Join us on Wednesday, March 18, at Signature Books for an evening with Shelby Fisher, who will speak about her new biography, Tracy Y. Cannon: Tabernacle Organist & Pioneering Musician, 1879–1961.
In a recent review for Times and Seasons, Chad Nielsen highlights the book’s broader cultural scope:
Fisher’s biography uses Cannon’s multifaceted career as a lens through which to explore the broader evolution of Latter-day Saint hymnody, ‘art music,’ and cultural tastes during the first half of the twentieth century. Cannon was a man of many hats—a Tabernacle organist, a composer, a director of the McCune School of Music and Art, and a key figure in the Church Music Committee.
Shelby Fisher has provided a clear-eyed and appreciative look at a man who, perhaps more than anyone else of his generation, shaped the ‘sound’ of the Restoration.
An accomplished organist and musician herself, Fisher brings a rare insider’s understanding to Cannon’s life—his ambition, creativity, and the relentless demands of a career devoted to music and faith. This promises to be a rich conversation about art, labor, and the making of a musical legacy.
In Case You Missed It
Photo credit: Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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