The Wrath of God
organ

Composer Eugene W. Hancock
Use Recital
Price $8.50 (U.S.) Released 6/93
Difficulty Difficult
Catalog no. 160-863

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Reviews
"This might fit into a service based on Old Testament writings, using also Robert Baker's dramatic anthem, 'Lord God, unto Whom Vengeance Belongeth' (Gray-Belwin). It is colorful, moderately difficult, and creatively descriptive. No direction is given, but toward the end are crashing chords played by handfuls or clusters of notes, dissonant and terrifying. This music will either drive people away from the church or put the 'fear of God' in them, so they will always be present!"-Worship Arts, Nov./Dec. 1994

"Eugene W. Hancock's 'The Wrath of God' presumes a large, American-Classic organ with a wealth of powerful sound. It also requires a significant commitment on the player's part to make this difficult music come to life. It is a very angry piece by a fine musician at the end of his life (Hancock died January 21, 1994), and it deserves more attention that I suspect it is likely to have. The topic (divine wrath) and its all-too-vivid depiction (forearm clusters) will not endear it to everyone, but no less than James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time or Alex Haley's The Autobiography of Malcolm X,it offers the opportunity of stripping away our blinders of denial and looking at the sheer rage that is so sften the direct product of our systemic racism."-AAM Journal, February 1995.

"From the pen of the late Eugene Hancock comes an interesting tone poem for organ that is moderately difficult. There is no tempo indication; the performer's choice of tempo would of course affect the level of difficulty. A three-manual organ is indicated in the score, but the piece could be adapted easily to a two-manual instrument. This new work deserves attention; its usefulness depends on your church situation."-Cross Accent, January, 1995

Description
Though difficult and servere, and sometimes terrifying, once we saw this piece we knew we had to put it in print. The holy wrath of God is something rarely explored in church, though its presence in scripture is undeniable. In this piece Eugene Hancock gives us a glimpse of that wrath. An intense and remarkable piece for recitals or worship. Not for the lighthearted.