Dale Wood: The Man and the Music by James Welch

Familiar yet fresh, accessible yet ingenious, the works of California composer Dale Wood have become mainstays of the contemporary repertoire. Wood’s deceptively simple arrangements of heart-rending beauty immediately appeal to average listeners, yet reward the most accomplished organists and choral directors. Who was Dale Wood? And what inspired his incomparable music? In this first-ever biography, James Welch traces Wood’s gifts for improvisation and arrangement to a keen ear and practical experience. Immersed from his youth in southern California’s vast array of musical resources, Wood undertook but quickly rejected academic training, becoming essentially self-taught. He composed and performed for school productions and church services; did radio and TV work in Hollywood; played the Wurlitzer at the Orpheum in Los Angeles; directed music for churches in Hollywood, Riverside, and San Francisco; conducted choral workshops across the country; and ultimately became executive editor of the Sacred Music Press, publishing numerous well-known composers. Wood’s was an intriguing and colorful life, full of personalities and adventures. The reclusive arranger of hymns and folk tunes described himself as a hermit, yet served in the military, drove fast cars, explored wilderness from Death Valley to the High Sierra, entertained aboard cruise lines, served as a volunteer firefighter, performed in bars, sold organs, rescued German shepherds, wrote an opera for the exclusive Bohemian Club, and experienced an unusual variety of personal relationships. Biographer Welch is uniquely equipped to tell Wood’s story. Having performed his music in services and recitals throughout the nation and around the globe, Welch began a friendly correspondence with the composer that blossomed into acquaintance and collaboration. Wood invited Welch to become a regular proofreader of his compositions, rewarding him with several dedications.