Composers: James Granville Eakin III

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The music of James Granville Eakin ranges from the wildly aggressive to the hauntingly beautiful. At age 33, James is an up-and-coming composer to keep your eyes and ears on.

His latest commission is a major work for the Turtle Creek Chorale, The Texas Boy’s Choir, three soloists (Soprano, Mezzo, and Tenor), and Orchestra. The title is Flowers on the Grave of War. The text was written by famed poet/librettist, Michael Dennis Browne and will move the listener with its pro peace message. Flowers on the Grave of War will premiere in 2008 at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX.

Eakin recently scored the documentary, The Power of Harmony. The documentary, directed by Ginny Martin, won Best Documentary at the USA Film Festival earning it an Academy Award qualification. This documentary also features Eakin’s Serenade of Life, a seven movement work with text by Tim Seelig. The Power of Harmony aired nationally on PBS in summer of 2006.

Turtle Creek Chorale also premiered Eakin’s Lingua Angelica at the 2005 American Choral Director’s National Convention held in Los Angeles, CA,where the work was met with rave reviews.

James earned his B.M. degree from Centenary College, Shreveport, Louisiana. His O Bone Jesu, for mixed chorus (SATB) was commissioned by the Centenary College Choir, and performed by them during the 1996-’97 school year throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma, and was performed during their 1997 European tour at venues in Germany, Italy, Greece, and in Austria at the Salzburg Cathedral.

Also in 1997, Eakin added film composer to his list of accomplishments. The Man Next Door, starring Virginia Mayo and David Huddleston, was released nationally in 2000 and is now available at all Hollywood Video stores on VHS and DVD. He also performed a small role as an actor in the film.

Eakin went on to earn his M.M. from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, where he was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda. While in Dallas, Dr. Timothy Seelig offered him a composer-in-residence position with the Turtle Creek Chorale, for whom he wrote Stargazing and Serenade of Life. During this time he also wrote his emotionally-charged Kyrie for the SMU concert choir.

Stargazing, a 15-minute suite for men's chorus (TTBB), celesta and strings, was premiered at the 2003 MENC Southern regional convention in Savannah, Georgia by the Turtle Creek Chorale, Dr. Timothy Seelig conducting, and later performed and recorded by them at Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas, Texas. A version has also been scored for mixed chorus (SATB).

Today, Mr. Eakin is currently at work on a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri-Kansas City under the instruction of Chen Yi, Zhou Long, James Mobberley and Paul Rudy. He previously studied composition with Kevin Hanlon and Robert Frank at SMU, and during two summers at the Aspen Music Festival with John Corigliano, Michael Czajkowski, Tom Haines, and Jeff Rona. For the 2007 Aspen Music Festival, James Eakin will be part of the Festival faculty as the Assistant Director of the Susan and Ford Schumann Film Scoring Program. This will be his fourth year on the faculty.

As a performer, James Eakin is a bass vocalist. He was a soloist with the Centenary College Choir during their 1997 tour of Europe, and sang solo during the 1998 Christmas Gala at the White House in Washington, DC. Eakin also co-founded the twelve-voice early music ensemble, Armonia. He will be singing with Armonia in March at the 2007 American Choral Director’s National Convention. James Granville Eakin III is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

[February 2007]

[Organizations and individuals interested in commissioning music from James Granville Eakin III are welcomed to contact Lux Nova Press directly for information by e-mail, postal letter or by telephone.]

* Of this film, says Mr. Eakin: "Make sure you get the right The Man Next Door. There is another one out there with a completely different story, cast and director. Ours was directed by Rod Spence and starred Virginia Mayo and David Huddleston."

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