HISTORICAL NOTES on the MUSIC DEPARTMENT of COLORADO COLLEGE (1874 - 1959) by MAXLANNER Edited and with Additional Notes for the Period 1959-1994 by Richard J. Agee To Mrs. Janine Seay and Professor Carlton Gamer on their retirement from Colorado College, May 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preludes Page 4 The First Year (1894-95) Page 7 Rubin Goldmark (1895-1902) Page 8 Interregnum (1902-05) Page 14 Edward Danforth Hale (1905-36) Page 15 James Sykes (1936-46) Page 21 Carol Truax (1945-51) Page 25 Max Lanner (1951-present[1959]) Page 26 Summer School Sessions Page 29 Additional Notes by Richard J. Agee (1994) Page 39 Closing Remarks by Max Lanner (1959) Page 44 Appendix: Colorado College Music Faculty, 1874-1994 Page 46 4 PRELUDES Colorado College was founded in 1874, but during the first twenty years of its history, there was no music department. Informal arrangements with music teachers in town constituted the only opportunities for students' musical instruction. All lessons were of an extra-curricular nature and no college credit was given. The official college publications illustrated the gradual recognition of music as a field of study but not as a college subject until the final establishment of a music department which occurred in 1894. In the Catalogue for 1874-75 (p.[4]), Georgia B. Gaylord and Professor J.W. Jameson (resigned) were listed as Instructors of Music among the college faculty but no courses in music were mentioned. The Bulletin for 1880-81 provided the following description of its music program: INSTRUCTION IN MUSIC. The Trustees have made favorable terms for such students of the College as wish to obtain a thorough education in music under the tuition of Professor H. Th. Wagner, late chief instructor in the Beethoven Conservatory of St. Louis, and formerly a teacher with most honorable record in Paris, London, and New York ... Those who desire to take a full course of study in music may be assured that they can do as well here as in any part of the country. Students of music from out of town will be accommodated in pleasant homes during their stay in the city. And in 1889-90, the Bulletin (p. 21-22) added: MUSIC. It is hoped that arrangements will be made for the opening of a Musical Department at an early date. In the mean time special rates may be obtained for College students from some of the unusually fine teachers in the city. 5 With the publication of the Bulletin of 1893-94 (p. 54), a physical space on campus had been instituted for music instruction: MUSIC. Arrangements have been made with the leading music teachers of the city, whereby members of the College or Academy may have lessons at special rates. A music room has been fitted up, and the lessons are all given on the College grounds. The College Choral Union meets weekly under a competent director. Finally, in the Bulletin of 1895-96, more than two decades after the founding of Colorado College, we find a Music Department introduced with the following statement (p. 67): In response to many calls from within and without the State of Colorado for musical education in connection with the courses of study offered in Colorado College and Cutler Academy, the Trustees of these institutions have opened a DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC [i.e. in 1894]. This enlargement of opportunities has been long contemplated, but the Trustees have been unwilling to take such a step unless they could be satisfied that such a department would uphold the same high standard in courses and instruction which has prevailed in the College and the Academy. This having been assured, the department was opened, and has been successfully at work since the beginning of the College year. ｾ＠ .. ," • .. • " " " ..... ') " ....... , , -.' ｾＮ＠ ;- This photograph of the Music Building at Colorado College, culled from the college archives, carries the date of 1895, The building appears to have been located west of the old President's House on College Place, near the present location of Boettcher Health Center and the old Wood Avenue extension south of Uintah Street (courtesy of Tutt Library, Special Collections), 7 THE FIRST YEAR (1894-95) A faculty of five, includinginstructors in harmony, piano, voice, and organ, was headed by Edward S. Parsons, Professor of English, as "Acting Director". The relation of the new Department of Music to the College was described as follows {Bulletin of 1895-96, p. 69):1 This Department is under the same general supervision as the other departments of Colorado College, and under the immediate management of the Director and Faculty of Music. The general rules of the College apply to students of music also. It has seemed wise to make a further regulation that no student shall be admitted to the Department of Music who does not also elect, with the advice of the Faculty of Colorado College and Cutler Academy, at least one study in the College or the Academy. Four Courses of Study were listed: Piano Forte, Voice Culture and Singing, Organ, and Harmony. We also learn of the organization of a vocal class in sight reading and one in choral singing. A Glee Club of young men had been formed with plans for a ladies' club under way also. The courses did not carry college credit. In addition to the regular courses, the choral classes and the Glee Club, we also find an annQuncement of three special concerts and two illustrated lectures, offered free to the students of music. The only recognition given to the study of music was embodied in the short statement: "Certificates will be given to those who satisfactorily complete any of the courses." This extra-curricular status of music did not change for many years; music only very IAlthough established in 1894, the "Department" was first described in the Bulletin of 1895- 96; later Bulletins also date the founding of the "Conservatory" back to 1894. 8 gradually earned an equal status with other academic fields of study. It is obvious that the college intended to replace the Acting Director of the ｍｵｾｩ｣＠ Department 'with a permanent musical leader of stature just as soon as the right person could be found. Circumstances fortunate for the development of music at the college and community made it possible to win such a leader in the person of the eminent American composer Rubin Goldmark, who was appointed director of the newly named "Colorado College Conservatory of Music", evidently late in the 1894-95 academic year. RUBIN GOLDMARK. (1895-1902) Rubin Goldmark, nephew of Karl Goldmark and teacher of Aaron Copland, received his general education at the New York City College and the University of Vienna. After attending the Conservatory of Vienna (1889-1891) he returned to New York, studying piano with Joseffy and composition with Antonin Dvorak. at the National Conservatory of Music and teaching there from 1891 until 1893. In 1894 he was forced to leave New York because of poor health and decided to come to Colorado where he accepted the leadership of the Music Department. During his directorship he received the honorary degree of M.A. from the College. By 1902 he had recovered his health sufficiently to return to New York. For 22 years he taught piano and theory privately and gave lecture recitals throughout America and Canada. In 1924 he was appointed director of the Composition Department of the Juilliard Graduate School and held this position until his death in 1936. Goldmark reorganized the Music Department as a "Conservatory of Music" and created a first period of musical excellence and splendor for the college and the 9 2 community. Dean Edward D. Hale , Goldmark's successor at Colorado College, contributed the following remarks on Goldmark's directorship: During his incumbency he conducted a mixed chorus which for . three years was the outstanding feature of the musical life of the . city. In this he had the enthusiastic and efficient support of Mr. Leslie Skelton, the well-known and sterling artist. Later, once more with the cooperation of Mr. Skelton and his wife, the Musical Club was founded. This society has fostered the musical life of the city, has brought to it courses of artist concerts of the highest quality, employing, without regard to expense, the outstanding singers and players of the world. It has also encouraged the activities of the younger group of students. In short it has permanently affected the musical growth of the town. In addition to the mixed chorus mentioned by Dean Hale we find the men's Glee Club reorganized in 1897 and a women's club founded in the following year. Charlie Brown Hershey3 provides many details about these organizations: For many years the men included instrumental music and announced their combined organizations the Glee and Mandolin Clubs. Both the men and the women had the support and direction of the department of music, with Professor Clarence W. Bowers and, later, Dean Edward Danforth Hale giving them the 2) Edward D. Hale, "Colorado College Conservatory," in The Lookout from the Denver Public Library, Vo!' 1, No. 1, Denver, 1927, pp. 87-88. l) Charlie B. Hershey, Colorado College 1874·1949, Colorado Springs, 1952, pp. 221-222. : 10 benefit of their leadership. The men's clubs made trips to all of the principal cities in Colorado as well as into New ｍｾｸｩ｣ｯ＠ and Wyoming to give their combined concerts. In 1901-02 the men appeared in 'Cheyenne and Laramie in Wyoming and in Eaton, Greeley, Windsor, Fort Collins, Longmont, Denver, Montclair, Golden, Central City, Idaho Springs, Georgetown and Pueblo in Colorado.