John Hallett C

John Hallett: From A to Z continued.

Composer

John was a life long composer. More than a thousand of his compositions have been published for choirs and instruments. For fourteen years he was a music editor for the Rodeheaver Puclishing Company, which included choral and instrumental arranging. In addition to arranging for The Rodeheaver, Hall-Mack Co, he was published by Broadman Press, Hope Publishing Co, Singspiration Publishing Co., Gospel Publishing House, Word-Rodeheaver Publisher& Gospel Publishers, Salvation Army Publishers, Lexicon Music Publishers.

Here are some of John’s notes from a un-dated seminar.

COMPOSITION – CHORAL ARRANGEMENT CLASS

Composing is process of elimination

Composing is creating a constant necessity for going on.

Composing should be a combination of

Variety
Unity


The Music Bible:

In the beginning, there was RHYTHM
MELODY followed
Then HARMONY

Composing (Can’t teach composing – just guide – inspire)

A thorough knowledge of theory
Simplicity – Variety
Good Text (Usually first) (Exception – Melody first)
When finished – sleep on it, then alter and improve
Mimeo and try with your choir and another choir
Scrap first songs


Children’s Bible Hour

John wrote for The Children’s Bible Hour, a hour broadcast each week from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“I happened to be Uncle Bill on that program. They couldn’t pronounce Bihl so they called me Uncle Bill. But there were four uncles and Johnnie played the piano four that quartet. But there was more to it. We were on a hundred and seven stations and we needed some real good musician to come and help us with our music for that program. And because Johnnie was a friend of mine, we encouraged him to come and had him look over the program as see whether or not he thought he would like it. And he said, “Yeh, I’ll come.” And so he began writing special music for the three nieces, because they were our girls’ trio, little girls’ trio. The four nephews, little guys, that sang, then they became high school students. Then we had the dozen cousins which was our chorus. Johnnie wrote it all that music, arranged it all, especially for each of the broadcasts. No wonder he was tired, Ruthie. Really, and then when we would finish with that, the hour long broadcast where every word was written out. (recounted by his life-long friend Dr. Carl (Kelly) Bihl during John Hallett’s Memorial Service)

See some of the history of The Children's Bible Hour

http://www.cbhministries.org/about_history.php

1942: When the program started there was not ONE “Uncle” but FOUR! (left to right) Carl Bihl, Morry Carlson, Mel Johnson, Malcom Cronk.

http://www.cbhministries.org/about/img/pics/pho255x175_1943_uncles.jpg


Church music ministry

Brookdale Baptist Church, Bloomfield, New Jersey
Long Hill Chapel, Chatham, New Jersey
First Baptist Church of Lakewood (California)

Clinician

Rodeheaver
Salvation Army
Many other places around the country

Continuing Education: always a learner.

John studied with the following:

Erik Leidzen
Emil Soderstrom
Fred Waring
Peter Wilhousky
Olaf Christiansen
Rodeheaver Sacred Music Conference
Hawley Ades (arranger for Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians)