The Ladies Speak Podcast - Gena Branscombe

 

The Gena Branscombe Project is happy to share the "The Ladies Speak" most recent podcast episode about Canadian/American composer Gena Branscombe. Our Co-Founder and Chair of the Project, Kathleen Shimeta, shares her journey through the life and music of Miss Branscombe.

Featured in this episode is a discussion of Pilgrims of Destiny - how and why Miss Branscombe composed her oratorio, the usage of leit motifs and the oratorio's history of performances.

As a leader of women in her era, Gena was not only a published composer, she was a conductor of her own Branscombe Choral, gave speeches around the country about American composers and in particular American Women Composers.

Below is the link to the podcast. Enjoy!

https://www.the-ladies-speak.com/episodes

WNYC - Pilgrims of Destiny

Gena Branscombe's dramatic oratorio, Pilgrims of Destiny, continues to gain interest with conductors seeking to find an orchestral score and piano/vocal scores.  We are excited that the 21st century will hear her beautiful music and tribute to America's pilgrims.

Recently WNYC published a blog about Pilgrims of Destiny written by Kathleen Shimeta.  In 1940, WNYC broadcast a live performance of Pilgrims with the composer conducting.   Read the blog and listen to the recording - the announcer, the beautiful music and wonderful soloists will take you back to an era not all that long ago!

Gena Branscombe | NYPR Archives & Preservation | WNYC

#BringingBackBranscombe

Continuing our work of promoting and performing the music of Canadian/American composer, Gena Branscombe, we now have a new website, The Gena Branscombe Project.  The link is below.


https://www.thegenabranscombeproject.com/

Pilgrims of Destiny will be published later this year and scores will be available for purchase.  We will keep you updated.

Many thanks to Dan Ryan for all of his hard work creating the new website.  

#BringingBackBranscombe

The Association of Canadian Women Composers invited Kathleen Shimeta to write an article about the April 2019 concert of Gena Branscombe's Pilgrims of Destiny conducted by Dan Ryan at Clark University.  Below is the hyperlink to the article which is on page 12.  

https://acwcweb.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/acwc_afcc-journal-fall-2019_winter-2020.pdf

#BringingBackBranscombe

Bringing Back Branscombe

Thanks to Dan Ryan for designing and wearing this hat at the NCCO8 conference.  

#BringingBackBranscombe

Pilgrims of Destiny at NCCO8

Future performances of Gena Branscombe's Pilgrims of Destiny are in the making.  November 7-9, conductor Dan Ryan attended the National Collegiate Choral Organization conference at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dan created and presented a poster about Gena Branscombe, the history of Pilgrims of Destiny and this past April's concert at Clark University.  With the interest generated from Dan's work, Gena's romantic American oratorio will be heard in colleges and cities across the country.

Thanks, Dan!

#BringingBackBranscombe

Pilgrims of Destiny and the Library of Congress

With the Clark University Pilgrims of Destiny performance in April, Gena Branscombe scholar Kathleen Shimeta was interviewed by the Library of Congress.  Below is the link to the interview.  Enjoy!

https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2019/07/inquiring-minds-rediscovering-one-of-americas-leading-songwriters/







#BringingBackBranscombe