'Poet of the piano' ready to inspire

Don Wyrtzen, with more than 400 songs to his credit, comes to Brooksville Wesleyan to present a Christian concert.

By GAIL HOLLENBECK, Times Correspondent
Published January 5, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT Don Wrytzen's more than 400 songs are Christian church hymnal standards. [Special to the Times]

BROOKSVILLE - With more than 400 songs to his credit as an arranger and composer, a Dove Award and more than 2-million of his musicals and cantatas sold, Don Wyrtzen's music is easily recognized among Christian audiences.

Called the "poet of the piano," Wyrtzen's forte is his virtuoso playing and improvisational ability, which he will display Jan. 12 when he presents a concert at Brooksville Wesleyan Church.

Some of the sacred songs Wyrtzen has either arranged or composed that are now in standard church hymnals include Love Was When, Worthy Is the Lamb, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, and Finally Home.

The Rev. Raymond Phaup, music minister at Brooksville Wesleyan, said those songs are some of his favorites by Wyrtzen.

"Worthy is the Lamb would be one of the top ones that he wrote," Phaup said, "and Finally Home is beautiful."

Phaup and his wife, Mary Ann, have only been at the church about four months, so the concert was arranged before they left their retirement home in South Carolina to serve in the church.

"I didn't have anything to do with it, but I'm happy he's coming," Phaup said. "In the music I've done across the years, I've done a lot that he has arranged or written. He's an outstanding Christian gentleman as well as an extremely talented individual, and he's had a great influence on the Christian community in the area of music."

Mary Ann Phaup is also happy Wyrtzen is coming.

"I understand he gives a wonderful concert, and we are certainly looking forward to having him with us," she said. "The people really love him."

The Wyrtzen name is familiar to many Christians in the area because of the nearby Hudson campus ministry of Word of Life International, founded by Jack Wyrtzen, Don Wyrtzen's father.

Performing comes naturally to Don Wyrtzen. Under his father's influence, he received an early start in music, radio and television.

His formal education included graduating from Moody Bible Institute in Illinois in 1963 and earning a bachelor's degree from King's College in New York in 1965 and a master's in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1969. He completed graduate work in music at the University of North Texas and at Vanderbilt University.

Wyrtzen, who has recorded numerous CDs, developed his abilities at the keyboard as a protg of Lillian Gearhart, a student of the renowned pianist/composer Theodor Leschetizsky.

According to a publicity profile distributed by Don Wyrtzen Music Ministries, Wyrtzen has arranged, orchestrated and conducted for such major artists as Steven Curtis Chapman, 4-Him, Michael Card, Glad, Steve Green, Carman, Sandi Patti, Babbi Mason, the Gaither Vocal Band, First Call and Andy Williams.

In the late 1990s, he conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in Handel's Messiah and in his own arrangements of Christmas carols.

Wyrtzen has written a devotional book, A Musician Looks at the Psalms, which received the Gold Medallion Award in 1989 from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Among his many awards is the Wheaton Conservatory of Music Outstanding Achievement Award from 2002.

He is a sought-after speaker and has lectured on church music, worship and hymnology and taught piano master classes at many of the leading Christian colleges, universities and seminaries. He is a professor of music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The Rev. Phaup expressed his hopes for Wyrtzen's Brooksville concert.

"We're hoping to enjoy some good music, but even more than that is our hope that the message of Christ will be presented through Don Wyrtzen's music to the congregation," he said. "There may be lives changed because the music will communicate the love of Christ to the people. That's our hope."

IF YOU GO

Music for the soul

Don Wyrtzen will present a concert at 6 p.m. on Jan. 12 at Brooksville Wesleyan Church, 8168 Jasmine Drive, Brooksville. There is no admission charge. An offering will be collected. Call 799-3066.

[Last modified January 4, 2008, 22:09:46]