Wayne Hooper
Encyclopedia
Wayne H. Hooper was widely known as a gospel music
composer, arranger and as a singer in the King's Heralds
quartet for the Voice of Prophecy
radio program.
During his prolific career he produced nine volumes of gospel hymn vocal arrangements, and a number of solo songs and choral music.
The Hooper style arrangements of male quartet music performed by the King's Heralds were widely copied throughout the world.
Approximately 100 of his arrangements are now in the public domain and are available online.
His best known song, "We Have This Hope," was created as the theme song for the 1962 Seventh-day Adventist
General Conference Session
in San Francisco.
The song was used again as the theme song for the General Conference sessions of 1966, 1975, 1995 and 2000 and has been translated into numerous languages.
Hooper traveled widely with the King's Heralds throughout the United States and Canada, as well as tours to Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe.
He sang in several languages used by Voice of Prophecy affiliates around the world.
Known as Los Heraldos del Rey in Spanish, the quartet was also featured regularly on La Voz de la Esperanza, a Spanish-language Seventh-day Adventist radio ministry.
Wayne Hooper was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
on July 4, 1920 as the child of a chorister and voice teacher.
He received his high school diploma
from Gem State Academy
, Caldwell, Idaho
.
After completing an associate of arts degree in music at Southern California Junior College (now La Sierra University
, Riverside
), he taught music at Portland Adventist Academy
, was a soloist for The Quiet Hour radio broadcast, and was a singing evangelist for the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
.
He joined the King's Heralds quartet as baritone at the Voice of Prophecy in 1943.
After 4 years he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska
where he continued his music education, completing his bachelor's degree in 1947 at Union College
.
Returning to the Voice of Prophecy in 1949, he became part of a quartet consisting of Hooper, Bob Edwards, Bob Seamount and Jerry Dill that performed together until 1962.
Following the King's Herald's he continued his service at the Voice of Prophecy as music director, producer of the Sunday radio broadcast, and trust services director until his retirement in 1980.
Hooper earned a Master's degree in composition, choral conducting, and radio broadcasting at Occidental College
Los Angeles
and was awarded honorary doctor of music degrees by Andrews University
and La Sierra University.
Hooper was married to Harriet Schwender in 1941 and had four children.
He was ordained as a Seventh-day Adventist minister in 1955.
He and his wife operated Key Music Company publishing music arrangements and books sent worldwide to customers.
During retirement Hooper continued actively in music until his death on February 27, 2007 in Newbury Park, California
.
He was musical co-editor of the 1985 Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal
as well as a companion volume (ISBN 978-0-8280-0425-1) giving the history of the 695 selections and composers.
More recently he spent many months restoring and transferring to CDs, the original reel-to-reel recordings of music by the King's Heralds, Del Delker
, and other Voice of Prophecy musicians.
A special project that he continued until a few months before his death was setting Bible verses to music to aid children in memorization.
This repository includes his six quartet books, more than 300 Bible memory verse compositions and over 1,000 unpublished works used during recording sessions by Del Delker, the King's Heralds and other soloists and groups.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
composer, arranger and as a singer in the King's Heralds
King's Heralds
The King's Heralds is a male gospel music quartet that began in 1927 and have recorded over 100 albums encompassing 30 languages.They are primarily known for their a cappella singing and close harmony.-History:...
quartet for the Voice of Prophecy
Voice Of Prophecy
The Voice Of Prophecy is a long-running Seventh-day Adventist religious radio broadcast founded in 1929 by H.M.S. Richards, Sr.. Initially aired on a single radio station in Los Angeles it has since grown to numerous stations throughout the United States and Canada and more recently has begun...
radio program.
During his prolific career he produced nine volumes of gospel hymn vocal arrangements, and a number of solo songs and choral music.
The Hooper style arrangements of male quartet music performed by the King's Heralds were widely copied throughout the world.
Approximately 100 of his arrangements are now in the public domain and are available online.
His best known song, "We Have This Hope," was created as the theme song for the 1962 Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
General Conference Session
General Conference Session
The General Conference Session is the official world meeting of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The first session was held on May 20, 1863 with 20 delegates in attendance, and it is now held quinquennially ....
in San Francisco.
The song was used again as the theme song for the General Conference sessions of 1966, 1975, 1995 and 2000 and has been translated into numerous languages.
Hooper traveled widely with the King's Heralds throughout the United States and Canada, as well as tours to Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe.
He sang in several languages used by Voice of Prophecy affiliates around the world.
Known as Los Heraldos del Rey in Spanish, the quartet was also featured regularly on La Voz de la Esperanza, a Spanish-language Seventh-day Adventist radio ministry.
Biography
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
on July 4, 1920 as the child of a chorister and voice teacher.
He received his high school diploma
High school diploma
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...
from Gem State Academy
Gem State Adventist Academy
-The History of Gem State Academy:In the early 1900s, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was in its formative years. Its leaders placed a great deal of importance on providing schools for the youth where the Bible would be made the foundation of education. There, the young people could be prepared...
, Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area....
.
After completing an associate of arts degree in music at Southern California Junior College (now La Sierra University
La Sierra University
La Sierra University is a Seventh-day Adventist co-educational university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Adventist Accrediting Association...
, Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
), he taught music at Portland Adventist Academy
Portland Adventist Academy
Portland Adventist Academy is a private high school located in Portland, Oregon, United States operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The school was founded in 1910, and was previously known as Portland Union Academy, serving grades 1-12. The name changed when the elementary section became...
, was a soloist for The Quiet Hour radio broadcast, and was a singing evangelist for the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the organizational body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the State of Virginia, and the Washington Metropolitan Area in the United States. Its headquarters are in Staunton, Virginia...
.
He joined the King's Heralds quartet as baritone at the Voice of Prophecy in 1943.
After 4 years he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
where he continued his music education, completing his bachelor's degree in 1947 at Union College
Union College (Nebraska)
Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska is a four-year coeducational college owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Midwest. It opened in 1891.T.R.M...
.
Returning to the Voice of Prophecy in 1949, he became part of a quartet consisting of Hooper, Bob Edwards, Bob Seamount and Jerry Dill that performed together until 1962.
Following the King's Herald's he continued his service at the Voice of Prophecy as music director, producer of the Sunday radio broadcast, and trust services director until his retirement in 1980.
Hooper earned a Master's degree in composition, choral conducting, and radio broadcasting at Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and was awarded honorary doctor of music degrees by Andrews University
Andrews University
Andrews University is a Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College in Battle Creek, Michigan, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists, and is the flagship university of the Seventh-day...
and La Sierra University.
Hooper was married to Harriet Schwender in 1941 and had four children.
He was ordained as a Seventh-day Adventist minister in 1955.
He and his wife operated Key Music Company publishing music arrangements and books sent worldwide to customers.
During retirement Hooper continued actively in music until his death on February 27, 2007 in Newbury Park, California
Newbury Park, California
The community of Newbury Park, California is located in the western portion of the city of Thousand Oaks and Casa Conejo, an unincorporated area of southeastern Ventura County's Conejo Valley, which is also in the northwestern Greater Los Angeles Area...
.
He was musical co-editor of the 1985 Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal
Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal is the official hymnal of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is widely used by English-speaking Adventist congregations...
as well as a companion volume (ISBN 978-0-8280-0425-1) giving the history of the 695 selections and composers.
More recently he spent many months restoring and transferring to CDs, the original reel-to-reel recordings of music by the King's Heralds, Del Delker
Del Delker
Del Delker is an American contralto sacred music female vocalist who has sung on the Voice of Prophecy radio ministry since 1947.Delker has recorded over forty albums for Chapel Records since the early 1950s. Among the songs she is best known for are "The Love of God", "Ten Thousand Angels", and...
, and other Voice of Prophecy musicians.
A special project that he continued until a few months before his death was setting Bible verses to music to aid children in memorization.
Online music repository
The family of Wayne Hooper has made his original compositions and arrangements of public domain music available on a web site repository at http://www.vop.com/hoopermusic.This repository includes his six quartet books, more than 300 Bible memory verse compositions and over 1,000 unpublished works used during recording sessions by Del Delker, the King's Heralds and other soloists and groups.