On Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, Gena Branscombe's dramatic oratorio, Pilgrims of Destiny, will be performed for the first time since 1940. Director of Choral Activities at the University, Dan Ryan, will lead the performance.
Composed in the 1920s, the work won the National League of American Pen Women's National Composition award. It had its premiere performance in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1929. The work was well received and garnered good reviews. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Miss Branscombe conducted Pilgrims of Destiny across the country. Then, the work fell out of the classical music realm into obscurity.
Dan Ryan and I will be writing blog entries telling stories of our work bringing this dramatic oratorio back to life for next April's performance. Enjoy reading about our journey!
