Robert M. Cundick facts for kids
Robert Milton Cundick Sr. (born November 26, 1926 – died January 7, 2016) was a talented composer and organist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved music from a very young age. He learned from famous organists like Alexander Schreiner and Leroy J. Robertson. For many years, he played the organ at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. This included playing for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and performing solos on the weekly radio show, Music & the Spoken Word.
Robert Cundick served in World War II. After the war, he went to the University of Utah. There, he earned three degrees in music. Later, he joined the music teachers at Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1957. His church leaders asked him to serve in different ways, which sometimes paused his teaching. Even after he retired, Cundick kept creating music for the Church. He married Charlotte Clark, who was one of his organ students. He passed away in 2016 when he was 89 years old.
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Robert's Early Life
Robert Cundick was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1926. He grew up in Sandy, Utah. His parents, Milton and Florence Cundick, were very devoted to their church. Their faith greatly influenced Robert's life.
His love for music started early. He played in bands and orchestras. By the age of 12, he was already the organist for his local church group, called a congregation. As he got better at playing the organ, he began taking lessons from Alexander Schreiner, a well-known organist at the Mormon Tabernacle.
Young Adult Years
After serving in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II, Robert Cundick went straight to the University of Utah. He had to work to pay for his studies because his military service didn't qualify for special education help. He earned his bachelor's, master's, and finally his PhD in Music Composition from the university. He learned a lot from the famous composer Leroy J. Robertson.
While he was a student, Robert met and married Charlotte (Cholly) Clark. Charlotte was one of his organ students. They made their home in Salt Lake City, which allowed Robert to continue his university studies.
Life Experiences and Service
Robert Cundick started teaching music at BYU in 1957.
In 1962, the Church president, David O. McKay, asked Robert Cundick and his family to move to London, England. Robert was asked to be the organist at the new Hyde Park Chapel. While in England, Cundick performed concerts at famous places like St. Paul's Cathedral and King's College, Cambridge. He also played on a BBC broadcast and gave daily concerts at Hyde Park Chapel.
After two years, Robert and his family, which included five children, returned to Provo, Utah. He went back to teaching and composing music at BYU. But this was paused again when he was asked to become an organist at the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. He served there for 27 years.
After retiring in 1991, Robert and his wife were asked to serve again. They became directors of hosting at the BYU Jerusalem Center in Jerusalem.
After his time as the Tabernacle Organist, Cundick wanted to share the serious music of Utah and Mormon composers. In 2004, he won a special "Pearl Award" for his lifetime achievements. He continued to spend much of his time composing music and helping others through his musical talents. In 2007, he released a CD with music he had written over 50 years. Robert Cundick passed away on January 7, 2016.
Robert's Music
Robert Cundick wrote music for two hymns in the current English LDS hymn book. These are hymn number 198, "That Easter Morn," and hymn number 279, "Thy Holy Word."
He also wrote many vocal pieces. One important work is The Redeemer, which is a long musical story with words chosen by BYU professor Ralph Woodward. Cundick also created music for the 2004 film Woman, The Pioneer. He composed the music for The Brothers, a musical play about the life of Karl G. Maeser. His most recent major work was God's Everlasting Love. This was a large musical piece performed in 2009 by the choirs and orchestras at BYU-Idaho.
Images for kids
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Robert M. Cundick, March 2010
