For years I have enjoyed playing and performing the elegantly simple and beautiful piano arrangements of Harold DeCou. I became determined to learn more about Mr. DeCou using online research. Unfortunately, the first thing I learned was that Mr. Harold DeCou died on December 26, 2008.
Mr. Harold DeCou
The included photo and more information can be found in Harold DeCou’s Obituary posted on the iLevite WebSite.
Some additional personal information about Mr. DeCou and another picture may be found on a dedicatory page on the Allen Organ Company website.
Mr. DeCou was long associated with Billy Graham and other Singspiration staff. His output as artist, composer, arranger and orchestrator ensures that he will be remembered as one of the giants of Christian gospel music.
Over the last couple of years I have recorded several of the arrangements by Harold DeCou that I have previously performed—some multiple times. I hope to record others in the near future. I hope that you will enjoy these performances as examples of Mr. DeCou’s arranging excellence.
I had sincerely hoped to meet Mr. DeCou (in this life) and to play keyboards with him. I regret not having done so. I am thankful for the music that this gentle man left as witness of his faith. If you know a story or anecdote about, or related to Mr. DeCou, please share your observations. I am certain that other of this blog’s readers will appreciate your contribution to our collection of tributes.
Thank God for Harold DeCou.
Harold DeCou came to TRI-CITY BAPTIST Church (was in Tempe, AZ and now in Chandler, AZ)at Easter of either 1983, 1984 or 1985. He had just completed “Mission Accomplished” and he played it for our adult choir cantata that Easter. We were the first ones to have him play it for Easter. I will never forget the thrill of his own rendition of the cantata for us. I was also thrilled with some of the absolute best Easter numbers I’ve ever heard and I’ve enoyed singing them as solos over the years. I’m just sorry that he has passed. The world will miss him. I think that when he was with us, he had just joined Majesty Music. Our organist at Tri-City was Christiane Emory and her husband, Gary (both are with Majesty Music now) was our sound booth minister as well as our Assistant Pastor. Christiane Emory’s brother, Michael Doney, was our Music Minister and the Adult Choir Leader. His son was in my 3-, 4-, & 5-year old choir. Boy they could sing. These bits of info just show us that it’s a small world.
Carol, I have done a little checking online, and the only versions of Harold DeCou’s cantata, “God’s Love Gift” that I see are not new and are being resold (some, may be in good condition). This cantata may be out of print. If any other readers know how to obtain a recording or the music for this cantata, readers here will be most grateful for your reply.
Harold De Cou wrote a Cantata entitled “God’s Love Gift” Where will I be able to listen to parts of that Cantata? Was it written sometime in 1976?