Click, Srul Irving

Click, Srul Irving, Canadian composer, radio producer, conductor, and teacher; b. Toronto, Sept. 8, 1934. He studied composition with Weinzweig at the Univ. of Toronto (B.Mus., 1955; M.Mus., 1958), with Milhaud in Aspen, Colo, (summers, 1956-57), and with Louis Saguer and Max Deutsch in Paris (1959-60). From 1962 to 1986 he was a music producer for the CBC radio; he also taught theory and composition at the Royal Cons, of Music of Toronto (1963-69) and at York Univ. (1985-86). He served as conductor of the choir at the Beth Tikvah Synagogue in Toronto from 1969, and also led it on tours of Canada, Israel, and the U.S. After composing scores marked by a lyrical penchant with polytonal writing, he turned to a more contemporary idiom only to find his anchor later by combining classical and Jewish traditions of musical expression in a thoroughly personal idiom.

Works

ORCH 2 Essays (1957); Sonata for Strings (1957); Sinfonietta (1958); Sinfonia Concertante No. 1 for Strings (1961) and No. 2; Lamentations, for String Quartet and Orch. (1972); Suite Hebraique No. 1 (1961; also arranged for various forces); Danse Concertante No. 1 for Small Orch. (1963); Elegy (1964); Symphonic Dialogues for Piano and Orch. (Toronto, Dec. 20, 1964); Pan (1966); 2 syms.: No. 1 for Chamber Orch. (Toronto, April 24, 1966) and No. 2 (1967; Toronto, Jan. 24, 1969); Gathering In for Strings (Montreal, March 26, 1970); Psalm (Hamilton, Oct. 17, 1971); Symphonic Elegy, with Line Drawing and Funeral March for Strings (Toronto, April 20, 1974); Violin Concerto, Shir Hamaalot—Song of Ascension (Victoria, British Columbia, Nov. 14, 1976); Romance—Song of ]oy for Piano and Orch. (1978); Concerto for Viola and Strings (1981); Lament and Cantorial Chant for Viola and Strings (1985); The Vision of Ezekiel, fantasy for Violin and Orch. (1986); Divertimento for Strings (1987); The Reawakening, symphonic poem (1991). B a l l e t : Heritage (1967).CHAMBER: Divertimento Sextet for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, and String Trio (1958); Trio for Clarinet, Piano, and Cello (1958-59); Petite Suite for Flute (1960); String Trio (1963); Danse Concertante No. 2 for Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Cello, and Piano (1964); Sonata for Jazz Quintet (1964); Sonatina for Jazz Sextet (1965); Divertissement for 7 Instruments and Conductor (1968); Suite Hébraïque No. 2 for Clarinet, String Trio, and Piano (1969), No. 3 for String Quartet (1975), No. 4 for Alto Saxophone or Clarinet or Viola and Piano (1979), No. 5 for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Cello (1980), and No. 6 for Violin and Piano (1984); Prayer and Dance for Cello and Piano (1975); Flute Sonata (1983); Devequt, sonata (1982); String Quartet No. 1 (Toronto, June 25, 1984); Dance Suite for 2 Guitars (1986); …from out of the depths; mourning music for the 6 million… for String Quartet (1986); Oboe Sonata (1987); Trio for Flute, Viola, and Harp (1988); Cello Sonata (1989); Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1990). Piano : 4 Preludes (1958); 7 Preludes (1959); Ballade (1959); Song and Caprice (1960); Nistar (Secret), fantaisie elegiaque (1979).VOCAL: Music for Passover for Chorus and String Quartet or String Orch. (1963); … never saw another butterfly… for Alto and Chamber Orch., after children’s poems written in the Thereseinstadt concentration camp (1968); Hashiriam asher L’Yisrael, liturgical synagogal music for Chorus (1969-88; also for Chorus, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet); Halleluyah for Chorus (1970); 4 Songs for Tenor and Orch. (1972); Yiddish Suite No. 1 for Chorus and Cello or String Quartet (1979) and No. 2, Time Cycle, for Chorus, Flute, Clarinet, Harp, and String Quartet (1984); I Breathe a New Song for Cantor and Chorus (1981); Northern Sketches for Chorus, Piano, Violin, and Cello (1982); The Hour Has Come, sym. for Chorus and Orch. (1984; Toronto, Feb. 25, 1985); Sing unto the Lord a New Song for Chorus and Harp or Orch. (1986; Toronto, Jan. 25, 1987); Canticle of Peace for Chorus (1987); // We Would But Listen, cantata for Narrator, Tenor, Chorus, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet (1988); Visions through Darkness: An Oratorio of Our Time for Narrator, Mezzo- soprano, Tenor, Chorus, and Instruments (1988); Songs of Creation for Chorus, Brass Quintet, 4 Percussion, and Organ (1989); The Flame Is Not Extinguished for Tenor, Mezzo-soprano, Women’s Chorus, and Piano (1990); many other sacred and secular vocal works.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire