Photo Gallery

The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration · Dallas, TX

These photos are from The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration where I serve as Director of Music Ministries and Organist, and coordinate the musical life of the parish, the Transfigured Nights music series, and an exciting new organ project by Richards, Fowkes & Co. When you find yourself in Dallas on a Sunday, please visit one of our Choral Eucharists at 9 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. Contact me to mention that you'll be visiting.

Transfiguration Choir · May 2006

Bella Musica Handbell Choir · May 2006

Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Opus 1525, 1971

View Facing Gallery

View Facing Altar

Alaska · Summer 2006

My partner David and I traveled to Alaska in July, spending one week with my parents and family. My dad, the Bishop of the Alaska Synod of the ELCA, retired on July 31, so it was great to be with him at the end of his term, and to be with my mom on her seventieth birthday (sorry, mom!). The second week brought four of our best friends to Alaska for the first time, and we traveled around the Kenai Peninsula.

Dad, Mom, David, & Joel · McCarthy

Joel, David, and friends Keith & Marcy Lindstrom, Joan Bobnick, and Cindy McCalla · Alaska Range in Background

Joel · Worthington Glacier

Kennecott

Denali

Wildflowers & Denali

Premiere of Grant Us Peace and Organ Recital · Salem, OR · November 2005

November of 2005 brought a reunion of sorts, this time three organizations in my hometown of Salem, Oregon, collaborated to have me to play a recital and attend a commission premiere. An added bonus was that all my immediate family were able to come for the weekend. The St. Mark Lutheran Church Organ Committee and Lutheran Fine Arts Center sponsored me in an organ recital at St. Mark's Church. As part of this concert entitled In Honor and In Memory, David and I performed my Five Holy Sonnets for voice and piano. The recital was scheduled for Friday night in order to allow me to be present for the Saturday evening premiere and a Sunday afternoon performance of Grant Us Peace, sung on a Veteran's Day concert ("Heroes and Hallelujahs") by the Willamette Master Chorus. Sunday through Tuesday we spent time on the Oregon coast in Cannon Beach. What a great trip!

Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center · Willamette University

Joel in Hudson Hall prior to the concert · Willamette University

Premiere of Grant Us Peace · Willamette Master Chorus · Joel with Dr. Paul Klemme, Director and cellist Dale Tolliver

David and Joel with friend Sue Hanley after the St. Mark's recital

The Martinson Clan

From Ecola looking south to Haystack Rock & Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach looking south

Rugged Oregon coast

An Incredible Oregon beach sunset

David walking in the sunset

Hymn Festival · Rockford, IL · September 2005

I was invited by several of the music directors of the downtown churches of Rockford, Illinois, to present a hymn festival with their choirs, brass quintet, timpani, and organ at Court Street United Methodist Church. We had participants from Court Street, Bill Stein, director, Emmanuel Episcopal, Trish Rooney director, and First Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth LaGrande, director. (I'm sorry to report that since that time both Bill and Trish have left their positions.) Court Street is the church in which David grew up and was formed as a chorister, so it was a pleasure for us to be with so many of his friends and family, especially his dad, Dick Reece, who died this past March.

We were delighted to have several friends attend the hymn festival from the western Chicago suburbs — my godparents Will and Grace Wagner, and former Saint Rita Choir member Sharon Sproat. Here are a few pictures from the entire event.

Exterior of Court Street United Methodist Church

Interior of Court Street United Methodist Church

Joel at the Moeller console

David & Joel with friend Sharon Sproat after the hymn festival

David with long-time Court Street Choir member, Vern Balke

David & Joel with Trish Rooney

The Reece Women

The Reece Clan

Hymn Festival · Kirkwood, MO · November 2004

First Presbyterian Church, Kirkwood, Missouri, celebrated its 150th anniversary during 2004. As part of the congregation's celebratory activities I was commissioned to compose a hymn tune and festival setting for a text written by Cathy Yost, a staff member at the church and an award-winning hymn writer. Her poem "We Celebrate the Legacy" is a great one for parish anniversaries or building commemorations. I composed the tune Kirkwood in September 2004. The church began learning it in preparation for the hymn festival which I would present in November to close out their anniversary year. First Presbyterian Church is a very traditionally-shaped modern structure with hard surfaces, resulting in a great acoustic! The organ there, a very large Wicks, was the best I had ever played by that firm, and sounded wonderful in the room. Since this time, the director of music Marcos Krieger has moved to a church in Lancaster, PA, and Bill Stein (from Court Street UMC in Rockford) has assumed that position in Kirkwood, a beautiful town on the western edge of Saint Louis. What a great weekend I enjoyed with the people there!

Interior of First Presbyterian Church

Marcos Krieger and Joel

Saint Rita Choir European Tour · July 2003

Perhaps the climax of my sixteen years as Director of Music at Saint Rita Catholic Community in Dallas was our choir tour to Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. We sang high masses at the cathedrals of Munich (Frauenkirche) and Vienna (Stefansdom), as well as some concerts and midweek masses. Following the tour, Mom, Dad, and I visited Martin Luther and J. S. Bach territory. Here are some of the many pictures I took.

Saint Rita Choir before the main door of the Frauenkirche, Munich, Germany

Saint Rita Choir in Salzburg Cathedral

Joel & David with Casey & Tim Tiernan

Joel with Viennese guide and friend Katharina Saudino

Joel and Marilyn with J. S. Bach

Joel and Ron at the Wartburg

AGO Regional Convention · Eugene, OR · July 2001

I was delighted to be asked back to my home region for the 2001 Region VIII convention of the American Guild of Organists in Eugene, Oregon. My long-time friend Betty Jean Bartholomew was convention coordinator and helped to commission a new composition from me to be written on a text about music. I set Albert Bayly's hymn When the Morning Stars Together for SATB Choir, Trumpet Soloist, and Organ. The premiere took place at the opening convocation service, with me conducting Betty Jean's very fine evensong choir and Gerre Hancock playing the organ. It was a great week, albeit emotional, as the list of deceased members read at the convocation included both my dear friends Jim Holloway and May Dudley who had died that year. Jim was my colleague and roommate at UNT, and May was director of music at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salem. She was a great supporter of mine in my youth and helped to provide me with summer jobs at St. Paul's during my college years, as well as providing a recital venue when I needed one.

Opening Convocation Personalities: Gerre Hancock, organist; Betty Jean Bartholomew, convention coordinator; Joel Martinson, composer/conductor; The Rev. Dr. Paul Westermeyer, homilist

Premiere of When the Morning Stars Together · Opening Convocation · Joel Martinson, composer/conductor · First United Methodist Church

Premiere of Evening Music · Dallas, TX · October 2001

Dallas' finest professional choir — Orpheus Chamber Singers — has commissioned two Christmas pieces from me (In the Bleak Mid-winter and To Hear the Angels Sing), as well as a major multi-movement work, Evening Music. Based on secular texts and scored for a cappella choir and oboe, I count this piece among my finest and most favorite. Friends Marcy and Keith Lindstrom who served as executive directors of the Orpheus board for several years during their time in Dallas contributed financially to the commissioning of this work. Artistic director Donald Krehbiel and oboist Willa Henigman have long been musical collaborators of mine, and I felt very privileged to have composed this work for them and for my friends in the choir.

Premiere of Evening Music · Orpheus Chamber Singers · Joel Martinson, composer; Marcy Lindstrom, commissioner; Donald Krehbiel, conductor; Willa Henigman, oboist; Keith Lindstrom, commissioner

St. Rita Catholic Community · Dallas, TX · 1987–2004

Saint Rita was the place where so many important musical events in my life took place. I came at the age of 26 and left when nearly 44. Here we built a wonderful musical environment which celebrated the old and the new and enriched the liturgical lives of thousands of parishioners each week. The 29-stop Bedient organ, installed in 1992, became the catalyst for an arts series — Saint Rita Fine Arts — which continues to this day. The rich and fiery sounds of this French instrument also inspired my organ compositions during these years. Sadly, we never really made a solo recording of this organ during my years there.

Bedient Pipe Organ Company, Opus 33, 1992

Joel with the Bedient Organ, October 2003