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In memoriam: Austin Lovelace (1919-2010)
Austin Lovelace died Sunday, May 2, 2010 in Denver, CO, at the age of 91. He was born March 26, 1919, in Rutherfordton, NC. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and his doctorate in sacred music at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
Lovelace got his first job as a church organist when he was 15 and went on to do workshops and recitals in 45 states and foreign countries. He lectured on church music across the U.S. and abroad and taught at several colleges, including Iliff School of Theology in Denver. During his service in the Navy, he was a chaplain’s assistant. Before coming to Colorado, he was minister of music in Illinois and New York churches. In Denver, he was minister of music at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church and Wellshire Presbyterian Church from which he retired in 1986. “He was internationally known for his compositions,” said Mark Alan Filbert, dean of the Denver chapter of AGO and organist/choir director at St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Lovelace, known for his sense of humor, wrote five books, including Hymns That Jesus Would Not Have Liked. One especially is remembered: “When the Bells of Hell Go Ting-a-Ling for You and Not for Me” A memorial service was held on May 15 at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver.
