Today, I have entered the 21st century technical world. I am officially on Facebook and have this blog. How exciting is that! More to come in the next few days. How exciting!
South Devonshire, England, the village of Branscombe……that’s where Gena Branscombe’s paternal family heritage began. Through her musical compositions and life style, she honored her British roots. “Tea, we must have tea,” a line from my one-woman show probably best describes how Miss Branscombe lived her life. Tea and small sandwiches were served when one had company, making conversation quite civilized! Laurine Elkins Marlow, who wrote her dissertation on Gena Branscombe, told me that each time she visited the composer they would work together for a short while, then tea was served after which they returned to work. Laurine has in her possession the tea cup that was officially hers during those working sessions. “Coventry’s Choir,” a choral work, was composed amidst the bombings of England during World War II. Coventry Cathedral, known as St. Michael’s, located in the West Midlands of England was destroyed by the Luftwaffe on November 14,...
Research.....that daunting word when you are a student knowing you have a paper due or a presentation to give. Hours spent in the library going through materials and old books. Or, research could be a scientist spending countless hours, days and years creating experiments that hopefully will lead to a breakthrough in medicine. As researchers we gather all we have read and learned in the hours of reading and experimenting to create a paper, presentation and an announcement that will change the world. Life experience is research, also. With knowledge and facts you have accumulated over your time on this earth, you can put yourself in a setting, observe your surroundings, imagine a by-gone era then try to connect the dots of facts, scrutinize details and come up with an actual retelling of a happening. That may sound weird, yet, it works. Recently my colleague and friend, Dr. Laurine Elkins Marlow, along with her husband, Bill, and I made a trip...
Many of my blog posts of the past have made mention of Gena Branscombe and John Tenney’s four daughters. There have been pictures of the girls added to the blog entries showing a small slice of their family life. I have not written about the lives and careers of the Tenney girls so now it is time to bring them forward as an important part of Gena’s life as a working mother and musician. Gena and John were married October 5, 1910 at the First Methodist Church of Picton, Ontario. Shortly thereafter, they made their home in New York City. Family life had to have been hectic with two working parents. Each day Gena devoted time for her career with the help of a nurse to care for the children. As an accompanist she coached and prepared singers for performance. Meetings with woman composers such as Amy Beach, Harriet Ware and others took place in her piano studio. Gena’s involvement with women’s organizations and her conducting duties took a great deal of her time, yet, there was alway...
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