Music Meets Drama

Sitting in my closet are two plastic storage containers that hold the physical history of my Gena Branscombe project that began in 1999.  Manila folders hold my handwritten research notes from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts where I found Gena’s original manuscripts, published works and Laurine Elkins Marlow’s dissertation.  Also in folders are copies of letters from Gena Branscombe’s family, my contract with Albany Records, copyright approval to record certain songs and also to print specific poems in the CD booklet, a fairly large  number of pictures, two 3-ring binders with copies of nearly all 150 of Gena’s songs, cards and letters from people who purchased my CD or attended one of our performances, magazine articles about Gena or myself, programs and publicity from performances of my one woman show and lecture recitals I have given.  In addition I found the original mock-ups of the publicity brochure I designed for “Life! Love! So...

Just four days after the events of September 11, 2001, Martin and I had a recording session.  It was an arduous two hours as we were changing microphones, repositioning microphones as well as changing where I would stand.  Then we dealt with various other technical glitches that had to be fixed.  As the session drew to a close we had not recorded what had been planned for the day.  David Smith, our recording engineer, called up from the booth to suggest we record one more song before calling it a day. Looking through our prepared songs, I chose the shortest one, “Dear Lad O’Mine.”  Martin found his copy, I positioned my sheet music on the music stand preparing to begin recording, when we heard David say from the booth, “oh, my.”  David had read the first line of the poetry, “War gods have descended, the world burns up in fine.”  Oh, my, indeed.  Strong words, strong musical setting and an emotional connection to what had forever cha...

In March 2008, Martin and I presented “Life! Love! Song!   A Visit with Gena Branscombe” at Hofstra University.   Little did we know that in the audience that day was a former member of the Branscombe Choral, Agnes Conway.   At the talk-back after our concert, a woman raised her hand and said she had her personal pictures and programs of the Branscombe Choral and letters from Gena Branscombe that she would like to give me.   To say the least, the audience was as surprised as we were!   A Branscombe Choral member was in our midst!  In a binder lovingly cross-stitched with Gena Branscombe’s name and a fancy border, we found two Christmas greetings from Gena, copies of two articles written by the composer/conductor for the “Showcase, Music Clubs Magazine,” an invitation to a tea in honor of Gena’s 90 th birthday, concert programs, and letters from the composer to Agnes.   In addition a small photo album again with cross-stitch, “The Branscombe Chor...

Women’s History Month officially came to a close yesterday.   As many of you may have seen, I posted on my Facebook page, Life! Love! Song!  A Visit with Gena Branscombe, a short biography and photo of thirty different women composers of Gena’s era (1881-1977).   On International Women’s Day I posted a photo and biographical information on Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana who in 1916 voted for equal voting rights for women in all states.   To honor all thirty-one women during March was a learning experience and an eye-opener for their accomplishments. What struck me as I did my research was that 23 of these women attended college including Juilliard, New England Conservatory, Leipzig Conservatory, Paris Conservatory, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Conservatory of Music, Peabody, Columbia, New York University and other schools.   These same women studied with the great composition teachers of the time whether here in the United S...

Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (1858-1944) Born in London, Dame Ethel Smyth was determined from a young age to become a composer.  Her musical talent granted her admission to the Leipzig Conservatory of Music where she met the leading composers of the day, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Grieg!  Through her composition teacher she was introduced to Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.  Not a bad start for a student in the music world! Her compositions include songs, piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, a Concerto for Violin, Horn and Orchestra, a Mass in D and two operas, "The Wreckers" and "Der Wald" which was performed at the Metropolitan Opera.  Deafness prevented her from composing any other major works or ever hearing her music performed and accepted by adoring orchestra and audience members.   Unfortunately for Dame Smyth and all other women composers, their music was always labeled as that of a "woman composer" and not as artistically vi...

Mary Carr Moore (1873-1957) One of the common traits among the women composers I have already posted and ones to come in the upcoming weeks is their ability to multi-task within their musical ability.   In addition, nearly all these composers’ talent was recognized when they were quite young! Mary Carr Moore was a composer, conductor, singer and music educator which made her a working musician of her day.   Born in Tennessee, she lived with her family for ten years in Louisville, Kentucky before they relocated to the West Coast.   California became her home base for the remainder of her life.   In San Francisco Miss Moore began composition lesson with J. H. Pratt and voice lessons with H. B. Pasmore.   At age 16 she began teaching and composing.   That same year her first published song was released for sale.   Having composed her first operetta, “The Oracle,” she performed the lead at the premiere of the work!   Eventually Mary Carr ...

Mabel Daniels (1878-1971) Active in music from an early age, Mabel Daniels was a magna cum laude graduate of Radcliffe College.   While a student she was a soloist in the Glee Club and composed two operettas that were performed by her fellow students.   After graduation, she studied composition with George W. Chadwick in Boston who encouraged her to study with Ludwig Thuille in Munich, Germany . Once in Munich she attempted to enroll in a score-reading class given by Director Stavenhagen.   No woman had ever been admitted to his class.   She entered the classroom to play her audition where thirty male students waited in judgment of her keyboard skills.   "You could have heard a pin drop, the place was so still. . . . Just as I took my seat before the keyboard, I heard one of the men smother a laugh. That settled it! I was bound to do or die, and with a calmness quite unnatural I played the bars set before me without a mistake. Nobody laughed when I ...