♪ Music Notes ♪

BECKI SLAGLE MAYO (b. 1956) has been active as a church musician and music educator for over 25 years. Her varied experiences as a director and accompanist for choirs of all ages, elementary through college, set the stage for her career as a composer. As a composer and arranger, she has published over 100 songs, choral anthems, and piano arrangements, including her own solo piano collection. Specializing in music for young voices, Becki strives to introduce important musical, spiritual, and educational concepts to developing students.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist. Born in Bonn, his musical talent was obvious at an early age, and he was initially taught by his father. At age 21, he moved to Vienna, where he studied composition with Haydn, and also gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. Around 1800, his hearing began to deteriorate, but he continued to conduct, perform, and compose. From 1810 and beyond, becoming increasingly less socially involved (he was almost completely deaf by 1814), Beethoven composed many of his most admired works, including his later symphonies, and his mature chamber music and piano sonatas. His final symphony, the Ninth – one of the finest examples of a choral symphony – was written in 1822-1824. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music, and his works, which span the transition from the classical period to the romantic era, rank among the most performed of classical music repertoire.

HENRY VAN DYKE (1852-1933) was a Dutch American author, poet, academic, clergyman and diplomat. He attended Princeton University and then Princeton Theological Seminary. It is not clear what he did following graduation from the seminary, but presumably he served as a minister in a Protestant church, most likely a Presbyterian church. We do know that van Dyke became an academic in 1899, when he was appointed to be a Professor of English Literature at Princeton University. He served in that capacity until 1923. But apparently not in a full time capacity, because during that period he accepted a United States State Department diplomatic position. In 1913, President Wilson appointed van Dyke to be the ambassador to the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and served in that capacity until 1917. He wrote at least 12 books, most of them with religious titles, over a 46 year time period, and the words for “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” were written in 1907.

DONNA BUTLER is an American composer of choral music, and has been involved with music as long as she can remember, having been raised by two professional musicians. She composed her first song at age four and was first published at age thirteen. Donna holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Piano from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master of Music degree in Theory and Composition from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. An accomplished pianist and soloist, for twenty-five years she also served as director of music for churches in Oklahoma, Dallas/Fort Worth, Kansas City, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN (1813-1899) was born in Wyke, Scotland. He studies in the Moravian Church, and in 1843 he became minister of Richmond Place Congregational Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. After serving at a number of parishes, he took Holy Orders in the Church of England. “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” is perhaps his most well-known hymn.