Music Meets Drama

Today the website, Storied Stuff, published an article I wrote about Gena Branscombe's baton and her autographed music which were gifted to me.  Enjoy reading the article.   https://www.storied-stuff.com/stories/kathleen-shimeta    #BringingBackBranscombe

The setting….1944 ….Leonia, New Jersey….the Biscaye home.  The dinner guests that evening were Gena Branscombe and her husband, John Ferguson Tenney.  Ruth Biscaye, for many years a loyal member of the Branscombe Choral, was preparing dinner for her friend and respected conductor.  Ruth’s children, Pierre and Peggie, had attended the many Choral concerts at Town Hall and the Broadway Tabernacle Church.  Among the family’s prized musical possessions was sheet music autographed by Miss Branscombe with one dedicated to Pierre and Peggie.  Most prized, an autographed original manuscript for a choral arrangement of “There was a King of Liang.” That night at dinner Miss Branscombe gave one of her conducting batons to Pierre and another to Peggie.  These batons had led the Choral in one of their concerts that their mother sang!  Fast forward 70 years, all the above items still exist and thanks to Pierre and Peggie, they are in my possession....

A message on my answering machine last week from Marguerite (Peggie) Biscaye Oury told me she had found three more pictures of the Branscombe Choral and one picture of Gena Branscombe standing on a dock waving goodbye.  Would I like to have these pictures to add to the items she gave in 2012?  Yes, of course, was my answer. Peggie’s brother, Pierre had called me in November 2011 and recounted his story of knowing Gena Branscombe and her family.  His fond memories of his mother and two aunts being long-time members of the Branscombe Choral were touching.  He even has the conductor’s baton that Miss Branscombe gave him.  See my blog posting of May 2012.  I called Pierre’s sister, Peggie, and we also had a lengthy phone conversation.  She told me she had Branscombe Choral pictures, autographed sheet music and a few other items.  She graciously sent these items to me for safe keeping and I assured her all these treasured possessions would be ...

As we walk down streets looking in store windows, display items can trigger memories of objects or people from our past. Several months ago The New York Times published a picture of a conductor’s baton lying across an opened music score. That picture jarred Pierre Biscaye’s memory. He signed on to his computer to look for any information he could find on conductor/composer Gena Branscombe. Why?  As a child, Pierre knew Miss Branscombe who visited his family’s home and had dinner with them. She gave one of her conducting batons to him and one to his sister, Peggy. The baton and music in the Times’ picture reminded Pierre of that special gift from Gena Branscombe.  Upon my return from performing in St. Louis last November, there was a message from Pierre on my answering machine. Searching for information about Miss Branscombe, he found my website, read about my project and then, contacted me. What followed over the next few weeks were phone conversations with journe...