Zeta Tau Alpha - Gena Branscombe

 

In August 2011 I wrote of Gena Branscombe’s initiation and membership in three professional fraternities, one of which was Zeta Tau Alpha.  Recently an article from “Themis of Zeta Tau Alpha” dated November 1, 1941, came into my possession.

In the article are two pictures of Miss Branscombe that I have previously never seen.  The picture of her holding a baton; with intensity she is in control ready to give a downbeat, her performers’ complete attention is obvious from the look in her eyes.  Let the music ring forth.  She is performance ready; she’s wearing a string of pearls!

 

The second picture was taken on the evening of her initiation into Zeta Tau Alpha which took place in Edgewater Gulf, Mississippi. 

 

Gena became an editor for the Zeta Tau Alpha song book.  Not only was she a national initiate, she was actively involved sharing her musical talent. 

 

The article is biographical describing her family, education and career. 

#BringingBackBranscombe

 

A Crumpled Poem

 Recently Gena Branscombe’s grandson, Roger, sent me a copy of a poem he had found in the family files. Over many years the crumpled piece of paper held the words to a  poem titled, “Farewell to THE OLD TIMER”    To the right of the title is typed, “American Folksy Song of 1942 (With apologies to all concerned.”) 

With great humor the poem writers, who were Branscombe Choral members, describe in great detail the demise of Miss Branscombe’s “rack.”  Gena raised her wand to beat the time and the rack went down!  The “rack” is obviously her conductor’s stand that with much assistance could not be revived.  The Choral members found the “dough” to gift their beloved conductor a new rack hoping she doesn’t want the old one back!  What wonderful humor and one does wonder what the “American Folksy Song of 1942” was. 

This poem/song must have been performed by Choral members at their annual Spring luncheon.  

In 1942 with World War II raging in Europe and the South Pacific, America’s armed forces were fighting to preserve our country’s freedom.  The women of the Branscombe Choral collected money to replace her conductor’s music stand and kept their humor about the entire happening.  Their loved ones may have been abroad fighting in the war.  The Choral members were making music and memories with their conductor, Gena Branscombe.

No matter our country’s hard times, no matter our personal stories whether happy or sad, music doth soothe the soul….as does humor. 

Recordings

In 2018 two recordings were released that included works by Gena Branscombe.  Orchestral music of American composers from the late 19^th century and early 20^th century represents one of the CDs.  The second recording features the piano music of 13 American women composers. 

American Romantics III garnered the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Reuben Blundell, the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music.  Recording the music of David Stanley Smith, Carol Busch, Edward MacDowell, Charles Wakefield Cadman, Cecil Burleigh, Ludwig Bonvin and Gena Branscombe – not all the composers are familiar names to everyone, the music is beautiful and a tribute to  the wide range of American music.  Congratulations. 

Gena’s piece on this CD, “A Memory” was originally composed for violin and piano.  As a gift to the founder, Edwin Fleisher, of the Philadelphia Symphony club, composer William Happich arranged the work for harp and strings in 1922.  The arrangement is now held in the Free Library of Philadelphia.

On the Centaur Label, pianist Joanna Goldstein released her Nasty Women CD.  Along with Miss Branscombe’s “The Squirrel Party,” this recording includes works by Gena’s friends and colleagues Florence Price, Mary Howe, Harriet Ware, Amy Beach, Ethel Hier, Mana-Zucca and others.  Listening to each of these women composer’s distinctive piano works and musical styles is an aural and emotional treat. 

Gena Branscombe’s home country has never forgotten her.  Over many years Canadian musical artists have recorded her songs, violin and piano works.  Elaine Keillor, piano, has been a champion of Miss Branscombe’s music recording her “Valse Caprice” on her CD By a Canadian Lady – Piano Music 1841-1997.  With violinist Ralitsa Tcholakova, the two recorded Gena’s “Sonata in A minor” on their Remembered Voices CD.

 Le Souvenir – Canadian Songs for Parlour and Stage features baritone Russell Braun singing Gena’s song “Serenade.”  The same song was included on the CD, When You and I were Young Maggie – 19^th Century Canadian Salon Music.  There is a slight twist to this CD as Gena’s song was performed on flugel horn and piano. 

Then, there is my CD, Ah! Love I Shall Find Thee: Songs of Gena Branscombe.  Songs and piano works by the composer.

Among the CDs, the individual’s work, dedication, effort and musical abilities gives voice to American and Canadian composers.  The composers are not as famous as the three male B’s.  The recording artists have given their listeners music from the past that warrants being heard.  Open your ears and soul to lesser known composers and artists as they have much to offer the classical music world!

Clark University - Gena Branscombe's Pilgrims of Destiny

Clark University has officially announced the performance of Gena Branscombe's dramatic oratorio, Pilgrims of Destiny. 

https://clarknow.clarku.edu/2019/01/22/clark-choirs-to-present-21st-century-premiere-of-lost-masterwork-pilgrims-of-destiny/

Last performed in 1940, this oratorio gave Miss Branscombe an avenue to express her great passion for the understanding of the pilgrims' journey to their new country.  Filled with love, conflict and deep seated faith of the travelers, her rich romantic music is a reminder that the word composer is gender neutral. 

Seemingly lost to the world of music by the mid 1950s, Pilgrims of Destiny is brought to life in the 21st century by Clark University's choir directed by Dan Ryan.  

Please join us on Saturday, April 27th.




#BringingBackBranscombe

Red Folder and Records

Every other blog entry I make seems to be about Gena Branscombe items that have been given to me or that I purchased from E-bay or Amazon websites. 

This past week two people sent me Branscombe items.  From the daughter of Agnes Conway, a Branscombe Choral member, I received 45 rpm records of the December 1953, Spring and December 1954 performances the Choral gave at the Broadway Tabernacle Church and Town Hall.  Thank you to Mary Conway for these recordings.  Agnes Conway passed away on December 31, 2017.  I am fairly sure she was the last Branscombe Choral member.  

From the grandson of  Branscombe Choral member, Marie Zieres, I received her choral folder.  Covered in red fabric, the folder matched the robes and hats the women wore for their concerts.  Neatly tucked inside the folder were the programs from the Choral’s December 1949 and May 1950 concerts.  The small treasure inside the folder was a receipt made out to Marie Zieres dated March 6, 1950 in the amount of $5.00 paying for her dues. 

In June 2008, my husband, Dan, and I traveled to Jamestown, NY to visit with Mrs. Zieres.  Her grandson, Mark, had been researching the Branscombe Choral, his grandmother’s beloved singing group.  After contacting me, it was decided that a visit with his grandmother would be helpful in understanding the members of this women’s chorus who were dedicated to their conductor.  Taking with me the Branscombe Choral scrapbooks, Mrs. Zieres looked at them reminiscing about her days singing with the Choral and recognizing fellow members.  She had brought her letters from Miss Branscombe, concert programs, records and the red folder to show me. 

Her descriptive stories about Miss Branscombe always being the leader who dressed beautifully for rehearsals and performances, spoke eloquently, was a true professional teacher, musician and conductor with patience and encouragement asking that her ladies sing to the best of their ability were a delight.  Notice the folders held by the Choral members in the photo below!

To Mary Conway and Mark Curtis who gave me these treasured possessions of their family’s Branscombe Choral members, I thank you.  The red folder, programs, receipt and records add to the story of conductor, Gena Branscombe, and the impact her music making had on the world at large.

A Memory

Recently a CD of turn of the century symphonic works was released on the Naxos label.  Entitled American Romantics III,  the CD includes works by Carl Busch, Edward MacDowell, Charles Wakefield Cadman, Cecil Burleigh, Ludwig Bonvin, David Stanley Smith and Gena Branscombe.  The music is performed by the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Reuben Blundell. 

All the music on the CD was provided by the Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia.  Edwin Fleisher (1877-1959) did not intend to have an orchestral library but rather a Symphony Club that trained students interested in playing orchestral music.  One of the first employees of the Symphony Club was William Happich (1884-1959), a teacher and conductor.  For his students, Happich would arrange works from the collection.  Miss Branscombe’s violin and piano work, “A Memory” was arranged for harp and strings.  The work is beautifully played on the CD.

Two months after the CD was released in late April, Miss Branscombe’s original 1911 violin/piano sheet music for “A Memory” came up for sale on E-bay. 

Several days later her “An Old Love Tale” also composed for violin and piano came up for sale.  Both works were published by Arthur P. Schmidt of Boston and are inscribed to Ilse Niemack with good wishes to her from Gena Branscombe.  Ilse was an American violinist and composer who concertized across the United States.  She was known for having a warm tone and a sincerity of expression.

Gena Branscombe dedicated “An Old Love Tale” to Kathleen Parlow, a Canadian born violinist nicknamed “The lady of the golden bow”. 

Congratulations to the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra for releasing these lesser known American works.  What a gift to the music world at large.

Ellen Repp

Arriving in New York City in late February 1980, finding a voice teacher was a top priority for me.  Through recommendations of friends and colleagues, I called Miss Ellen Repp who lived near Lincoln Center.  Her resonant and warm voice answered the phone, “Hello, Repp here!”  That was a bit of a surprise way to answer the phone.  I quickly learned she always answered her phone calls with, “Repp here” or if she called me she would say, “Kathy? Repp here”.  Amusing and quite telling of her humorous warm personality.

Our conversation proceeded when I introduced myself, explained who recommended her as a teacher and then asked if I may please audition for her voice studio.  A time was agreed upon for a week later and I was assured she would have a pianist on hand to play for me. 

I arrived at Miss Repp’s apartment, knocked on the door and was greeted by a woman in her 70s with red hair beautifully arranged on the top of her head, dressed elegantly with a shawl over her shoulders.  Miss Repp invited me into her living room where her grand piano took up only a small portion of the room.  She seated herself in her favorite chair, the pianist and I conferred on my repertoire and the audition began.  It went well and she agreed to take me as her student. 

Miss Repp’s warm and inviting apartment became my voice lesson home for the next six years.  Together we would work on vocal exercises.  I would sing repertoire during which she would give insightful vocal corrections and style suggestions.  I left each lesson with something new to work on. 

Over the years of studying with her, I learned that prior to her becoming a professional singer and voice teacher, Miss Repp had been a social studies teacher in the state of Washington, her home state.  Her prize student was Senator Henry (Scoop) Jackson of Washington state.  The two stayed in touch and he credited her with his love and understanding of government.

Ellen Repp studied voice, moved to New York City in the 1930s where her career took off as an oratorio soloist, church soloist and with forays into opera.  In 1947 she appeared on Broadway in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene performing the role of Olga Olsen.  She returned to Broadway in 1948 in the musical Sleepy Hollow in the role of Wilhelmina.  She traveled to Europe where she sang in Wagner operas. 

Miss Repp had a wicked sense of humor and could catch you off-guard with some of her slightly off-color jokes.  Always with a great heart-felt laugh, she let you know she was not being offensive.  She enjoyed her daily "after work" cocktail with her neighbor down the hall. 

At the time I studied with her, she taught nine months of the year in New York City and two months of the year in Germany where her students performing in opera houses there had lessons with her.  When she retired in 1993 at the age of 91, she informed her students she was going to take up dancing.    She died in 1999 at age 97.  She was a force of nature.

Of course, in my blog postings there is a connection to Gena Branscombe.  Quite to my complete and utter surprise I recently found out that Miss Repp knew Gena Branscombe and performed an aria from her dramatic oratorio Pilgrims of Destiny on a 1940s WNYC radio broadcast.   

Several months ago I obtained audio files of the acetate records of the broadcast.  I was excited to hear how Miss Branscombe had conducted her score.  With my own piano/vocal score of Pilgrims of Destiny open in front of me, I began to listen to the broadcast with all its scratches and blips of old recordings.  The announcer explains the plot of the upcoming scene, the names of the characters and the soloist’s names.  “Singing the role of Dorothy Bradford is Ellen Repp”. 

I thought to myself, “Yes, I know that person” but didn’t give it any further thought as I concentrated on listening to the music.  My husband, Dan, said, “Kathy, that’s your former voice teacher, Ellen Repp!”  I stopped playing the recording and went back to make sure we were right.  Miss Repp’s rich voice filled the haunting lullaby with the emotion of the pilgrims’ long journey and their children’s unknown future. 

Yes, Ellen Repp knew and worked with Gena Branscombe in 1940.  I was stunned as I put our story together.  I had no idea in the early 1980s, while I studied with Miss Repp, that during the late 1990s I would discover the music and life of a woman composer named Gena Branscombe.  Surprises like this one ….. there are no words to describe them.  

Gena, “Repp” and I are all connected now.

Pilgrims of Destiny

Imagine the pain a mother and her family experience when they lose a three year old child to influenza.  The depth of panic and foreboding tragedy that parents feel as they strive to save their baby, all the while knowing there is no hope, is beyond comprehension.  Yet, in early 1919 this scenario was experienced by Gena Branscombe and her husband, John Ferguson Tenney. 

In late 1918 the entire family with the exception of Gena had been struck with influenza.  In January 1919, third daughter, Betty, and her older sister Vivian were particularly ill.  Today this outbreak is known as the great influenza epidemic of 1919.  In its wake, the epidemic took young Betty’s life leaving her parents, her two sisters and extended family devastated. 

Grief is an animal in and of itself leaving each of us to find our own path to dealing with the loss of someone beloved.  In the process of mourning, we learn to move forward with our lives.  Miss Branscombe was pregnant with her fourth daughter when Betty died.  My guess is her grief was nearly insurmountable yet her responsibility to herself and her unborn child had to have been foremost in her mind. 

Daughter Beatrice was born in June 1919.  With the help of her mother, who took care of the older daughters, Gena immersed herself in composing and writing the libretto for, “The Pilgrims of Destiny,” a large scale choral drama.  The story emphasized the pilgrims’ hardships on-board the Mayflower and their arrival in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on November 9 and 10, 1620.  Her husband, John, was her editorial assistant and historical advisor for the libretto.  He even typed the manuscript for his wife.  Work became another way for Gena to move forward with her life despite her loss. 

 

Large scale works are not composed over a summer or even a year.  With family responsibilities, leadership roles in women’s organizations, conducting, and accompanying, Miss Branscombe worked on “Pilgrims of Destiny” for a number of years. 

 With its themes of bravery in the face of adversity, devotion to God and loss, “Pilgrims of Destiny” won the 1928 Best Composition award from the National League of American Pen Women.  Along with the $100.00 prize, the work was published by Oliver Ditson Company of Boston and given a gala performance at the Plymouth Memorial Building in Plymouth, Massachusetts with Miss Branscombe conducting.   What a perfect location for an historical work such as this!  She received rave reviews for the premiere and “Pilgrims of Destiny” went on to be performed across the country, again with Gena conducting.

In 1960, Gena Branscombe became one of the first women ever to have her music requested for the permanent collection in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.  She submitted to the Music Department her “Pilgrims of Destiny” original manuscript of the orchestral score, instrumental parts and the published vocal score.   This is quite the honor!

In 1999 I saw a copy of the vocal score when I visited Gena Tenney Phenix, Gena Branscombe’s oldest daughter.  She brought out her copy of the score for me to look through.  There I saw a very romantic and dramatic piece of music which I could only surmise from the piano accompaniment probably had a very rich and dense orchestral score.   Several years later, my colleague Laurine Elkins Marlow and I were at the Library of Congress doing research work.  I requested the original orchestra score for my review and there before me was the full choral drama score.  With rich orchestration reminiscent of the late German romantic style and even some late Verdi, Gena had poured forth her complete knowledge of writing an impressive large scale work.  I was astonished. 

From many of my previous postings you know that I have purchased and collected Gena’s piano pieces, songs, song cycles and choral works.  A copy of the vocal score for “Pilgrims of Destiny” has always been high on my wish list of Gena’s compositions that I hoped would appear for sale.  This past Sunday, my wish came true.  A copy of the vocal score was listed on Amazon and surprise! surprise! I purchased it immediately.  The store that sold this work was in Plymouth, Massachusetts…..the city where the premiere performance took place.  Coincidence, I think not!

The vocal score arrived yesterday and to say the least I am thrilled.  Gena dedicated this work to her daughter, Betty.  During my one-woman show I recite this dedication after having a phone conversation where she discusses the loss of her dear Betty.  It is a poignant moment. 

One more original Gena Branscombe work to add to my collection and one that for over 15 years has been something I desired.  There is still one more piece of hers that I hope will appear…..and, maybe someday soon, hopefully not another 15 years of waiting, it will show up for sale on the internet.

Gena Branscombe's Life in Pictures

As I have written my blog entries, I realized recently that more has been said about my Gena Branscombe project than about Gena Branscombe the person.

When I perform my lecture recital, “Gena Branscombe: Her Life in Poetry & Song” after singing the opening song, I begin speaking with the statement,

“Gena Branscombe born Picton, Ontario, November 4, 1881 died New York City July 1977. Daughter, woman, wife, working mother with four daughters, pianist, accompanist, composer, conductor; founder, conductor, fund raiser and organizer for over twenty years of her women’s chorus The Branscombe Choral, leader of women holding executive offices in such organizations as the National League of American Pen Women, General Federation of Women’s Clubs, National Federation of Music Clubs, Society of American Women Composers, Altrusa International and more…..oh, and did I mention, she was the mother of four?”

Here in pictures is Gena’s life with a little commentary. I trust this will explain my fascination and dedication with this woman composer from one hundred years ago.




Gena Branscombe and her mother, Sara Alison Branscombe. The photo was taken in Picton, Ontario, Canada where Gena was born. Sara Branscombe was a poet and newspaper woman. Throughout her composing years, Gena set many of her mother's poems.....quite successfully!

Portraits of a young Gena Branscombe. Unfortunately there are no dates to these pictures yet look how gorgeous she was!



From the Summer of 1909 to June 1910 Gena along with her friend, Lillian Boulter, spent one year studying piano and composition in Berlin, Germany. During that time she had the honor of studying with the real Englebert Humperdinck. This picture was taken near his home. Imagine a woman traveling alone.....100 years ago. What spirit and what an inspiration!




The National League of American Pen Women's composers. Gena is in the back row, second from the right. Mrs Amy Beach is in the front row, second from the left. All the composers autographed this photo. These were the famous women composers of the early 20th century.




John Ferguson Tenney, Gena's husband. Originally from Methuen, MA, he was a lawyer. Gena and John met in Walla Walla, Washington where she was on the faculty of Whitman Conservatory. They were married in Picton, Ontario, August 1910. He insisted they live in New York City to further Gena's career. He was a dedicated husband and father babysitting his daughters so his wife could compose.



Gena Branscombe with her eldest daughter, Gena Tenney. Both mother and daughter were musicians. Gena Tenney went on to major in music at Barnard College, studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in London and returned to New York City where she was head of the Music Department at Barnard.






Gena Branscombe with her husband John Ferguson Tenney, his parents and their three daughters.

Gena's daughters Vivian, Beatrice and Gena Tenney.



Spring concerts for the Branscombe Choral were performed at Town Hall in New York City. This photo is from 1949.

The Branscombe Choral performing Christmas Carols for the communters at Grand Central Station. An annual event for the Choral.

Grandsons - Roger and Morgan Phenix

This picture taken in 1975 just two years before her death. She looks youthful at age 94.