THE NEWS IS YOU: THE SCARED & SECULAR MUSIC OF NICK FREUND
The Under Appreciated Rock Artist for this month is Nick Freund, a Catholic priest who joined the faculty at the St. Pius X Seminary, in Galt, California (near Sacramento) where he taught for 8 years as an English teacher and headed the band and choir. He had been a musical composer before, having created a Gregorian chant in 1963 for a Catholic mass. The following year, the Roman Catholic Church abandoned the use of Gregorian chants in services. He then worked on choral music and an amazing acid-folk Christian album by a group called the Search Party. Freund even gave Duke Ellington some advice on how to use local choirs when he came through town on concerts. The double CD that I have has the intriguing title, The News Is You: The Sacred & Secular Music of Nick Freund, on Lion Productions Records.
(September 2014)
