Melvin Donald Olson (December 24, 1930 – December 15, 2001) was an American choral conductor who is known for introducing the compositions of

John Rutter John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, Rutte ...

to the United States.

Career

Born in Wisconsin, Olson studied at the

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

and received his master's degree from

Westminster Choir College Westminster Choir College (WCC) is a historic conservatory of music currently operating on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Rider's Westminster College of the Arts, the college under which the historic institution has b ...

. He directed, among others, the choir The Voices of Mel Olson, which was founded in 1969 and later called Master Singers, in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. He and his choirs are the dedicatees of several of Rutter's works. He commissioned in 1974

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

for The Voices of Mel Olson, which Rutter set according to his specifications. Olson traveled to the UK to discuss details with the composer, who later credited him with influencing his compositions: "Much of the credit must go to Mel Olson … because, in telling me what he was looking for in a new choral work, he was telling me what thousands of other choral directors were looking for too.” Olson commissioned Rutter to compose "I will lift up mine eyes" (

Psalm 121 Psalm 121 is the 121st psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint a ...

) for his church choir and orchestra at the First United Methodist Church in Omaha, where it was first performed one day after the Gloria. In 1976, Olson commissioned James E. Fritschel to write ''Give Ear, O Ye Heavens'', after

Deuteronomy Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...

32:1 for unaccompanied double chorus, for The Voices of Mel Olson. Rutter dedicated his anthem '' The Lord is my Shepherd'' (

Psalm 23 Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The Lord is my shepherd". In Latin, it is known by the incipit, "". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a boo ...

, published in 1978), to Olson and his Chancel Choir of the First United Methodist Church. Edwin R. Fissinger composed on a commission of Olson for the Voices of Mel Olson ''To Everything There Is A Season'', after

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes (; hbo, קֹהֶלֶת, Qōheleṯ, grc, Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklēsiastēs) is one of the Ketuvim ("Writings") of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly use ...

III, for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, speaker and choir, published in 1979 by Jenson Publications. Olson died in

Nevada City, California Nevada City (originally, ''Ustumah'', a Nisenan village; later, Nevada, Deer Creek Dry Diggins, and Caldwell's Upper Store) is the county seat of Nevada County, California, United States, northeast of Sacramento, southwest of Reno and northeas ...

References

External links

* Loann Scarpato
John Rutter (b.1945): Gloria
academyconcerts.org 3 December 2013
John Rutter

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best abr ...

2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Olson, Mel American choral conductors American male conductors (music) 1930 births 2001 deaths Classical musicians from Wisconsin Northwestern University alumni Westminster Choir College alumni 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians