April 6 - Hart Pease Danks (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 6th may be found here: André Previn (2019), Gheorghe Zamfir (2020), Johann Kuhnau (2021), John Pizzarelli (2022), Johann Kuhnau (2023), Johann Kuhnau (2024), and Leo Robin; Alessandro Rolla (2025)

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Hart Pease Danks (6 April 1834 – 20 November 1903) was an American musician who specialized in composing, singing and leading choral groups. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then and Now

Today we note with dubious thanks

The natal day of Hart Pease Danks,

Who found his fame in days of old

With "Silver Threads Among the Gold,"

A song when sung in yesteryear

Would conjure up a gentle tear.

But now when e'er a silver thread

Appears, unwelcome, on our head,

We're more inclined to keep it quiet

And ask our hair salon to dye it.

 

 

 

 

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April 4 - Elmer Bernstein (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 4th may be found here: Elmer Bernstein (2019), Stephen Storace (2020), Sheku Kanneh-Mason (2021), Pierre Monteux; Eugène Bozza (2022), Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli (2023), Arthur Murray (2024), and Hans Richter (2025)

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Elmer Bernstein (4 April 1922 – 8 August 2004) was a hugely prolific and successful film composer and conductor.  His credits include over 150 films (The Tenth Commandments, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ghostbusters, Animal House), many TV shows, and Broadway musicals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On and On

In total, Bernstein wrote 2½ hours of music for The Ten Commandments, which proved a massive hit and cemented his status as a top score composer. – Wikipedia

A film by Cecil B. DeMille

Has quite a lot of time to fill,

And Elmer Bernstein showed his powers

By backgrounding those epic hours.

 

 

 

 

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March 31 - Johann Sebastian Bach; Joseph Haydn (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 31st may be found here: Joseph Haydn (2019) and (2020), Herb Alpert (2022), Joseph Haydn; Johann Sebastian Bach (2022), Joseph Haydn (2023), Shirley Jones; Johann Sebastian Bach (2024), and Sergei Diaghilev; Johann Sebastian Bach; Joseph Haydn (2025)

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Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O. S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and organist. 

Joseph Haydn (31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809) was one of the great composers of the late 18th century.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Might Have Beens

For eighteen years they shared this earth,

And also shared their date of birth;

But never met for cake and candles,

Or shared their take on local scandals,

Or took a break with scores of Handel's;

They never sat and played duets,

Or turned their chat to minuets,

And then from that to cigarettes;

Envoi

Sometimes lives that overlap

Are kept divided by the map.

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March 28 - Bill Gaither (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 28th may be found here: Paul Whiteman (2019), Lady Gaga (2020), Alf Clausen (2021), Lady Gaga (2022), Joey Roukens (2023), Joseph Weigl; Myfanwy Piper (2024), and Jay Livingston (2025)

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Bill Gaither (b. 28 March 1936) is an American singer and songwriter of Southern gospel and contemporary Christian music. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Gaither Together

The songs that were sung by Bill Gaither

Were meant to make faith even faither;

Though some would observe of his brand

That both music and doctrine are bland.

 

 

 

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March 27 - R. J. S. Stevens (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 27th may be found here: Antonio Squarcialupi (2019), Sarah Vaughan, Patty Smith Hill; Ben Webster (2021), Ferde Grofé (2022), Vincent d'Indy (2023), Mariah Carey (2024), and Phil Chess (2025)

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R. J. S. [Richard John Samuel] Stevens (27 March 1757 – 23 September 1837) was an English composer and organist, best remembered for his glees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hear Today

Even though his talent was more "adequate" than "great,"

   He thought he'd found a genre to excel in;

And so it's sad the vogue for glees went quickly out of date,

   Which otherwise he might have done so well in.

 

 

 

 

 

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March 25 - David Burge (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 25th may be found here:  Béla Bartók (2019), Anita Bryant; Elton John (2020), Aretha Franklin; Arturo Toscanini (2021), Arturo Toscanini (2022), Haydn Wood (2023), and Bela Bartók (2025)

 

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David Russell Burge (March 25, 1930 – April 1, 2013) was an American pianist, conductor and composer, noted for championing contemporary pieces. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burgeoning

Today I cannot quell the urge

To sing the praise of David Burge,

Who championed music of the present

(Which other pianists found unpleasant),

By Krenek, Berio, or Crumb, —

And other music one can't hum. 

 

 

 

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