Evan Stephens the Children Sang

TIIE CHILDNPru SAI\G The Life )Iusic #U Evan Stephens The Children Sang The Life and Music of Evan Stephens with the Mormon Thbernacle Choir by Ray L. Bergman Edited and Cover Design by James Van Treese Northrvest Publishing Inc. 5949 South 350 West Salt Lake Citv. UT 84107 gor-zo6-ssoo lll TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface and Acknowledsements Abbreviations xiii Copyright O 1992 NPI Chapter 1. Bittersweet Triump I Chapter 2. Evan Bach t9 Northwest Publishing Inc. Chapter 3. The Thousand Mile Walk JI 5949 South 350 West Chapter 4. The Children Sang 59 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 Chapter 5. Teacher, Student, Impressario 79 801-266-5900 Chapter 6. The Tabernacle Choir r07 Chapter 7. The Choir Travels 131 International Copyright S ecured Chapter 8. The Choir, Contests, Committees, and Controversy I6T Chapter 9. Sarah Daniels 179 Chapter 10. The Indefatigable Composer 19l Chapter I l Traveler and Enterpriser 20r Reproductions in any manner, in whole or in part, Chapter 12. The Later Years 2r7 in English or in other languages, or otherwise Samuel Bailey 225 without the prior written perrnission of the Chapter 13. Letters to Mitton - publisher is prohibited. Chapter 14. A Shepherd Boy from the Hills z+t^a All rights reserved. End Notes 257 Appendix 271 Bibliography 275 Index rsBN #1-880416-38-7 Printed In the United States of America IV Preface The Lost Monument At the funeral services for Evan Stephens on 31 October 1930, the Professor, as he was known throughout his life, was eulogized as having "done more than any other person toward musical progress of the Church and State." Yet, only nineteen of his eighty-four compositions in the 1927 L.D .5. Hymn book are now included in the I 98 5 Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the 1989 L.D.S. publication of the Children's Song Book not one of Stephens's numerous songs composed for young people in the church is included. The annals of his life as a composer, teacher and humani- tarian are buried in the yellowing pages and microfilms of early newspapers and church magazines; short chapters in a few books published thirty to sixty years ago line the shelves of special-collections areas in libraries and archives; and a couple of contemporary music treatises. In May 1 966 the Professor's white Victorian frame home- his beloved Pine Lodge-at 1966 South State Street in Salt Lake City, was converted into rubble by a heavy clamshell diggerto make way for an expanded Evergreen Motel parking lot. The historic home had been offered to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a memorial if it were moved, but the offer had been declined. vl vii Finally, in 1972, a monument which had been dedicated in 1927 featuring Evan Stephens's chorus of 6,000 children singing his "O Noble Mother Pioneer," was bulld ozedto make way for a swimming pool at the Graystone Condominiums. In the twenties, the huge celebration was an impressive "first", yet few historians know of it now. All of these factors have motivated the compilation of Stephens's life story. On that special Sunday morning in 1927 a flock of Cali- fornia gulls, disturbed from their feeding, were squawking overhead, scolding the throng which moved through the streets of Sugarhouse, a suburb of Salt Lake City. In a fan- shaped formation, 6,000 children dressed in their Sunday-best were marching from the nine chapels of Granite L.D.S. Stake to sing under the direction of Evan Stephens at what the Deseret News of 4 June 1927 described as "one of the most picturesque celebrations ever designed to honor the sturdy pioneers of Utah and recall those days of toil and strife through which brave hearts struggled until they had laid secure the foundations of a great civilization". A monument to the Pioneer Mother was to be unveiled on Hyrum Jensen's estate on27th South at Highland Drive.r Evan Stephens tn Professor Stephens, then in his seventy-third year, had the parlor of his composed the new chorus for the dedication of a monument home, Pine Lodge. and fountain to the memory of Mary Fielding Smith, mother Circa 1910. Photo of President Joseph F. Smith of the Church of Jesus Christ of fromLibrary, Utah Latter-day Saints, and to pioneer womanhood. Over 12,000 Historical Society persons jammed the parking lot which was bordered by brilliant hued flower beds and a circle of poplar trees. The Mary Fielding children in the huge chorus had been trained in their own Ward Smith's home as Primaries and assembled for a rehearsal and the perforrnance. moved to Pioneer The popular 38th Infantry Band, directed by L. A. Yost, Trails State Park. accompanied the chorus and congregational singing. Attired in his usual tight-fitting black suit with high-cut vest and black bow tie, Evan Stephens "led with up-beats, viii lx Wendell J. Ashton described vigorously and inspirin Ely )'' As conffibuted by the children of Granite Stake Primary. "His seemed better fitted for gripping a hayfork him, hands A tiny one-room cabin built of adobe bricks stood behind fact, most of his features had rather a rustic than a baton. In the plaque. Mary Smith had built the house herself as early as his forehead, his nose, his mouth, his neck and his breadth: 1 849 and had lived there with her own children as well as those eyes were deeply set, and his head, except shoulders. His large of Jerusha Smith, who had died before crossing the plains to life. Professor for short tufts on the sides, was bald most of his Zion. Stephens was not impressively portly nor trimly thin. Instead, In 1972 Mary Smith's cabin was ntoved at the request of stature bore the homey blessedness of an honest farmer, his President Joseph Fielding Smith of the L.D.S. Church to you wouldenvisioninblue denim ratherthan a conductor's one Pioneer StatePark, east of SaltLakeCity. The Jensen property suit." 3 dress was then commercially developed into condominiums and The dedication program also included the pioneer hymn, offices, which are currently occupied. Although Melvin Jensen, Come Ye Saints" by William Clayton, sung by the "Come, current owner of the property claims the bronze plaque was assemblage; and a new composition of Stephens's entire destroyed at that time, one runlor suggests that it was moved a After the dedicated to Mrs. Smith and sung by ladies' chorus. to downtown Salt Lake City behind the historic Kimball by Nephi L. Morris, president of the Salt dedicatory address Apartments. But no trace of the monument remains there nor dedicatory prayer pronounced by Elder Lake Stake, and the in many other sites investigated. Fielding Smith, a grandson of Mary Fielding Smith, Joseph Nevertheless, the tribute of 12,000 Utahns to their pioneer "Doxology" was President Heber J. Grant and the sung. ancestors and to Evan Stephens must not be forgotten. His H. Dern also spoke. Governor George music represented pioneer life because "it had a pinch of ceremonies, the members of the Adding color to the sagebrush in it." a Granite Stake Primary Board and the ward presidencies were From the beginning of his musical career in Willard, Utah, in pioneer costumes, many of which had been rescued dressed Professor Stephens developed his own method of instruction basements and attics where they had been stored by the from and taught thirty thousand relatively unschooledfarm children pioneer settlers of the community who had worn original to read music and sing with utmost comprehension. His them. participation in the 1927 celebration was typical of his career bronze plaque, sculptured by Gilbet Riswold A five-foot in directing children's choruses of up to twelve hundred columns, was unveiled by and cemented between cobblestone trained singers. He thrilled to the euphony of hundreds of Jensen's granddaughter, Yvonne James, flanked by a Hyrum young voices lifted in the songs of Zion as well as operatic years of age group of nine Trailbuilders-boys nine to eleven choruses and selections frorn the religious works of Europe. wearing green-visored skull caps and V-shaped felt bandelos' Never satisfied with the mediocre, he donrinated his singers group. Eleven older The author of this work was antong the though he sometimes was uiticized for his inflexibility. gowns represented the various attributes of girls in long white Stephens's fascinating lifetime in "musical matters," as he gratitude, sacrifice, the pioneer mother including courage, was wont to describe his activities, is the subject of the through pennies love, etc. The monument had been financed chapters that follow. He conducted choirs and choruses of x xi both children and adults in Utah and other western states and Stephens said, "What he has accomplished . since the age of seven major Mormon Tabemacle Choir tours in this directed eighteen in advancing the community in musical matters, and country to the east and west coasts. He composed some seven the many, many scores of wonderfully interesting experiences songs, hymns, anthems, cantatas, operas, and ar- hundred attending the work would fill volumes, much of which will be rangements. The mountains of the American West reminded made known and written up in later histories in due time, with him his native Wales, and he wrote of them in such songs of likely some of his sweet songs, and many musical selections as "I-Jtah, We Love Thee" and "O Happy Homes Among the 7 as yet but little known. " Hopefully this volume will meet the Hills." challenge and provide inspiration and insight to readers.

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