Sonneck Society for American Music
Bulletin, Volume XXIII, no. 3 (Fall 1997)
Members in the News
William A. Everett gave guest lectues on the development of the American musical
theater at the University of Osijek, Croatia in late May. While in Osijek, he was
interviewed for one hour, live, on local radio about the American musical theater. The
interview was in both English and Croatian.
The following compositions by John Beckwith are contained in three recent
CD releases: 1) After-Images, after Webern for guitar and cello (1994), MusicWorks
(CD 68); 2) Circle, with Tangents for harpsichord and thirteen solo strings
(1967), CBC Records (SM 5168); and 3) Keyboard Practice for ten keyboards and
four players (1979), Upper Canadian Hymn Preludes for organ and prepared tape
(1976-7), Etudes for solo piano (1983) and Quartet for strings (1977),
Centrediscs (CMC-CD 5897). Beckwith's Music Papers: Articles and Talks By a
Canadian Composer, 1961-1994 appeared in August from the Golden Dog Press, Ottawa.
Demons of Disorder: Early Blackface Minstrels and Their World by Dale
Cockrell ahs been published by Cambridge University Press (harcover [ISBN 0 521 56074 8; $54.95],
paperback [ISBN 0 521 56828 5; $17.95]). Publication of this book was supported
by a grant from the Sonneck Society.
Three Preludes by Al Benner receive the Audience Choice Award at the
Louisiana Sinfonietta's String Quartet Festival of New Works from Baton Rouge. Jeffrey
Taylor has been named as a Wolfe Institute Research Fellow to pursue research in
the musical and cultural history of Jazz Piano in the Twenties.
Carolyn Bryant has recently been appointed Review Editor for the Journal of the
American Musical Instrument Society. JAMIS presents articles and reviews books dealing
with the history, design, and use of musical instruments in all cultures and from all
periods. Suggestions for books to review, or possible new reviewers, are always
welcome (bryant@juno.nrl.navy.mil.
David and Ginger Hildebrand
served as music consultants for the upcoming
"Liberty!" series on PBS. Premiering on November 23, 24, and 25, these programs cover the American
Revolution from a variety of historical perspectices. The series soundtrack includes material
which David and Ginger provided to Mark O'Connor, which he arranged and recorded with James Taylor,
Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, and others. The soundtrack heard during the actual programs additionally
includes new and existing tracks arranged and recorded by the Hildebrands.
The National Federation of Music Clubs has been given its 1997 award for the "Promotion adn
Performance of American Music" to Texas Christian University, reports Sonneck Society
member Michael Meckna, who submitted the application. The award commends TCU for its
annual celebration of American Music Week, and the recent establishment of a Center for Latin
American Music. During the period covered by the award (June 1996 to May 1997), TCU had a total
of 240 performances of works by 170 American composers. Ten percent of their programs were
"all-American," and at least one American work was heard on 40% of their programs. Some
49 composers were present for their performance and 25 works were given their premiers.
Mark Clague has been appointed as the new executive editor of Music of the United States of
America (MUSA). This year MUSA has published Volum 6, Timothy Swan: Psalmody and Secular Songs<
edited by Nym Cooke, 362 pp. and Volume 7: Edward Harrigan and David Braham: Collected
Songs, edited by Jon Finson (two parts, ca. 700 pp.). Sonneck members interested in
proposing an edition for the MUSA series should contact Mark Clague, Executive Editor, Burton
Memorial Tower, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1270; Tel (313) 647-4580,
claguem@umich.edu.
Three new volumes of the Music of the New American Nation series, published by Garland Publishing,
have been issued this year: Volume 2, Three Connecticut Composers: Oliver Brownson,
Alexander Gillet, and Solomon Chandler, edited by Karl Kroeger; Volume 5,
Supply Belcher (1751-1836): The Collected Works, ed. by Linda Davenport; and
Volume 7, Two Vermont Composers: Elisha West and Justin Morgan, ed. by Karl Kroeger.
Volume 13, Selected Works of Oliver Holden, ed. by David Music, and Volume 12, Selected
Works of Samuel Holyoke, ed. by Harry Eskew, and Selected works of Jacob Kimball, ed.
by Karl Kroger, have been announced for October/November 1997. The final four volumes should
appear in 1998 and early 1999.
The Scott Morrow Dance Theatre was the first dance company ever invited to present a
royal performance for Nana Barimah Abeyie Ntori Nimpah II, Paramount
Chief of Kwamang Traditional Area of the Shanti Region at his palace. In
recognition of his distinguished career achievements in scholarship adn artistic creativity,
and for his commitment to breaking barriers and building bridges between the peoples of Africa
and the US, Morrow as installed as a traditional chief, Nana Akwasi Morrow I, during a day-long
ceremony.
New Editor of Recorded Materials
The Bulletin is pleased to welcome Orly Leah Krasner as our new Editor of Recorded Materials.
Orly earned her Ph.D. in musicology ("Reginald de Koven (1859-1920) and American Comic Opera
at the Turn of the Century," 1995) and M. Phil. from the CUNY Graduate Center, a M.A. from Queens
College; and a B.M. (Magna come laude) from the University of Connecticut at Storrs. She has held
teaching positions at Frankoin & Marshall College, LaGuardia Community College (CUNY), Baruch College (CUNY),
and Brooklyn College. Her articles have been published in the Blackwell
Companion to Jewish Culture, New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and New
Grove Dictionary of Opera, Nineteenth-century American Musical Theater, Sonneck Society Bulletin,
and Current Musicology. A frequent presenter of papers at Sonneck Society Conferences
and active member of several committees of the Society, Orly has also reviewed books for Kirkus Reviews
and McGraw-Hill. In addition to performing as a mezzo-soprano and conducting vocal ensembles, Orly is an
avid Englich country dance enthusiast. Sonneck members with ideas regarding reviews of recorded materials
are encouraged to communicate at 30-29 49th st. , Apt. 2S, Long Island City, NY 11103
(krolg@cunyvm.cuny.edu).
Updated 1/06/98