Program Notes: Wade and I have been friends for many years and when he told me he was retiring I wanted to do something special for him. I asked his wife for a short list of his favorite hymns and decided on “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” As I was arranging it, I could hear my grandmother’s church years ago singing it a capella - the way they held notes longer or shorter than actually written. I arranged it to reflect that, so the piece changes from 4/4 to 3/4 at will. It is a free-flowing arrangement with many ways to interpret it regarding ritards and so on. I did this arrangement harmonically my way because I knew Wade would expect nothing less. All my love to Wade and his family. J.G.
