CHRISTIAN COMPOSER
ABOUT
DONALD M. WILSON
A native of Chicago, Donald M. Wilson studied composition with Karel Husa and Robert Palmer at Cornell University and with Gunther Schuller at the Berkshire Music Center.
In 1965 Wilson became the first music director of the educational FM station in Philadelphia now known as WHYY-FM. Now a professor emeritus at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Wilson joined the BGSU music faculty in 1967, taught music theory, analysis and composition for 31 years and chaired the Music Composition/History Department for two four-year terms.
From 1983 to 1995 Wilson produced over 80 one-hour programs in the annual "New Music Festival" radio series for national distribution. A member of the American Music Center since 1964 and a member of the American Composers Alliance since 1967, Wilson became a charter member of the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers in 1995.
PUBLICATIONS
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AMAMELIA for Voice & Piano with optional Flute (1978; 2022) = Hassamarra Publishing, Toronto, OH
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DOUBLES, a Game-Piece for Clarinet & Bassoon versus Viola & Contrabass (1964) = C.F. Peters, New York, NY
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ICICLES for Solo Piano (1958; 2017) = in SOUL OF BREVITY, an anthology of miniatures for solo piano from American Composers Alliance, New York, NY
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VISIONS, a Choral Symphony for Mixed Chorus and Symphonic Band (1969-70) = C.F. Peters, New York, NY
RECORDINGS
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DEDICATION for String Orchestra (1960) = in an anthology of works by American composers on Citadel compact disk (CTD 88107)
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HEXAGON for Piano & Computer-Generated Sounds (1990-92) = streaming audio from American Composers Alliance, New York, NY
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SEVEN DESCRIPTIVE PRELUDES for Piano Solo (2020) = streaming audio from American Composers Alliance, New York, NY
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SIX ETUDES for Solo Clarinet (1976-78) = American Composers Alliance website
TESTIMONY
Salvation Guaranteed?
It has become clear to me that the single most important thing you can do in your entire lifetime spent on this planet is to determine conclusively where you will spend eternity! Some people believe that this cannot be settled definitively; others believe that it is indeterminate or random; still others believe that “the gods” will decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell.
If you believe that the Bible is God’s Holy Word, you can have your salvation 100% guaranteed. There are just four things you need to know.
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Every human being is a sinner, including you and me. As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:10, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” To underscore this, he says in Romans 3:21, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Sin came into the world when Adam disobeyed God and ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is documented in Romans 5:12.
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There is a penalty for sin, and that is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. This terrible and terrifying news is presented by Paul in Romans 6:23a, “For the wages of sin is death,...”
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Without pausing for breath, Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:23b, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Why is this? Paul tells us in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth [i.e., proved] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Without Jesus' having gone to the cross to pay for all the sin in the world from the beginning to the end of time, there can be no forgiveness. Jesus Christ was the Sacrificial Lamb. And this is why all Christians are so enthusiastic about Easter: it commemorates Christ’s victory over death through His resurrection three days after having been killed. He arose from the tomb and now sits on the right hand of God in Heaven, waiting for us to join Him.
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How can we get this free gift? Paul says in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Knowing about a gift and not accepting it is the same as rejecting it. There could be a birthday present waiting for you that you never got around to opening up. Wouldn’t that be the same as not accepting the gift in the first place? What good is it to you if you don’t accept it? You can get the free gift of salvation simply by praying and asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins, come into your heart and take you to Heaven when you die.
Here is a sample prayer. You can paraphrase it, since the whole thing is entirely between you and God. It’s really what’s in your heart that matters.
"Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I know I can’t save myself. I realize that you died on the cross for my sins. I ask you now to forgive me of my sins, come into my heart, save me and take me to Heaven when I die. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen." Once you have said this prayer, I want you to do three things:
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Write down the time and the date in the front of your Bible or, if you don’t have one, then write it on a piece of paper for logging into your Bible later, when you get one;
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Send me an email to let me know the time and date of when you said the prayer; and
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Tell your pastor or priest about your decision so that others will know that you are standing up for Christ as He once stood up for you.
Thank you, and God bless you!
In Christ’s Service,
--DMWilson