Music Meets Drama

  “To Miss Lucielle Browning – With all good wishes – of Gena Branscombe”   inscribed on a piece of Gena Branscombe’s sheet music.   Who was Lucielle Browning?   An internet search offered information about Miss Browning.    Lucielle was born Lucielle Raynor Brown on February 19, 1913, in Jacksonville, NC and died on August 8, 2011 in Florida.      A number of my blog posts have been about discovering Miss Branscombe’s compositions either on E-bay or Amazon.  On occasion the works found are ones that I own yet I will buy them because they are autographed or inscribed to someone.  On other occasions a piece not in my collection appears for sale and obviously I purchase it.  This blog posting will be about these very reasons for a recent purchase of Gena’s music.  With friend and poet, Arthur Stringer, the two New York based Canadians collaborated on a patriotic hymn written for the Royal Canadian Navy.  “Our Canada...

  This time of year brings on a flurry of shopping for gifts to be given to children, parents, friends and colleagues.   The expectation of finding the correct item is great and the expectation of what we hope we will receive is even greater.   What a rut we have created for an act that should be from a loving heart.   Researching the definition of a “gift” I found numerous meanings.   The most common would be giving or donating of a thing to someone or an organization voluntarily without payment in return.     Next comes the mention of a natural talent which I, of course, think of the gift of music.     In my years of working as a performer, it was my inherent musical gift that I then gave to an audience who would receive my personal message.   That also is a gift.     I have said that discovering the music and life of Gena Branscombe was and continues to be one of the most unexpected, surprising gifts to my musica...

With many thanks to Carolyn Sebron for interviewing me for her web series, C'est Sebron.  The twenty two year journey of creating The Gena Branscombe Project from finding Miss Branscombe's music, recording her songs, my one-woman show, the performance of Pilgrims of Destiny, all the people involved and now our scholarship fund are explained.  It's quite the journey and one for which I have great pride.  Thank you, Carolyn.     #BringingBackBranscombe

  Where are all the black female composers?   A great question we should all consider.    Have we studied the black female composers in music history?   Have they been included in women composer reference books or were they presented at women composer and women in music conferences?   The answer to those questions is no.     A recently published book, “Where Are All the Black Female Composers?: The Ultimate Fun Facts Guide,” written by Nathan Holder with captivating illustrations by Charity Russell, answers the questions.   Mr. Holder is a London based musician and author.   Ms. Russell, originally from Zambia, now resides in Bristol, England.      Written for ages 8-14, the book covers over 150 years of music composed by Black Female Composers.   Four young guides take the reader on a journey introducing each of the composers.   They ask questions, share facts about the composers’ music and lives as well ...

Dating back to 1929 the six degrees of separation theory was first proposed by a Hungarian writer, Frigyes Karinthy.   By 1967 a sociologist tested the theory and proved that an unknown person is connected to someone you know through six other people.   The theory proves how small the world is. Then, there are experiences where the separation is even smaller, maybe one degree of separation.   Recently it came to me that through one degree of separation I had known of a child who died in the 1918-1919 flu epidemic, the Spanish flu.   Yes, this was a century ago. Reading Dr. Laurine Elkins Marlow’s dissertation on Gena Branscombe, the composer recounted the influenza outbreak and how it tragically affected her family.   Their three year old daughter Betty died of the flu. Reading the description of the family’s illness with Gena caring for her husband and three daughters was heart-wrenching. Later I had the privilege of meeting Gena Tenney Phenix, ...

While in Berlin, Germany in 1909-1910, Gena Branscombe was studying piano, practicing five to six hours a day, composing, performing recitals of her works at the American Women’s Club of Berlin, gaining recognition for her talents with an article in the Musical America magazine in the United States and accompanying recitals for singers and instrumentalists.  One such recital was at a dinner party given by the American Ambassador to Berlin, David Hill and his wife, whose honored guests were President and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt.   Gena accompanied her soprano friend, Belle Forbes.   Late afternoon of the dinner party, the two musicians were invited to perform with a car picking them up at 9 PM.   Even with this late notice, the two ladies were ready which Gena described in her Thursday, May 12, 1910, letter to her future husband, John Ferguson Tenney: “I was ready when the auto came, with Belle looking like a queen.   She had Harriet Illsey’s di...

The Gena Branscombe Project announces their 2020 scholarship winners. Congratulations to these talented winners who will carry on Miss Branscombe's legacy of high musical standards, leadership, equality and inclusivity. 2020 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS 2020 SCHOLARSHIP HONORABLE MENTION Read the full PRESS RELEASE #BringingBackBranscombe

The scene – the summer of 1978 in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn in Pendleton, Indiana.  On an out-of-tune upright piano my friend and colleague, George Daugherty, is accompanying me as  I am singing for Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano, Rosalind Elias - a private master class with this wonderful singer.  I finish an aria, Miss Elias corrects a few things, makes suggestions and gives compliments.   George and I then launch into a second aria and when finished Miss Elias again offers a critique and praise.   She is gracious, honest, kind and proffers professional advice. Miss Elias asked where I was going to school and I respond that George and I are students at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati.   Immediately she asks, “Do you study with Italo Tajo?”   Yes, I had been directed by him in the opera La Cenerentola and had taken his opera characterization class.   In our continuing conversation, she states that Ital...

Found in the New York City Municipal Archives was a March 15, 1949 recording of the Branscombe Choral performing on WNYC.  The women’s chorus was led by “one of America’s foremost woman musicians,” Gena Branscombe.  The four pieces featured on this broadcast were arrangements of folk tunes about the out-of-doors and the beauties of nature: 1.       “Girls in the Garden” -   arranged by H.A. Schemerling 2.         “O River Flowing Dark and Wide” – A Czech folk tune – arranged by Gena Branscombe 3.       “The Soldier” – a Kentucky folk tune – arranged by Katherine Davis 4.       “Murmur on, Sweet Harp” – a newly discovered Stephen Foster song – arranged by Gena Branscombe The year 1949 marked the 15 th Anniversary of The Branscombe Choral with members celebrating at an anniversary dinner.   They began the year performing on WNYC, the...

“Am only just back from my trip to the coast – have had a simply marvelous time, hospitality – friendliness, two concerts, speeches – interviews – my honorary degree – (Marion Bauer also received one) – and such scenery from the southern desert to the Canadian Rockies.” July 12, 1932….a letter to Mr. Austin at the Arthur P Schmidt Company in Boston – her publisher. Gena Branscombe recounts the honorary degree conferred on her from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.   She was proud and thankful to be given a Master of Music degree alongside fellow composer and colleague, Marion Bauer. Gena joined the faculty of Whitman College as Head of the Piano Department in 1907.   During her two year tenure at the college, she taught piano, theory and composition.   Concerts of her music were performed there. Metropolitan Opera soprano, Lillian Nordica was on concert tour in Seattle and performed Gena’s song “Hail Bounteous May.”   She met her futur...

Research on the internet is a luxury as one does not leave one’s home.   Enter your inquiry into Google and the information from the far reaches of the world’s libraries or other sources is right in front of you.   What you may not find on the internet then may cause you to venture out to an actual library where articles and clippings may not have found their way to the internet.   Small historical societies are a treasure trove of information.   Scrapbooks, articles, pictures and personal items have not been scanned to the internet.   Time, money and expertise may have prohibited these societies from sharing their antique gems.   Several years ago through connections in Picton, Ontario with Gena Branscombe’s family members and friends, I was put in touch with John D. Lyons.   John is a researcher with his own projects.  He kindly added researching Gena’s younger years to his list of things to do.   He has passed on to me census...