Sometimes, good things do happen to good people. Last night was such a night at the House of Hicks in Morristown.
Friends, musicians and students of Jim Hicks, music director of Morristown’s Presbyterian Church, helped him celebrate the release of his double CD, “Nordic Journey,” an exploration of Swedish organ music that was six years in the making.
In between bites of Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam, Jim played tracks that he recorded in Sweden, including works he commissioned from a Swedish composer he discovered online, Fredrik Sixten. Fredrik required keyboard gymnastics from Jim that were reminiscent of Les Paul’s other-worldly guitar riffs from the ’50s.
“It felt wonderfully weird to play music no one knew,” Jim said.
It also required two assistants to help him flick all the manual controls on one of the instruments he performed on. In Denmark, church acoustics demanded extra concentration: Sound reflected back with a seven-second delay.
Fredrik Sixten comes to Morristown on Sept. 19, when the Presbyterian Church choir will sing a Sixten piece commissioned for Jim’s 25th anniversary at the church.
Nordic culture has fascinated Jim since he visited Scandinavia at age 20. In the podcast below, Jim describes why Swedish music captivates him.
Jim dedicated the album to his wife, Bonnie.
He also made a point on Father’s Day to remember his late father, DuVal, a lawyer whose real passion was playing clarinet in big bands that did gigs for charity in Virginia. DuVal Hicks died five years ago, as Jim’s Nordic journey was just taking shape.
“He would have loved to be here,” Jim said, raising his beverage in tribute. “Without his love and support, none of this would be possible.”
