Seven decades ago, while awaiting word from the Juilliard School about his audition as a vocalist, Austin C. Lovelace wandered across the street to the Union Theological Seminary and found the door to the School of Sacred Music.
Inside, Lovelace played a hymn, in a few different keys, on the organ, which he had taken up at age 15. The school’s director offered him a full scholarship on the spot.
A church star was born.
Lovelace, now 90, has composed more than 1,000 pieces of music for choir, soloist, organ and brass. Walk into any mainstream Protestant church, and most Catholic churches, and the hymnal will have at least one of his hymns.
“You’ll find my name in there,” Lovelace said.
His personal favorite is “Let This Mind Be in You,” a long-lasting best seller in the world of church music that he wrote in 1942.
Lovelace has given workshops and recitals for 24 different denominations in 45 states and six countries. He’s taught at several colleges.
Lovelace has a doctorate and six books to his credit — written on his loyal 65-year-old Underwood typewriter — along with a number of lectures, such as “Hymns that Jesus Would Not Have Liked.”
He directed the choir at two performances of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert — with Ellington performing.
Yet it took Lovelace’s mother, herself a talented and self-taught organist, a little time to come around to his career choice.
“We were Southern Baptist. My mother wanted my brother and I to become Baptist preachers,” said the North Carolina native.
Yet Lovelace would associate with Episcopalians and even join the Methodists and the Presbyterians. He’s served as minister of music at churches in Illinois, New York and Texas. He also served, from 1964 to 1970, at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver and, after a stint in Dallas, returned in 1977 to serve at Wellshire Presbyterian Church and lecture at Iliff School of Theology. He retired in 1986.
The American Guild of Organists is honoring his influential career Sunday at its Hymn and Anthem Festival, “Ninety Years and Seven Decades.” Lovelace will escort Polly, his wife of 68 years.
As for the contemporary Christian sound that rocks megachurch auditoriums these days, “I prefer music,” Lovelace said. “I do not think that entertainment music is appropriate for church. The music should be the servant of the text. And the text has to be of spiritual value.”
Lovelace is now writing three volumes of preludes and variations on hymn tunes. However, he gave up performing on the organ at age 87.
“I was playing organ almost every Sunday as a substitute for somebody,” Lovelace said. “Then I played for the funeral of Mary Milligan, a former student of mine and a corking good organist. I played all right, but I suddenly realized I wasn’t comfortable.
“It’s always best to quit playing before someone asks you to quit.”
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com
“Ninety Years and Seven Decades,” a celebration of Austin C. Lovelace
The Hymn and Anthem Festival of the Denver Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will take place at 7 p.m. Sunday at Wellshire Presbyterian Church, 2999 S. Colorado Blvd. in Denver.
Scheduled performers include the Wellshire Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Choir, the Young Voices of Colorado Signature Ensemble, organist Jane Ripper and trumpeter Ross Campbell.
Admission is free, but donations will be accepted and will go to the Hymn Society of America for the Lovelace Scholarship Fund.
