Although Ned Rorem had composed little organ music until he was in his 50s, his output for the instrument since that time has been considerable, making him the most prolific living U.S. composer for the organ.
Rorem says that he writes music that he wants to hear, and composes out of necessity because no one else is making what he needs.
This according to The organ works of Ned Rorem by John David Marsh, a dissertation accepted by Rice University in 2002.
Today is Rorem’s 90th birthday! Below, Jung Jin Kim performs “Mary Dyer did hang as a flag” from A Quaker reader.
