Music Meets Drama

Musical America – the mention of that publication to any classical musician means the holy grail of the international performing arts scene.   When the annual directory appears at the beginning of the year, artists from all avenues of the performing arts rush to see what artist management company their friends and colleagues may have, who ran ads promoting upcoming performances, what concert series are presenting for their upcoming season, what new music festivals listed by state and country are available, what music schools have run ads and much, much more.  It is the Holy Grail! Today’s editions of the directory feature “Musician of the Year” photos and an article about that person.  It’s an honor to be chosen for the cover of Musical America.  Recent honorees have included singer/actor Audra McDonald and conductor Gustavo Dudamel.  October 8, 1898 marked the debut of Musical America published by its founder, John Christian Freund....

How many people, no matter their career, could honestly say, “In a long working life, there are too many heartwarming experiences to list one.”?  So frequently we complain about all the events and happenings in our lives and work that are wrong, yet if we flip that attitude towards looking at what wonderful things have happened to us, we will find many that bring a smile to our face. In a recent acquisition from an e-bay auction, I purchased a note card, maybe a partial letter that Gena Branscombe wrote.  From the dates she cites, I gather this was written post 1960 when she would have been in her 80’s. Reflecting on highlights of her musical career she points out conducting the New York City performances with her own Branscombe Chorale.  Then Miss Branscombe goes on to mention the chorus of 1000 voices singing under her direction in Atlantic City in 1941, a Delta Omicron performance of her “Coventry’s Choir” in 1959 and the Royal Canadian National Band pl...

South Devonshire, England, the village of Branscombe……that’s where Gena Branscombe’s paternal family heritage began.  Through her musical compositions and life style, she honored her British roots.  “Tea, we must have tea,” a line from my one-woman show probably best describes how Miss Branscombe lived her life.  Tea and small sandwiches were served when one had company, making conversation quite civilized!  Laurine Elkins Marlow, who wrote her dissertation on Gena Branscombe, told me that each time she visited the composer they would work together for a short while, then tea was served after which they returned to work.  Laurine has in her possession the tea cup that was officially hers during those working sessions. “Coventry’s Choir,” a choral work, was composed amidst the bombings of England during World War II.  Coventry Cathedral, known as St. Michael’s, located in the West Midlands of England was destroyed by the Luftwaffe on November 14,...

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 ...

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...