Praise Him – TB/TTB/TTBB

“This is an interesting treatment of Psalm 150. Each of three sections starts very quietly and builds; the middle section is done in counterpoint with the lines of the psalm over and against a constant, rhythmic “”praise Him, praise Him, praise Him””. It is a stirring anthem for any season! Also available in TTBB (HMC1257)
About Dr. Michael Cox

The career of Dr. Michael Cox reveals what can happen when composition, teaching, conducting, and service are treated not as separate pursuits, but as parts of the same musical calling. An ASCAP award-winning composer, conductor, pianist, and educator, Dr. Cox has spent decades helping music move from the written page into the lives of singers, instrumentalists, students, and worshiping communities.

His relationship with Oklahoma Baptist University began as a student. Dr. Cox graduated from OBU in 1970 with honors in piano performance and returned to the university two years later as a member of its music faculty. From 1972 to 1990, he taught subjects including composition, conducting, music theory, and church music. For 13 years, he also directed the Bison Glee Club, one of the university’s longstanding men’s choral ensembles.

The influence of those years was demonstrated in a particularly meaningful way when OBU presented Dr. Cox’s *Symphonic Psalms* as its 2004 Oratorio Project. The eight-movement work for chorus and orchestra draws upon Psalms 8, 23, 47, 90, 95, 103, 117, and 148, while the spirit of Psalm 100 provides a unifying idea. Its musical language ranges from stately, hymn-like writing to lively syncopation and rhythmic energy. The composition was commissioned by Scott Oyer, a former Cox student and Bison Glee Club member, bringing together the composer’s work, his teaching legacy, and the university community that had shaped much of his early career.

In 1990, Dr. Cox moved to Fort Worth to join the School of Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. During his 19 years there, he served as Professor of Music Theory and Composition, directed the Southwestern Seminary Men’s Chorus from 1993 to 2003, and led the Southwestern Singers from 2006 until his retirement in 2009. His work combined the careful study of musical structure with the practical experience of preparing ensembles for performance.

Dr. Cox’s published catalog includes more than 160 works, written for choirs, keyboards, orchestras, and instrumental ensembles. His compositions include music for mixed, treble, and men’s voices, both accompanied and unaccompanied, as well as works involving brass, strings, organ, piano, and full orchestra. He has received the ASCAP Standard Award every year since 1987 and continues to receive commissions and requests for his music.

In 1995, Dr. Cox was selected as the Texas Music Teachers Association’s commissioned composer. The organization’s commissioning program supports the creation of new music by American composers and presents the resulting work at its annual convention. His selection placed him among a distinguished succession of Texas composers recognized through the program.

Dr. Cox has also enjoyed an extensive career as a conductor. At Oklahoma Baptist University, he conducted the annual Concerto-Aria Competition, which featured student soloists performing with musicians from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra. He has led choral clinics across the country and appeared as a guest conductor with the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra and the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving.

Today, Dr. Cox serves as Composer-in-Residence at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth. His musical preparation includes a Master of Music in orchestral conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Doctor of Music in composition from Florida State University. He has also worked as a music copyist and engraver, extending his craftsmanship from the conception of a composition through the preparation of its final score.