Music Meets Drama

  The Gena Branscombe postings on my blog have centered on her vocal music, singers who performed her songs as well as her life and career.  Little has been written about the instrumental music she composed.  That’s my fault.    Gena’s instrumental works were not published as her songs and piano pieces were.  Her orchestral and instrumental compositions are in manuscript held at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.    Several weeks ago I was searching YouTube for Gena Branscombe recordings that may have been posted.  What a wonderful surprise to come upon Katey J. Halbert’s recordings of Miss Branscombe’s Pacific Sketches for French horn and piano.    A trip to Hawaii in 1955 was the inspiration for these works.   Flying to San Francisco from New York, then boarding an ocean liner, on board Gena attended Hawaiian cultural lectures and took hula lessons.   She was 74 years old!   Way to go, Gen...

  “Am enclosing a programme of Nevada Van der Veer’s concert” …. ““Happiness” was well received in spite of the fact that the accompanist composed as she went along.”   (from a letter to Arthur P. Schmidt, publisher, dated February 11, 1916)   Today as I was transcribing a few of Gena Branscombe’s letters to her publisher, Arthur P. Schmidt, I came across this quote and it made me laugh out loud.  There is no mention of where the concert was held or the accompanist’s name, which is good.  We all have bad performance days.   Nevada Van der Veer (1884-1958) was a New York City born contralto.   Her first name was derived from the admired American opera singer Emma Nevada (1859-1940).     Miss Van der Veer was a contralto soloist at several New York City churches including Fifth Avenue Presbyterian.   Her singing voice was said to be powerful, even and velvety.   Known for her recital work, she toured frequently.   ...