Mraz, Martin Drew and Lorne Lofsky.

Peterson often formed a quartet by adding a fourth player to his existing trios. He was open to experimental collaborations with jazz stars, such as saxophonist Ben Webster, trumpeter Clark Terry, and vibraphonist Milt Jackson among others. In 1961, the Peterson trio with Jackson recorded a highly praised album, ''Very Tall''.

Further career[link]

From the late 1950s, when Peterson gained worldwide recognition as one of the leading pianists in jazz, he played in a variety of settings: solo, duo, trio, quartet, small bands, and big bands. However, his solo piano recitals, as well as his solo piano recordings were rare, until he chose to make a series of solo albums titled "Exclusively for my friends." These solo piano sessions, made for the Musik Produktion Schwarzwald (MPS) label, were Peterson's response to the emergence of such stars as Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner.

Some cognoscenti assert that Peterson's best recordings were made for MPS in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For some years subsequently he recorded for Granz's Pablo Records after the label was founded in 1973. In the 1990s and 2000s he recorded several albums accompanied by a combo for Telarc.

In the 1980s he played successfully in a duo with pianist Herbie Hancock. In the late 1980s and 1990s, after the stroke, Peterson made performances and recordings with his protégé Benny Green.

Composer and teacher[link]

Peterson wrote pieces for piano, for trio, for quartet and for big band. He also wrote several songs, and made recordings as a singer. Probably his best-known compositions are "Canadiana Suite" and "Hymn to Freedom," the latter composed in the 1960s and inspired by the U.S. civil rights movement.

Peterson taught piano and improvisation in Canada, mainly in Toronto. With associates, he started and headed the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto for five years during the 1960s, but it closed because concert touring called him and his associates away, and it did not have government funding. Later, he mentored the York University jazz program and was the Chancellor of the entire university for several years in the early 1990s. He also published his original jazz piano etudes for practice. However, he asked his students to study the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', the ''Goldberg Variations'', and ''The Art of Fugue'', considering these piano pieces essential for every serious pianist. Pianists Benny Green and Oliver Jones were among his students.

Stroke, later years and death[link]

Peterson had arthritis since his youth, and in later years could hardly button his shirt. Never slender, his weight increased to , hindering his mobility. He had hip replacement surgery in the early 1990s. Although the surgery was successful, his mobility was still inhibited. Somewhat later, in 1993, Peterson suffered a serious stroke that weakened his left side and sidelined him for two years. Also in 1993 incoming Prime Minister and longtime Peterson fan and friend Jean Chrétien offered Peterson the position of Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, but according to Chrétien he declined, citing the health problems from his recent stroke.

After the stroke, Peterson recuperated for about two years. He gradually regained mobility and some control of his left hand. However, his virtuosity was never restored to the original level, and his playing after his stroke relied principally on his right hand. In 1995 he returned to public performances on a limited basis, and also made several live and studio recordings for Telarc. In 1997 he received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award, another indication that Peterson continued to be regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians ever to play. Canadian politician, friend, and amateur pianist Bob Rae contends that "a one-handed Oscar was better than just about anyone with two hands".

In 2003, Peterson recorded the DVD ''A Night in Vienna'' for Verve, with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (NHØP), Ulf Wakenius and Martin Drew. He continued to tour the U.S. and Europe, though maximally one month a year, with a couple of days' rest between concerts to recover his strength. His accompanists consisted of Ulf Wakenius (guitar), NHØP or David Young (bass), and Alvin Queen (drums), all leaders of their own groups.

Peterson's health declined rapidly in 2007. He had to cancel his performance at the 2007 Toronto Jazz Festival and his attendance at a June 8, 2007 Carnegie Hall all-star performance in his honour, owing to illness. On December 23, 2007, Peterson died of kidney failure at his home in Mississauga, Ontario. He left seven children, his fourth wife Kelly, and their daughter, Celine (born 1991).

Awards and recognition[link]

Musical awards and recognition[link]

''Begone Dull Care'' is an abstract film presentation of Peterson's music, released in 1949.

His work earned him eight Grammy awards over the years and he was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1978. He also belongs to the Juno Awards Hall of Fame and the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame.

Peterson received the first Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award from Black Theatre Workshop (1986), Roy Thomson Award (1987), a Toronto Arts Award for lifetime achievement (1991), the Governor General's Performing Arts Award (1992), the Glenn Gould Prize (1993), the award of the International Society for Performing Artists (1995), the Loyola Medal of Concordia University (1997), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1997), the Praemium Imperiale World Art Award (1999), the UNESCO Music Prize (2000), the Toronto Musicians' Association Musician of the Year award (2001), and an honorary LLD from the University of the West Indies (2006).

In 1999, Concordia University in Montreal renamed their Loyola-campus concert hall Oscar Peterson Concert Hall in his honour.

In 2005, Peterson celebrated his 80th birthday at the HMV flagship store in Toronto, where a crowd of about 200 gathered to celebrate with him. Long time admirer, and fellow Canadian Diana Krall, sang "Happy Birthday" to him and also performed a vocal version of one of Peterson's songs "When Summer Comes". The lyrics for this version were written by Elvis Costello, Krall's husband. Canada Post unveiled a commemorative postage stamp in his honour. The event was covered by a live radio broadcast by Toronto jazz station, JAZZ.FM.

Peterson received the BBC-Radio Lifetime Achievement Award, London, England.

"Technique is something you use to make your ideas listenable," he once told jazz writer Len Lyons. "You learn to play the instrument so you have a musical vocabulary, and you practice to get your technique to the point you need to express yourself, depending on how heavy your ideas are."

"Some may criticize Peterson for not advancing, for finding his niche and staying with it for an entire career, but while he may not be the most revolutionary artist in jazz, the documentary ''Music in the Key of Oscar'' demonstrates that breaking down barriers can be accomplished in more ways than one." "He was a crystallizer, rather than an innovator."

""His hands could do things few piano players can do," said pianist Bill King who studied with Peterson at his music school. Because Peterson was a big man — six feet three inches — he could stretch his hands over a keyboard in a way few musicians can match.

Ray Charles, in ''Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues - Piano Blues'' (2003), said "Oscar Peterson is a mother fucking piano player!"

Recognition in Canada[link]

While Peterson was recognized as a great jazz pianist both at home in Canada and internationally, he was also regarded in Canada as a distinguished public figure. His notable personage is evident in the acclaim and awards he received, particularly in the latter two decades of his life.

He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (the country's highest civilian state order for talent and service) in 1972, and promoted to Companion of the order (the highest degree of merit and humanity), in 1984. He was also a member of the Order of Ontario, a Chevalier of the National Order of Quebec, and an officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France.

From 1991 to 1994, Peterson was chancellor of York University in Toronto. The chancellor is the titular head of the university. Weeks after his death, the Province of Ontario announced a C$4 million scholarship for the "Oscar Peterson Chair" for Jazz Performance at York University with an additional C$1 million to be awarded annually in music scholarships to underprivileged York students in tribute to Peterson.

Peterson's niece, television journalist Sylvia Sweeney, produced an award-winning documentary film, ''In the Key of Oscar'', about Peterson in 1992.

Unlike most other jazz musicians, Oscar Peterson was networked with Canadian elites in the later years of his life. For example, former Ontario premier Bob Rae recalled that in 2007, himself, Ontario Chief Justice Roy McMurtry, and former Ontario premier Bill Davis celebrated McMurtry's retirement with Peterson, his wife, and their wives.

Peterson received honorary doctorates from many Canadian universities: Carleton University, Queen's University, Concordia University, McMaster University, Mount Allison University, the University of Victoria, the University of Western Ontario, York University, the University of Toronto, and the Université Laval, as well as from Northwestern University and Niagara University in the United States.

In 2004, the City of Toronto named the courtyard of the Toronto-Dominion Centre ''Oscar Peterson Square''.

In 2005, the Peel District School Board in suburban Toronto opened the Oscar Peterson school in Mississauga, Ontario, two miles from his home. Peterson said, "This is a most unexpected and moving tribute." He visited the school several times and donated electronic musical equipment to it. Soon after Peterson's death, the University of Toronto Mississauga opened a major student residence in March 2008 as "Oscar Peterson Hall".

Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien wanted in 1993 to put Peterson forward to the Governor General of Canada for appointment to the post of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, but Peterson felt that his health could not stand up to the many ceremonial duties that this position would require. "He was the most famous Canadian in the world," said Chrétien. Chrétien also said that Nelson Mandela glowed when meeting Peterson. "It was very emotional. They were both moved to meet each other. These were two men with humble beginnings who rose to very illustrious levels."

A major memorial concert, held on January 12, 2008, filled the 2500-seat Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. People had queued for more than three hours to get in. Governor General Michaëlle Jean reported at the concert that "thousands" more could not get in. Among the performers were Grégory Charles, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Phil Nimmons and singers Audrey Morris and Nancy Wilson. The "Oscar Peterson" quartet played key pieces; they are Monty Alexander, Jeff Hamilton, Ulf Wakenius and Dave Young. All toured with Peterson during his late "one-handed" period" except Alexander. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, University of Toronto Gospel Choir and Sharon Riley & the Faith Chorale, under the direction of Andrew Craid along with opera soprano Measha Brueggergosman closed the show, singing an excerpt from Peterson's "Hymn to Freedom". The show was made available for download.

In 2008, a young pianist named Connor Derraugh in Winnipeg, Manitoba wrote a tribute song to Oscar Peterson. He would later play it at an Oscar Peterson tribute concert at a local church and receive a standing ovation. The event was broadcasted on CBC Radio.

A movement was begun on Facebook to rename the Lionel-Groulx Metro station, a transfer station between Montreal's Green Line and Orange Line, in honour of Oscar Peterson. The Montreal Transit Corporation, however, has refused to end its moratorium on renaming Metro stations. The city's policy on landmark tributes is to wait at least a year after a public figure's death.

An Ontario school named Oscar Peterson Public School was opened in Stouffville in the Regional Municipality of York on 30 April 2009, and commenced operation in the 2009-2010 school year.

Grammy Awards[link]

1974 Best Jazz Performance by a Group ''The Trio'' - Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass and Niels- Henning Orsted Pedersen

1977 Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist ''The Giants'' - Oscar Peterson

1978 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist ''Oscar Peterson Jam – Montreux '77''

1979 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist ''Oscar Peterson and The Trumpet Kings – Jousts'' - Oscar Peterson

1990 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group ''The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note''

1990 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist ''The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note''

1991 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group ''Saturday Night at the Blue Note''

1997 Lifetime Achievement Award Instrumental Soloist Lifetime Achievement

Honorary Degrees Conferred[link]

1973 Carleton University - Doctor of Laws

1976 Queen's University - Doctor of Laws

1979 Concordia University - Doctor of Laws

1980 Mount Alison, Sackville N.B. - Doctor of Music

1981 McMaster University - Doctor of Laws

1981 University of Victoria, B.C. - Doctor of Laws

1982 York University - Doctor of Letters

1983 Northwestern University, Illinois - Doctor of Fine Arts

1985 University of Toronto - Doctor of Laws

1985 Laval University - Doctor of Music

1991 York University: Installed as Chancellor by the Board of Governors

1994 York University: Chancellor Emeritus

1994 Western Ontario Conservatory of Music - Licentiate in Music Diploma

1994 University of British Columbia - Doctor of Laws

1996 Niagara University, New York - Doctor of Fine Arts

1999 University of Western Ontario - Doctor of Laws

Instruments [link]

Bösendorfer pianos - exclusively in the 1990s and 2000s

Yamaha - Acoustic and Disklavier- 1998-2006 in Canada (Touring and Recording)

Steinway & Sons pianos - most performances from 1940s through the 1980s, some recordings.

Baldwin pianos - some performances in the USA, some recordings.

C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik pianos - some performances and recordings in Europe.

Clavichord - on album "Porgy and Bess" with Joe Pass

Fender electric piano - several recordings.

Synthesizer - several recordings.

Hammond organ - some live performances and several recordings.

Vocals - some live performances and several recordings.

Discography[link]

See also[link]

Music of Canada

References[link]

External links[link]

Alan Hustak, ''Jazz Legend, Oscar Peterson, dies at 82,'' The Montreal Gazette, 24 December 2007

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation full obituary, December 24, 2007

CBC Digital Archives: Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Giant

Oscar Peterson postage stamp

Jazz Giant The Oscar Peterson Discography

John Fordham, ''Oscar Peterson (obituary),'' The Guardian, 25 December 2007

Live performance photographs Jazz Alley, Seattle, 29 June 2004

NPR">Marian McPartland and Oscar Peterson on NPR

Oscar Peterson video interview in which his passion for photography is discussed

Oscar Peterson, A Portrait, 2002

Oscar Peterson on Jazz Police

Oscar Peterson's Concert Hall

Oscar Peterson entry at the Jazz Discography Project

Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Sensation—A Virtual Exhibition from Library and Archives Canada

Oscar Peterson Tribute: Feelings from the Heart. From The Living Arts Centre, February 14, 2008.

''Oscar Peterson (Obituary),'' The Telegraph, 26 December 2007

''Oscar Peterson (obituary),'' The Times, 26 December 2007

Steve Voce, ''Oscar Peterson: Virtuoso pianist who dominated jazz piano in the second half of the 20th century (obituary),'' The Independent, 26 December 2007

Lesson on Oscar Peterson's blues piano style

Oscar Peterson transcriptions'' December 2010

Category:1925 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Bebop pianists Category:Black Canadian musicians Category:Canadian jazz composers Category:Canadian jazz pianists Category:Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Canadian people of Caribbean descent Category:Chancellors of York University Category:Companions of the Order of Canada Category:Deaths from renal failure Category:Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Knights of the National Order of Quebec Category:Composers awarded knighthoods Category:Musicians awarded knighthoods Category:Mainstream jazz pianists Category:Members of the Order of Ontario Category:Mercury Records artists Category:The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni Category:Verve Records artists Category:Telarc Records artists Category:MPS Records artists Category:Pablo Records artists Category:York University Category:Anglophone Quebec people Category:Musicians from Montreal Category:Juno Award winners

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name	Chris Rice
background	non_performing_personnel
origin	Clinton, Maryland, United States
genre	CCM/Folk
years active	1996–2007
label	Clumsy Fly
notable instruments	}}

Chris Rice is an American songwriter who works in the contemporary Christian music, contemporary folk, and adult contemporary genres with a style similar to David Wilcox and James Taylor. He became a recording artist as well in 1996 after signing a contract with Michael W. Smith's record label and releasing his debut album, ''Deep Enough to Dream''.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Chris Rice, a native of Clinton, Maryland, grew up as the second of four sons born to bookstore owners. His parents, and other adult mentors, influenced Rice's Christian faith and his early work with youth and college students.

Having taken only three years of piano lessons as a child, Rice did not aspire to a career in either music or student work. But frequent invitations to speak and lead music at his church's youth group events led to more such invitations throughout his college years at the University of Maryland, Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, and Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Communication. While leading music and coaching high school soccer teams he began writing songs. What began as weekend and summer work with youth and college students soon turned into a full-time career during his twenties and thirties, and prompted Rice to write and perform mainly on the guitar.

For those two decades Rice spent his time as an itinerant speaker and songwriter/musician, playing for high school and college conferences and camps nationwide. This schedule prepared Chris for his career as a signed recording artist, touring the country with a full band.

Career as a songwriter[link]

Rice's songwriting career began in the mid-1980s, after moving from his Washington, D.C., home to Nashville, Tenn. During that period several of Rice's songs were recorded by other artists, including Kathy Troccoli and Terri Gibbs. Rice's "Welcome To Our World," an original Christmas song since recorded by Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and John Tesh, moved Smith to urge his new label, Rocketown Records, to sign Rice as its first artist in 1996.

Solo artist[link]

With the help of Monroe Jones' production skills, Chris Rice recorded ''Deep Enough to Dream'' for a September 1997 release. ''Past the Edges'' followed a year later.

Rice's third album, ''Smell the Color 9'', was issued in late 2000. This album was one of his most successful. It stretched his musical boundaries, by taking him from a folk-leaning songwriter into a pop-driven artist. Most of the tracks are less folk-influenced songs than previously. "The Face of Christ" is a shuffle-rock song about serving the less fortunate, based on Rice's encounters with the homeless. Rice talks about passing faith to the next generation in "Sailing With Russell", another song with a strong Bobby McFerrin influence on it. Two ballad-kind songs appeared: "Belong", taps into the human desire to belong, and points the listener to consider how a connection to God can fulfill that, and "Home Tonight," which takes the prodigal son's point of view, remembering how good things were at home with his father. The album's cover art (a man on a unicycle balancing on a high-wire) is a visual play on Rice's own balancing act, between being a well-known recording artist and an everyday person with an everyday life. The title track is an honest and thoughtful reference to the often difficult process of finding God.

In 2001, Rice surprised his fans with two piano-only instrumental releases that showcased a different side of his musical and arranging talents, not to mention his fondness for old hymns and Christmas songs. The names of the albums were ''The Living Room Sessions'' and ''The Living Room Sessions: Christmas''. They were given these names because their songs were recorded on Rice's own living room grand piano.

With his sixth album, ''Run the Earth... Watch the Sky'', released in March 2003, Chris again joined the production talents of his longtime friend and collaborator Monroe Jones, a partnership that has achieved more than 1 million unit sales. In this album, there were the modern folk leanings reminiscent of David Wilcox and James Taylor, but also Rice’s newfound admiration of earthy but radio-friendly pop in the vein of John Mayer and Travis. The album’s first single, "The Other Side of the Radio" featured sports driving guitar and percussion. "Me and Becky" recalled classic rock sounds from Chris’ own adolescence. "A lot of the record mentions my childhood or my teenage years so it fit to reach back into the earlier sounds from the ‘70s in some of the background vocals and string arrangements", he says about it.

These four studio releases (plus the two instrumental releases) fulfilled Rice's contractual commitment to Rocketown Records. Following his departure from the label, Rocketown released a couple of Chris Rice collections.

In June 2004, the hits collection ''Short Term Memories'' was released. This album chronicled his trajectory with most of Rice's hits ("Sometimes Love", "Deep Enough to Dream", "Smellin' Coffee", "The Other Side of the Radio" and others). There were also a few other minor hits ("Face of Christ", "Home Tonight"). New studio cuts included "Go Light Your World" (a Rice original first popularized by Kathy Troccoli), a new acoustic mix of "Untitled Hymn" and "Mama Prays".

A second hits collection, ''Snapshots: Live and Fan Favorites'' followed in February 2005.

A new record label[link]

The year 2005 (album ''Amusing'' released) marked a major turning point in Rice's artistry. Leaving Rocketown Records at the end of his contractual agreement, Rice signed with independent label Eb+Flo Records, and made a marketing and distribution agreement with INO Records. INO's distribution through Sony/Columbia afforded Rice a new direction for marketing and distribution, no longer limiting his music to Christian radio format. His fifth studio release CD ''Amusing'', released in August 2005, included love songs and other life topics, as well as some songs about his faith. For the first time in his career, Rice released radio singles to AC and Light Rock stations around the country, the first single being a light romantic song entitled "When Did You Fall (In Love With Me?)" which reached #8 on the Pop AC radio format and enjoyed Top Ten status throughout the summer months of 2006, solidifying Rice's presence on AC radio. A second AC hit, "Lemonade," began climbing the AC chart during the spring and summer of 2007.

With his success on the AC radio format, Rice released a side project hearkening back to his roots, a vocal hymns album, ''Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project'', in November 2006.

The year 2006 proved to be a turning point in Rice's emphasis, with most of his attention and radio station visits and interviews involving pop AC stations across the United States, rather than his former attention to CCM radio. Following the success on AC radio, Rice released in July 2007 "What A Heart Is Beating For" an album which further positioned him as a pop artist, a collection of 13 songs, with only two containing faith themes.

Discography[link]

''Live By Faith'' (1992)

''Deep Enough to Dream'' (1997)

''Past the Edges'' (1998)

''Smell the Color 9'' (2000)

''The Living Room Sessions'' (Instrumental) (2001)

''The Living Room Sessions: Christmas'' (Instrumental) (2001)

''Run the Earth... Watch the Sky'' (2003)

''Short Term Memories'' (Greatest Hits) (2004)

''Snapshots: Live and Fan Favorites'' (2005)

''Amusing'' (2005)

''Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project'' (2006)

''What a Heart is Beating For'' (2007)

EPs and Other Releases[link]

''Merry Chris Rice'' (2005) (iTunes release)

''When Did You Fall (Cozy Version)'' (2007) (iTunes Release)

Singles[link]

"Christmas Party (Radio Single)

"Deep Enough To Dream"

"Smile"

"Untitled Hymn (Come To Jesus)"

"The Other Side of the Radio"

"Cartoons"

"Love Like Crazy"

"When Did You Fall (In Love With Me)"

"Lemonade"

"Sad Song"

Awards[link]

2002 – Dove Award nominee for Instrumental Album of the Year – Living Room Sessions: Hymns

2000 – Dove Award nominee for Recorded Music Packaging

1999 – Dove Award winner for Male Vocalist of the Year and for participation in Special Event Album of the Year – Exodus

1998 – Nominated for six Dove Awards, including New Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year

References[link]

External links[link]

Chris Rice's personal website

Thought Quotient - Interview with Chris Rice

Rocketown Records' website

Eb+Flo Records' website

Promo: Free Chris Rice song "What a Heart is Beating For"

CCMagazine.com's Live Chat Transcript with Chris

Christianpost.com article titled, "Chris Rice Hits Mainstream Top 20"

Christianpost.com article titled, "Chris Rice Seeks Broader Audience With 'Amusing'

Lyrics to Songs by Chris Rice

Growthtrac Music article titled, "Chris Rice: Straight from the Heart"

Christianity Today's June 2005 Interview with Chris

Living the Solutions Music Review of Run the Earth...Watch the Sky

Category:American performers of Christian music Category:Musicians from Maryland Category:Living people Category:Union University alumni

es:Chris Rice