The Collected Works of Frank K. Owen

An appreciation of the life and work of Frank Owen is found one the page detailing my Contrappunto in A minor , composed to honor his memory. There is found a short biography, photograph and some notes of the work itself. What follows below are what remains to us of his works - the bold print titles being links to downloads PDF scores. In editing and engraving his work, I have chosen not to copyright the scores in his name, as he left no known heirs. Additionally, many of the hand written scores were mimeographed and given away during his lifetime to interested choirs and conductors of his acquaintance; therefore they have already been distributed without a copyright appellation, and thus might be rightly judged to be a part of the public domain.

Frank K. Owen at the console of St. Paul's Catholic Church, Los Angeles

My brother, Gordon, and I recommend for choirs especially Frank Owen's settings of "Softly Now the Light of Day" and "Thy Word is a Lantern."

1930	Softly Now the Light of Day (Anthem for SATB and organ)	George Washington Doane
1930	Behold Now (Solo voice or unison choir and organ)	Paraphrase of Psalm 134
1936	Benedictus es Domine (Canticle for SATB and organ)	from the Book of Common Prayer
1941	On My Heart Imprint Thine Image (SATB and organ)	T. Kingo after Freu Dich sehr, O meine Seele
1942	Come, Risen Lord (Hymn Tune)	George Wallace Briggs
1947	Rise Up, O World, the Light is On the Hill (Hymn Tune)	William L. Stidger
1949	Blessed Are They (SATB a cappella)	Psalm 84:4
1949	Blessed is the man (SATB a cappella)	Psalm 84:5
1955	Choral Amen (TTBB a cappella)
1955	Choral Amen (arranged for SATB a cappella)
1965	Thy Word Is a Lantern (Anthem for SATB a cappella)	from Psalm 119 - Lucerna pedibus meis
1967	Preces and Responses (SATB a cappella)	from the Book of Common Prayer
1974	Gloria in excelsis Deo (Unison Choir and organ)	Written for “Trial Use” Liturgies
1975	A Canticle of Praise (SATB, cymbal, timpani and organ)	from Psalms 145, 147 and 150
1978	Music and Praise (anthem for SATB and organ)	from Psalm 92 and II Chronicles 5:13
1978	Dismissal (SATB and organ)

At least one anthem written by Frank Owen for the Archbishop’s visit to Los Angeles in 1962, titled A Paean of Praise, has been lost with only incomplete parts remaining; certainly these were not enough to reconstruct the work. There were likely others, given his long life. Therefore these collected choral works of Frank K. Owen have been edited and engraved after a small number of hand written and mimeographed manuscripts which had been preserved by his premier student of organ, William P. Crosbie. Mostly unpublished until now, the works in this online edition are intended to preserve and make available his scores to churches and choirs, in a sourcebook available for photocopying by church musicians. Editing and additional arrangement were sometimes required, within the style and constraints of Frank Owen’s work.

By all best research, all of the above with the exception of the short works composed in 1949 and the hymn tune, "Come, Risen Lord," which appears in Episcopal Hymnals, none of these works were either officially copyrighted nor published. As Frank Owen left no issue, and died after his wife, Elsie, we believe with certainty that there are no heirs to hold these works as estate items for copyright. Therefore, we have chosen together to make them available, so that the works would not simply fall into obscurity.

This editor and his two older brothers, Gordon and Gregory, all served for many years as choir members and soloists in the men’s and boys’ choirs at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Los Angeles, under the direction of Frank Owen. This collection is respectfully dedicated to his memory, as is a Contrappunto in A minor composed by this editor.