Article September 10, 2007 Issue

Paeans of praise in Poland

BY KIM SHIPPEY

Imagine taking your place at the piano bench in the great Philharmonia Hall in Warsaw, in front of 75 seasoned professionals of the Warsaw Philharmonic for the first recording session of music you're still composing. You've been writing constantly, trying to get finished in time. And there's still more to do. The sessions were booked months ago and cannot be changed.

The conductor is ready, baton poised. He's waiting for silence. You look up at the score in front of you—your own music, about to be brought to life by some of the finest musicians in Poland. Suddenly, you realize you haven't had sufficient time to practice!

That was when composer and pianist Peter Allen knew he had to pray. Fortunately, he told me afterwards, the first piece they were to record was "Built on the Rock," with hymn text based on the Danish of Nikolaj F. S. Gruntvig:

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