Deseret News 01/09/2016

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016 DESERET NEWS B3

Renowned Mormon composer, Tabernacle organist Cundick dies· BY TAD WALCH

DESERET NEWS

SALT LAKE CITY— Re-nowned Salt Lake Tabernacleorganist Robert M. Cundick,who died Thursday at age 89,accompanied the MormonTabernacle Choir for 27 years,but he was much more than amusician and composer.Cundick frequently saidhis biggest contributionshappened away from theTabernacle organ’s bench,and although he retired 25years ago, the work he didto upgrade instruments andfacilities and to establish im-portant concert series on twocontinents will ensure that hislegacy will be felt for decadesto come at the Tabernacle andthe Assembly Hall on TempleSquare, the BYU JerusalemCenter and the Joseph SmithMemorial Building in down-town Salt Lake City.“I feel that my most mean-ingful efforts have occurredoff, rather than on, the organbench,” he said in May duringa celebration of the 50th anni-versary of his appointment asa Tabernacle organist. “Theywere never included in myjob description. I saw obviousneeds and spearheadedprojects to meet them. I wasindeed fortunate to be theright man at the right spot atthe right time to accomplishthis.”Cundick spearheaded a ma-jor restoration and upgrade ofthe Tabernacle organ, and heproposed a new organ for theAssembly Hall in 1980. Afterthe proposal was approved,inspectors found problemswith the Hall’s attic trusses.Cundick first campaigned tosave the Hall, then acted asthe lead designer of the neworgan during renovation.“If you know where tolook,” said another longtimeorganist and friend, JohnLonghurst, “you can findBob’s fingerprints all over thisvenerable building.”When the Assembly Hallrenovation was complete,Cundick launched the TempleSquare Concert Series there.The series grew to becomewhat is now known as TempleSquare Performances, withseveral hundred performanceseach year utilizing all thebuildings on greater TempleSquare.Cundick earned bachelor’sand master’s degrees at theUniversity of Utah, where healso earned the first Ph.D.in music in state history. Hetaught at the U., then at BYUbefore LDS Church PresidentDavid O. McKay called himto be the Hyde Park Chapelorganist in London in 1962.He gave daily recitals for twoyears and performed concertsat St. Paul’s Cathedral andKing’s College, Cambridge.In 1965, Cundick was ap-pointed Mormon Tabernacleorganist. He played for theMormon Tabernacle Choirand its weekly broadcast for27 years.“For any Mormon organist,the pinnacle of achievement is

to sit at that bench,” he saidin a 2004 Deseret News pro-file. “I was no different. Whenthe call came, I was elated —for about a week. Then realityset in.”The problem with a weekly,year-round program, he said,is that you’re never done. “Itwas like being in a never-ending basketball season,” hesaid. “The minute one gameis out of the way, the next oneis up.”After he retired from theTabernacle organ, he and his

wife were called to serve atthe BYU Jerusalem Center,where he organized a concertseries that continues today.Cundick composed twohymns that appear in the cur-rent hymnbook of The Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints — “That Easter Morn”and “Thy Holy Word.”Cundick also composed anoratorio, “The Redeemer,”that was performed andrecorded by the MormonTabernacle Choir and theOrchestra at Temple Square

in 2008. The BYU-IdahoChoirs and Orchestra willperform “The Redeemer” atthe Tabernacle on March 18

as part of the Sacred MusicSeries.He also was known as afix-it man and a fisherman.And a family man. He and hiswife Cholly have five children,23 grandchildren and 38great-grandchildren.In his testimony on the Mor-mon Scholars Testify website,Cundick recounted a conver-sation with a noted profes-sional violinist from NewYork. The violinist wistfullycontrasted his world-centeredlife with Cundick’s spirituallycentered life, saying, “You’vehad it all!”

Services will be held atnoon on Wednesday at theWilford Stake Center, 1765E. 3080 South. A viewing isscheduled at Larkin SunsetLawn Mortuary, 2350 E.1300 South, on Tuesday from6 to 8 p.m. and at the stakecenter from 10:30 to 11:45a.m. In lieu of flowers thefamily requests donations toThe Performing Arts Endow-ment Fund, c/o TabernacleChoir at Temple Square,SLC, UT 84150. Condolenc-es can be shared at www.larkinmortuary.com.EMAIL: [email protected]

LAURA SEITZ, DESERET NEWS

Robert Cundick attends a concert in his honor at the Assembly Hall on May 9, 2015.

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