Harry McMurray

I have just retired as professor of Organ and Church Music at Loyola University, New Orleans and am now adjunct professor of music at St. Joseph Abbey Seminary College in Covington, La. I am primarily a performing organist, as well as teacher. My Ph.D. in liturgical theology and music is from the Graduate Theological Union and the University of California, Berkley. I am especially interested in the music of Bach, especially the Cantatas. In my own composition I am trying to create simple pieces of church music for the Roman Catholic liturgy for limited choirs with organ accompaniment. Much of what I write is based on a Gregorian chant melody. I am especially interested in the creation of new psalmody in English. Some of my compositions have already been performed at Loyola University and at St. Joseph's Abbey, Covington, LA., where I am also one of the assistant organists for the Abbey Liturgy. I have recently played the great organ at St. Sulpice in Paris (photo at right).