August 31 - Alan Jay Lerner (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 31st are here: Alma Mahler (2019), Joseph Schillinger (2020), Alan Jay Lerner (2021), Amilcare Ponchielli (2022), and Albert Riemenschneider; Johann Paul Aegidius Martin (2023)

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Alan Jay Lerner (31 August 1918 – 14 June 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist who won three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m A Good Girl, I Am…

Henry Higgins meets a lass,

And on a bet he tries to turn her

Into someone upper class,

While singing songs by Loewe and Lerner.

His kindly colleague Colonel Pickering

Has some scruples which concern her,

He and Higgins do some bickering,

Still to songs by Loewe and Lerner.

Eliza, for a time is stressed,

Thinking that the case will burn her,

But she triumphs (as you’ve guessed)…

With the help of Loewe and Lerner.

 

 

 

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August 30 - Adolf Friedrich Hesse (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 30th are found here: Regina Resnik (2019), George Frederick Root (2020), Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke (2021), Johnny Mann (2022), and Robert Crumb (2023)

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Adolf Friedrich Hesse (30 August 1809 – 5 August 1863) was a German organist and composer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LinkedIn

 

Hesse studied with Christian Heinrich Rinck six months in 1828-1829: Rinck was a student of Johann Christian Kittel, who in turn was a student of Johann Sebastian Bach. One of Hesse's pupils was the Belgian organist Jacques-Nocolas Lemmens, who would later teach Charles-Marie Widor. Albert Schweitzer  studied with Widor, mainly from 1899.  -- heavily adapted from Wikipedia, s.v. "Adolf Friedrich Hesse" and "Charles-Marie Widor"

The Bible has a dreary bit, and that’s

The chapters which are known as "the begats."

Musicians, too, have treasured what it meant

To have a line of musical descent,

Though not, of course, as intricate or tribal

As that awaiting in your family Bible.

 

What follows is an unrequested sample

Which serves as an innocuous example.

 

Adolf Friedrich Hesse had a link

To J. S. Bach, through Kittel, and then Rinck.

While he, in turn, trained Lemmens, who then taught

Young Widor, who in later years was sought

By Schweitzer, who was gratified that he

Could thus claim Bach was in his pedigree.

 

 

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August 29 - Marion Williams (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 29th are here: Charlie Parker (2019), Michael Jackson; Dinah Washington (2020), Wilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel (2021), Raphael George Kiesewetter (2022), and Dinah Washington (2023)

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Marion Williams (29 August 1927 – 2 July 1994) was an American gospel singer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calling

She stayed with gospel in spite of pressure to switch to popular blues tunes or the opera. – Wikipedia 

With a voice which could not be ignored,

She could have found ample reward

From secular choices

Afforded to voices, –

But she opted to sing for the Lord.

 

 

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Delayed Posts

Once again real life has gotten in the way of posting.  However items are now written, and will be posted over the coming few days.

August 28 - Ludvig Norman; Ira D. Sankey (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 28th are here: Umberto Giordano; Ivor Gurney; Léon Theremin (2019), Carolmannus Pachschmidt; Peter[von] Winter (2019), Paul Henry Lang (2021),  Umberto Giordano; Agostino Accorimboni (2022), and Albert Dietrich (2023)

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Ludvig Norman (28 August 1831 – 28 March 1885) was a Swedish composer, conductor, pianist, and music teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norman Conquest?

… he ranks among the most important Swedish symphonists of the 19th century.  – Wikipedia

Of Ludvig Norman we are told

That in the grand symphonic mold

He ranks among the very best

With which the Swedish land is blest.

Is it unfair that works like these

And other Swedish symphonies,

Of which the Swedes are justly fond,

Have never found a niche beyond

The diligent artistic hands

Employed by loyal Swedish bands?

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫   

Ira Sankey (28 August 1840 – 13 August 1908) was an American gospel singer and composer, known for his long association with Dwight L. Moody in a series of religious revival campaigns in America and Britain during the closing decades of the 19th century. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missionary Zeal

Of the baritone Ira B. Sankey

There was nothing pretentious or swanky,

He sang without rivals

At Moody’s revivals, –

A most diligent born-again Yankee.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]