Gaylen A. Hatton

Gaylen A. Hatton enjoyed a distinguished musical career that was interrupted once while he served in the Armed Forces in Germany and France from 1951 to 1953.

He was born on October 4, 1928, and began drumming with his parents’ jazz band when he was four years old. He held a PhD in music composition from the University of Utah and received a master’s degree in music from Brigham Young University.

Gaylen performed eight seasons with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, playing French horn under Maestro Maurice Abravanel, and he has also performed as principle horn player with the Sacramento Symphony. He was a member of the Orpheus Woodwind Quintet, Brassworks, and others.

In 1958 he received the Rosenblatt Award, and later received orchestral commissions from the Utah Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, Sacramento Civic Ballet, Rire/Woodbury Dance Company, the National Endowment for the Arts, and many others. He performed as a member of the orchestra for Ballet West and was a member of the Utah Arts Council Music Committee.

He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served on the general music committee for the Church. He composed the music for “Turn Your Hearts,” which was included in the 1985 Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Gaylen and his wife, Marianne, were the parents of four children. He died on February 8, 2008.