Dr. Sumerlin’s compositions spanned multiple genre and instrumental settings.  We are in the process of transcribing (digitizing) some of his works that were recorded on reel-to-reel tape. 

The files presented here are in MP3 format at 192k bit rate. If you do not have a high-speed internet connection, then you may want to right-click the link and ‘save target as’ in order to let your machine download the file to your computer before you attempt to play it.

Electronic

Dr. Sumerlin’s electronic music touted on Synthtopia (www.synthtopia.com)

Noises of the Night (05:22 - 7.37 MB) - The ghostly voice of the wind tells us of fear from the noises of the night. This track is a literal digital transcription from the original short tape - no mixing or ‘mastering’ was performed.   Interesting fact: the voice was recorded using a technique that Peter Frampton later made famous - using the vocal cavity as a filter for produced sound. However the contraption that Dr. Sumerlin used was a small speaker taped to an aviator’s mask. The resultant modified sound was then picked up by a contact microphone worn on the throat (also an aviator’s apparatus).  Dr. Sumerlin was using this device years before Mr. Frampton made the effect famous in his song "Do You Feel Like We Do" in 1976.

Warm Nite (04:10 - 5.73 MB)- Mood piece that was originally done to 4 separate tracks.  Stereo mix attempts to emulate the effect. I suspect this to be one of the later pieces of Dr. Sumerlin’s electronic music period.

Goose Bumps (03:40 - 5.05 MB) - Dr. Sumerlin presents us with a composition that conjures up images of the title. The high-pitched oscillators & glissandos should cause a few ‘goose bumps’.

Idle Gossip (02:46 - 3.82 MB) - Being from a small West Texas town could have been the inspiration for this :)

Here There Be Dragons! (07:23 - 10.10 MB) - We hear the roar and the magic in this aleatoric vision of fire-breathers

Symphonic

Symphony No. 5 (23:47 - 32.6 MB) - Performed and recorded on May 2, 1955 by the Abilene Symphony and Abilene High School Chorus

Choral

And On the 3rd Day (15:17 - 20.9 MB) - Original recording by McMurry Chanters - 1975

And On the 3rd Day (14:38 - 20.1 MB) - Recorded April 21, 1976