Randall Giles
Encyclopedia
Randall Giles was an American
music composer, Episcopal Church
missionary, and ethnographer.
He was born in Oregon City, Oregon
in 1950. His first studies in composition were with Mark DeVoto at Reed College
, after which he took his undergraduate degree at the University of York
while studying with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies in London
. He was a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia
, and also earned a master's degree at Northwestern University
.
He was known for both his music used in the Episcopal Church, and as an ethnographer and missionary in India
.
Giles wrote several settings for religious services in the Episcopal Church, including Service Music for St. Mary's, and Trisagion. He also wrote three hymn
s for Wonder, Love and Praise, the 2001 supplement to the bestselling The Hymnal 1982
-- Monrovia
, which is a new musical setting for Faithful Cross by Venantius Honorius Fortunatus
, Dorland Mountain, and Dillow.
He lived most recently in Chennai
, where he was diocesan director of music, and died in Pondicherry of a heart attack at the age of 60.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music composer, Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
missionary, and ethnographer.
He was born in Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
in 1950. His first studies in composition were with Mark DeVoto at Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
, after which he took his undergraduate degree at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
while studying with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, and also earned a master's degree at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
.
He was known for both his music used in the Episcopal Church, and as an ethnographer and missionary in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Giles wrote several settings for religious services in the Episcopal Church, including Service Music for St. Mary's, and Trisagion. He also wrote three hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s for Wonder, Love and Praise, the 2001 supplement to the bestselling The Hymnal 1982
The Hymnal 1982
The Hymnal 1982 is the hymnal of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is one in a series of 7 official hymnals of the Episcopal Church, including The Hymnal 1940...
-- Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
, which is a new musical setting for Faithful Cross by Venantius Honorius Fortunatus
Venantius Fortunatus
Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus was a Latin poet and hymnodist in the Merovingian Court, and a Bishop of the early Catholic Church. He was never canonised but was venerated as Saint Venantius Fortunatus during the Middle Ages.-Life:Venantius Fortunatus was born between 530 and 540 A.D....
, Dorland Mountain, and Dillow.
He lived most recently in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, where he was diocesan director of music, and died in Pondicherry of a heart attack at the age of 60.