UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

Date:______

I, ______, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in:

It is entitled:

This work and its defense approved by:

Chair: ______

A Conductor’s Guide to Selected Choral-Orchestral Works of Emma Lou Diemer

A document submitted to the

Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

in the Ensembles and Conducting Division of the College-Conservatory of Music

2005

by

Jennifer S. Morgan 727 W. M.L. King Dr. Apt. 406W Cincinnati, OH 45220-2545 [email protected]

B.A., Otterbein College, 1995 B.M.E., Otterbein College, 1995

M.M., University of Cincinnati, 2003

Committee Chair: Dr. Stephen R. Coker 2

ABSTRACT

Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927), an accomplished American composer, educator, and

performer, has written 180 choral works. Best known in the world of choral music for her Three

Madrigals, Diemer’s favorite compositional medium is chorus with orchestral accompaniment.

Chapter One contains a biography placing Diemer’s choral-orchestral compositions in context, a categorical summary of Diemer’s choral output, and a preface to the following chapters.

Chapters Two through Eight examine seven of Diemer’s choral-orchestral works. Each of those chapters serves as a conductor’s guide to the specific piece, with the objective of providing a resource to conductors who might prepare and present these works.

This document was written for the purpose of assisting choral conductors by providing the following information about each composition: dedication or commissioning data, composer’s notes, quotes from interviews, correspondence, sources (texts, Diemer notebooks/sketches, composition drafts/manuscripts, full score), vocal and instrumental requirements, past performances (arrangements for the first performance, subsequent performance history, critical reception/reviews), encapsulated analysis in tables (form, sub- sections/text, compositional elements, harmonic context, textures), special suggestions for conductors, performance issues (a discussion of the choral and orchestral parts, an assessment of the works’ respective difficulties), proposed program notes, bibliography specific to the composition, and discography specific to the composition. The works addressed in these guides for Chapters Two through Seven are: To Him All Glory Give, Anniversary Choruses, Invocation,

There Is a Morn Unseen, To Come So, and Songs for the Earth. Chapter Eight is a conductor’s guide to a set of anthems written for Duke Chapel: God of Love and God of Power, The

Church’s One Foundation, and How Firm a Foundation. Also included are a selected 3

bibliography, an appendix of Diemer choral works not included in Ellen Grolman Schlegel’s

Emma Lou Diemer: A Bio-Bibliography, and an appendix of selected photographs.

4

Copyright © 2005 by Jennifer S. Morgan All rights reserved 5

For Bill 6

ACKNOWLEGMENTS

Being greatly fortunate in my academic career to have studied with and been mentored by a number of talented and nurturing conductors, I am deeply indebted to: Dr. Stephen Coker, Dr.

Earl Rivers, Dr. Terence Milligan, and Dr. Craig Johnson. Rose Hensley with all of her administrative assistance and the staff of the CCM College Office deserve my gratitude. My peers have shown me tremendous support throughout the composition of this document. A special thank you is expressed to Dr. Coker for his guidance from the inception of the idea through the submission, his diligence in helping me find the most effective wording, and for his consent to allow me to press ahead.

I could not have written this document without the constant aid and email responses of

Emma Lou Diemer, whose music continues to impress and amaze me. I greatly appreciate her generosity and hospitality especially during my trip to Santa Barbara. Thanks to David Seubert and Jace Turner from the Davidson Library Department of Special Collections at the University of California Santa Barbara for their help while I did research there. I am also grateful to the following people who provided necessary scores: Emma Lou Diemer, Dennis Blubaugh of

Musical Resources, Laura Piantini of Theodore Presser Company, and Barry Torres of St.

Lawrence University. In addition, I am obliged to my aunt, Mary Alice Morgan, Professor of

English and Director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Mercer University, who has suggested prose enhancements.

Finally, I greatly appreciate all the love and support of my parents and my fiancée, without whom I could not have completed this document. From the technical assistance of my new desktop computer purchase and pdf conversion, to the grocery and take-out trips, Bill Flory, my best friend and future husband, has been and continues to be my foundation. 7

CONTENTS ABSTRACT...... 2 ACKNOWLEGMENTS ...... 6 CONTENTS...... 7 CHAPTER ONE: EMMA LOU DIEMER: BIOGRAPHY, SUMMARY OF CHORAL OUTPUT, PREFACE TO CONDUCTOR’S GUIDES...... 9 CHAPTER TWO: CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE FOR TO HIM ALL GLORY GIVE ...... 18 Table 1 – To Him All Glory Give...... 20 CHAPTER THREE: CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE FOR ANNIVERSARY CHORUSES ...... 22 Table 2 – Anniversary Choruses – Movement I – “I Will Sing of Mercy and Judgment” ...... 25 Table 3 – Anniversary Choruses – Movement II – “Sleep Sweetly, Sleep [Ode]”...... 26 Table 4 – Anniversary Choruses – Movement III – “Sing Aloud Unto God”...... 29 CHAPTER FOUR: CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE FOR INVOCATION...... 34 Figure 1 – Letter from May Sarton to Professor Ward – 16 November 1985 ...... 34 Figure 2 – Letter from Robert Jones to Emma Lou Diemer – 27 March 1986...... 35 Figure 3 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to May Sarton – 7 April 1986...... 36 Figure 4 – Letter from May Sarton to Emma Lou Diemer – 11 April 1986...... 37 Table 5 – Invocation ...... 40 CHAPTER FIVE: CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE FOR THERE IS A MORN UNSEEN ...... 43 Figure 5 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 7 January 1991...... 44 Figure 6 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson...... 45 Figure 7 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 28 January 1991...... 46 Figure 8 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson...... 47 Figure 9 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 16 May 1991...... 48 Figure 10 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson – 5 June 1991...... 49 Figure 11 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 1 July 1991 ...... 50 Figure 12 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson – 5 June 1991...... 51 Figure 13 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 4 September 1991 ...... 52 Figure 14 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson – 10 September 1991 ...... 53 Figure 15 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 7 October 1991 ...... 54 Figure 16 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson – 30 December 1991...... 55 Figure 17 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 6 January 1992...... 56 Figure 18 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson – 15 February 1992...... 57 Figure 19 – Letter from Craig Johnson to Emma Lou Diemer – 29 May 1992...... 58 Figure 20 – Letter from Emma Lou Diemer to Craig Johnson – 13 June 1992...... 59 Table 6 – There Is a Morn Unseen...... 63 CHAPTER SIX: CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE FOR TO COME SO...... 68 Table 7 – To Come So ...... 70 CHAPTER SEVEN: CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE FOR SONGS FOR THE EARTH...... 73 Table 8 – Songs for the Earth –Movement I – “‘Nature’ is what we see–”...... 77 Table 9 – Songs for the Earth – Movement II – “‘And this delightful Herb”...... 78 Table 10 – Songs for the Earth – Movement III – “I robbed the Woods–” ...... 79 Table 11 – Songs for the Earth – Movement IV – “Experiment”...... 80 Table 12 – Songs for the Earth – Movement V – “And I saw another brightness” ...... 82 Table 13 – Songs for the Earth – Movement VI – “Harvest Moon–The Mockingbird Sings in the Night”...... 82 CHAPTER EIGHT: CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE FOR GOD OF LOVE AND GOD OF POWER, THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION, HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION ...... 85 Figure 21 – Letter from Don Hinshaw to Emma Lou Diemer – 13 August 1980 ...... 86 Figure 22 – Letter from Ben Smith to Emma Lou Diemer – 27 August 1980...... 88 Figure 23 – Letter from Roberta Marchese to Emma Lou Diemer – 22 September 1980...... 90 Figure 24 – Letter from Terry Sanford to Ben Smith – 23 September 1980 ...... 91 8

Figure 25 – Letter from Don Hinshaw to Emma Lou Diemer – 5 January 1981...... 92 Table 14 – God of Love and God of Power...... 97 Table 15 – The Church’s One Foundation...... 98 Table 16 – How Firm a Foundation...... 99 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 103 APPENDIX A: LIST OF DIEMER CHORAL WORKS NOT INCLUDED IN Ellen Grolman Schlegel’s Emma Lou Diemer: A Bio-Bibliography...... 106 APPENDIX B: SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS ...... 108 Figure 26 – Photograph of Jennifer Morgan with Emma Lou Diemer – 1 March 2005 – Diemer’s house – Santa Barbara, California...... 108 Figure 27 – Photograph of Jennifer Morgan – 1 March 2005 – Diemer’s house – Santa Barbara, California ...... 109

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CHAPTER ONE: EMMA LOU DIEMER: BIOGRAPHY, SUMMARY OF CHORAL OUTPUT, PREFACE TO CONDUCTOR’S GUIDES

The youngest of the four children of George Willis Diemer and Myrtle Casebolt Diemer,

Emma Lou Diemer was born at home on Thanksgiving morning, 24 November 1927. The

Diemers lived in Kansas City, Missouri, where George Diemer was president of Kansas City

Teacher’s College. Myrtle Casebolt Diemer was a teacher and musician and “established the

musical environment in the Diemer’s Kansas City, and later, Warrensburg homes.”1 Their household included her parents and her siblings, Dorothy, George, Jr., and John; Lizzie Casebolt,

Emma Lou’s maternal grandmother moved in with the family after Emma Lou was born. Lizzie had been an organist and emphasized the importance of music. All of the Diemer children took piano lessons, as well as learned a secondary instrument.

Musical performance was a family affair, and at an early age Emma Lou began to

participate in the music-making:

Emma Lou listened to the music-making around her and to the music from the radio and the Victrola in the dining room. She listened, and then she reproduced what she heard on the family’s Steinway. At the age of five, Emma Lou reproduced Paderewski’s Minuet after several hearings.2

Diemer began her piano study with Mrs. Mabel Payton. Playing piano was not Emma Lou’s only

interest at the time; musical composition began to be an important part of her life. “By the time

Emma Lou was six years old, she had begun composing her own pieces, Mrs. Payton transcribing the works onto paper as Emma Lou played.”3

1 Ellen Grolman Schlegel, Emma Lou Diemer: A Bio-Bibliography, Bio-Bibliographies in Music, Series Adviser Donald L. Hixon, no. 84 (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2001), 2.

2 Ibid., 3.

3 Ibid. 10

When she was ten, Emma Lou’s family moved to Warrensburg, Missouri, where her

father became President of Central Missouri State Teachers’ College. After their relocation:

A young, brilliant, female pianist from Poland visited the Diemer’s home and made a very strong impression on the young composer. Several years later, confident of Emma Lou’s talent, visiting pianist Edmund Gershefsky recommended that she enroll in the Yale School of Music for advanced study.4

Diemer continued to devote time to practicing and composing; this serious approach to

music led to her composition of two piano concertos by the age of fifteen. Wiktor Labunski,

Emma Lou’s second piano teacher and Kansas City Conservatory Director, taught her lessons

from 1943 until 1945. At the same time, “she studied organ at Central Missouri State University with Edna Scotten Billings, organist and choirmaster of Grace and Holy Trinity Church in

Kansas City.”5 Diemer also began composition study with Gardner Read at the Kansas City

Conservatory. In 1945, she was named valedictorian of her graduating class at College High

School in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Emma Lou’s undergraduate study was wide-ranging from her initial enrollment at the

Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York in 1945 to her transfer to Central Missouri

State Teacher’s College, where her father had developed a new Bachelor of Music program.

After one year at each previous school, she proceeded to Yale University School of Music in

New Haven, Connecticut, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in 1949. Diemer was

awarded her Master of Music degree from Yale in 1950. During her study there, Emma Lou

studied composition with Richard Donovan (1891-1970) and counterpoint with Paul Hindemith

(1895-1963) and won the Woods Chandler Prize for composition. After her Yale years, Diemer

spent a year teaching piano, organ, and counterpoint at Northeast Missouri State Teachers’

College in Kirksville, Missouri, and served as organist at the Wornall Road Baptist Church in

4 Ibid., 5.

5 Ibid., 6. 11

Kansas City. Commuting between Kansas City and Warrensburg, Diemer filled her time

composing, teaching piano privately, and performing recitals.

From September 1952 until June 1953, Diemer was a Fulbright Fellow in composition

and piano at the Brussels Conservatoire in Belgium. There she studied piano with André

Dumortier and composition with Jean Absil. Upon her return to the United States in 1953, Emma

Lou taught piano and organ at the Annie Wright Seminary/Episcopal Girls’ School in Tacoma,

Washington, where she was also chapel organist and dance-class accompanist. After a year in

Washington, Diemer returned to Warrensburg where she held a number of part-time teaching jobs; she taught piano at Kansas City Conservatory, counterpoint at Park College in Parkville, piano and organ at William Jewell College in Liberty. She was also the organist at Central

Presbyterian Church in Kansas City. In the summers surrounding her year in Warrensburg,

Emma Lou received Tanglewood scholarships in composition for study at the Berkshire Music

Festival in Tanglewood, Massachusetts. Her teachers there include Ernst Toch (1887-1964) and

Roger Sessions (1896-1985).

Emma Lou continued to teach and compose, and in September 1957, she enrolled in the

Ph.D. program in composition at the Eastman School of Music, receiving a tuition scholarship

there from 1957-59. During her doctoral studies, Diemer studied composition with Bernard

Rogers (1893-1968) and Howard Hanson (1896–1981) and took organ lessons from David

Craighead (b. 1924). During her time at Eastman, Emma Lou received another composition

award, the Arthur Benjamin Award for orchestral music. While participating in the Young

Composers’ Program, Diemer received her Ph.D. in composition from Eastman in 1960.

In September 1959, the Ford Foundation and the National Music Council created a new

composer-in-residence program in which twelve composers would be connected with twelve

school systems across the nation. This Young Composers’ Program (YCP) operated from 1959-

1973. In 1962, it became the Contemporary Music Project for Creativity in Music Education 12

(CMP), and in 1968, the Music Educator’s National Conference (MENC) became responsible for its administration until the program’s termination. Diemer biographer, Ellen Grolman Schlegel,

aptly summarizes the benefits of YCP:

For composers beginning their professional careers, regular access to large ensembles for performances of their works was difficult, if not impossible. The YCP’s participating schools provided the choral and instrumental ensembles, as well as the proximity to the ensembles’ directors and members. The composers honed their skills, improved their writing, and regularly heard their works performed. The student musicians, almost none of whom had had personal contact with a composer, now observed the birth and evolution of a creator, expanded their repertoire and benefited from the presence of another musician in their lives.6

Emma Lou was one of the twelve composers chosen in the first year of the program, and

her residency was in Arlington, Virginia, a city boasting three senior high schools and six junior

high schools with an orchestra in every school. The first and only female composer that year in

the YCP, Diemer was among composers such as Philip Glass and Peter Schickele. In addition,

she was the only YCP composer to be offered a second year placement with her participating

school system. In 1960, Emma Lou wrote the first of her choral-orchestral works, To Him All

Glory Give, based on a text by her sister, Dorothy Diemer Hendry. This single-movement

anthem was written and orchestrated for Arlington’s Washington-Lee High School Choir, under

the direction of Dorothy Baumle. During this placement, Emma Lou also became involved in the

Arlington community as organist at Little Falls Presbyterian Church.

In 1962, the Church of the Reformation (Lutheran) in Washington, D.C. engaged Diemer

as organist. Emma Lou continued to compose, accepting commissions for chamber music.

Returning to the schools in 1964, she served for a year as composer-consultant under the

Contemporary Music Project (CMP) of the Music Educators National Conference in the school

systems of Arlington, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. At the same time, Diemer was teaching

6 Ibid., 12. 13

piano at the University of Maryland in College Park. In 1965, the University of Maryland

appointed her to teach theory and composition substituting for a professor on leave. She was

presented a University of Maryland Creative Arts Grant the same year. Two years later, Emma

Lou became a full-time faculty member at the University of Maryland, teaching composition,

theory, eighteenth-century counterpoint, contemporary analytical techniques, and orchestration.

In 1969, Diemer received a National Federation of Music Clubs/ASCAP Award for choral and instrumental music (for high school and college). She remained at the University of Maryland until 1970, the same year her next choral-orchestral work premiered.

Anniversary Choruses, a three-movement work for mixed chorus and orchestra, was

commissioned for the 1970 celebration of the Tricentennial Anniversary of the founding of

South Carolina. The texts are from Psalms 101 and 81 (King James Version) and poets Henry

Timrod and Archibald Rutledge; the work was premiered by the South Carolina All-State Chorus

and Orchestra under the direction of Dwight Gustafson. In 1971, Emma Lou moved to California

where she was appointed Professor of Theory and Composition at the University of California,

Santa Barbara (UCSB). The next year, she was awarded a university research grant with which

she created an electronic and computer music lab at UCSB. She became Assistant Director of the

Electronic Music Lab in 1973. Diemer’s attention turned to the development and promotion of

electronic music and “one of her most enduring legacies to UCSB is now called CREATE, The

Center for Research in Electronic Art Technology.”7

In 1973, Emma Lou became organist at the First Church of Christ Scientist in Santa

Barbara