Music Meets Drama

  “As I looked at the young Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, on their visit to New York, it seemed that she was filling her role with great dignity but also with some weariness. How very young this couple looked—and how we do make our visitors work!”   (Eleanor Roosevelt diary entry, October 26, 1957)   On October 21, 1957 and for a mere 15 hours, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were in the United States for their first state visit.  During those hectic hours they were honored with a ticker-tape parade on Broadway, had lunch with dignitaries at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, followed by the Queen’s speech at the United Nations and a return to the Waldorf Astoria for dinner.  The dinner was co-sponsored by the English-Speaking Union of the United States and the Pilgrim Society of the United States.  At 2 AM the royals were at Idlewild Airport where they boarded a plane for a return to the United Kingdom.  Yes, this is the same Queen; Queen Elizab...

  Posted on The Gena Branscombe Project Facebook page on May 9, 2022 was the following: Tuesday, May 3 rd at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Gena Branscombe’s 1913 composition “Festival Prelude/March” was given its 21 st century premiere.   The Gena Branscombe Project 2020 conductor scholarship winner, Damali Willingham, not only conducted the performance but also arranged this orchestral piece for wind ensemble.   Willingham poured musical talents into the arrangement creating a score filled with lush textures, delicacy of melody and rhythmic drive.   Damali conducted the piece with authority knowing every note and phrase then drew it together with her ensemble to make heartfelt music.   The Gena Branscombe Project thanks Damali and professor, Dr. Dominick Ferrara, for your dedication to this beautiful piece of music.   Now to get this piece published!   The concert was indeed wonderful.   The Gena Branscombe Project sponsored a pos...

Defining what promoting a woman composer or women composers is in one’s life can be perplexing.   Is it a job?   Is it detective work uncovering or digging up something from the past?   Is it a mission?   Is it a passion?   Is it fun or a hobby? Maybe it is a combination of all of these.   We have wrapped ourselves in a blanket of passion that fills our lives as a job whose title is being a mission driven detective while having a delightful time learning something new and something not taught in those college music history classes!     We eagerly pursue new ways and avenues to promote women composers through blogs, presentations, published articles, performances, recordings, interviews, social media and podcasts.   We work to get out the message that women have existed as composers as long as men have – always! I would consider my many years of work on the music and life of composer Gena Branscombe as an absolute passionate joy of a job! ...