Pianist Eliza Garth releases album of concert music inspired by hymn tunes
"By the River" includes world premiere recordings of works written for Garth by David Froom, Scott Wheeler and Sheree Clement
Album also features Brahms' Six Choral Preludes
Released February 6, 2026 on Centaur Records
Hymn tunes are the inspiration for a new recording by the pianist Eliza Garth. "By the River" features works written for Garth by David Froom, Scott Wheeler and Sheree Clement, plus Brahms' Six Choral Preludes and Spiritual Fantasy No. 4 by Frederick Tillis. The forthcoming album is released on Centaur Records (CRC 4170) on February 6, 2026.
The works in this collection are diverse in expression, scope, form and technical demands, but they share a common trait. Each carries a melody that was first sung in a church, found its way into the consciousness of a composer, and travelled on to the concert hall.
"By the River" opens with a composition by Garth's late husband David Froom, to whom the album is dedicated. Variations on an Early American Hymn Tune is a compact work based on the hymn tune Holy Manna. Scott Wheeler's Beach Spring, also a set of variations, connects the American hymn tradition to the gospel piano styles of Keith Jarrett, Charles Ives, and Frederick Rzewski.
The third work written for Garth on the album is Teeth for speaking pianist by Sheree Clement. This theatrical work depicts a pianist in isolation during the pandemic, struggling to manage her extreme emotions and haunted by a hymn from her childhood. Frederick Tillis' Spiritual Fantasy No. 4 is based primarily on Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen, with tunes from other spirituals woven into the 12 minute piece.
The inspiration for the album is Brahms' Six Chorale Preludes, Op. 122 transcribed for piano by Ferruccio Busoni. Brahms composed this set at the end of his life, when he was grieving the loss of his dear friend Clara Schumann, and facing his own mortality.
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of By the River" by pianist Eliza Garth.