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Fay Foster

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Fay Foster (November 8, 1886 – April 17, 1960) was an American pianist, composer, and teacher.

Biography

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Foster was born in Leavenworth, Kansas on November 8, 1886. She was a child prodigy, performing publicly by the age of 5, and professionally as organist and choir director by age 12. In Chicago she studied piano under William Hall Sherwood, voice under Mme Dove-Boitte, and theory with Frederick Grant Gleason.[1] At the age of 17 she went on a national tour playing the piano for Sherwood's Grand Opera Company. Following her Chicago studies, at the age of 19, she was appointed director of the Grand Prairie Seminary's Conservatory of Music in Onarga, Illinois.[2] In 1897 she opened a studio in Chicago's Steinway Hall to teach piano and theory.[3]

In 1899 she travelled to Europe for twelve years, studying further under Heinrich Schwartz, Moritz Rosenthal, and Sofie Menter in Munich, and under Theodore Wiehmeyer, Alfred Reisenauer, and Salomon Jadassohn at the Leipzig Conservatory.[2][4] She studied singing under Siga Garso, Hans Weinhoppel and Alexander Heinemann. She performed opera for two years in Italy.

In 1910, Berlin's Die Woche sponsored an international contest for a waltz modelled on the Blue Danube. Her waltz "The Prairie Flower" (originally titled "Sit Illi Terra Levis"), judged by a panel headed by Johann Strauss III, won second prize out of 4,222 submissions.[5]

In early 1911 she returned to Kansas City to be with her sick father. Soon afterward she settled in New York City, establishing educational studios in Manhattan and in Hempstead. She divided her time between composing, teaching, and recital/accompanist work. She founded and directed the Foster Choral Club in Hempstead, Long Island.[6] She taught voice at the American Institute of Applied Music.[7] With two of her AIAM colleagues Josef Berge and Gene Gravelle, she founded the Foster Trio vocal ensemble.[8] From 1923 to 1933 she taught at the Ogontz School in Rydall, Pennsylvania.[1][9]

Foster was a prolific song composer.[10] She won first place in the American Composers Competition in 1913.[11] Her song "Are You For Me or Against Me?" won a prize in 1919 from the New York American, a competition with over 10,000 applicants. Foster was the only woman composer to win a prize.[12]

Her song "The Americans Come (An Episode in France in the Year 1918)" was her most widely heard composition, having become part of the American post-WWI propaganda effort.[13] George Harris Jr. and Margaret Romaine sang it on their tour in support of Liberty Loans, and Pathé contributed sales of its recording by Paul Althouse to the war bond effort. Reinald Werrenrath recorded it for RCA Victor.[14] It had performances at New York Hippodrome by John McCormack, by Lotta Madden and several others at New York's Wanamaker's, by Yvonne de Tréville in Washington DC, and by Schumann-Heink and Theodore Van Yorx.[15][16] In 1930 the song was turned into a short film by Alfred Mannon and Elmer Clifton featuring Otto Matieson.[17]

She was a member of the Society of American Women Composers, Society of German Composers,[18] the youngest admitted member of the Chicago Manuscript Society, the Authors' League of America, the Guild of Vocal Teachers, and the Musicians, No Name, Gamut, and MacDowell clubs of New York.[1][19] She owned a summer home in Lavallette, New Jersey.[7]

Compositions

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Below is a non-comprehensive list of Foster's compositions.[20]

Title Instrumentation Comment
Prairie flowers Piano Won the 1910 International Waltz Competition in Berlin
Etude de Concert Piano Won first prize in an Etude contest
Petite Valse de Ballet Piano
Sunset in a Japanese Garden Piano
Women's Choruses Voice
The Honorable Chop-Sticks Voice
The Shadow of the Bamboo Fence Voice Lyrics by Lafcadio Hearn[21]
The Cruel Mother-in-Law Voice Lyrics by Lafcadio Hearn, dedicated to Anna Addison Moody.
The Red Heart Voice #1 of Two Japanese Sword Songs
A Nipponese Sword Song Voice #2 of Two Japanese Sword Songs
The Americans come: an episode in France in the year 1918 Voice Based on a poem by Elizabeth A. Wilbur published in Munsey's Magazine.[22][permanent dead link‍]
Dusk in June Voice
A Snow Song Voice
A Maiden Voice
Russian Doll Voice
In the carpenter shop Voice
Your kiss Voice Lyrics by Sara Teasdale[23]
Sol' Down de Stream[2] Voice Lyrics by Paul Lawrence Dunbar,[24] dedicated to Foster's father
Con Amore Voice Lyrics by Ray Clarke Rose[24]
My Journey's End Voice Lyrics by Florence Tarr (a student of Foster's)
Chains[25] Voice
Don't Want to Know[25] Voice
I Can Sing You a Song of Springtime[25] Voice
Five Songs of Childhood Voice Lyrics by Ray Clark Rose. One of the songs is Fairy Castles
Karma[25] Voice
Winter Voice Won 1st prize in New York's American song competition in 1914.[26] Lyrics by I. Zangwill.
The King Voice Lyrics by Horatio Winslow
Sing a Song of Roses Voice
My Menagerie Voice
A Kiss in Colin's Eyes[27] Voice Published by William A. Pond & Co
The Sheep in the Sky[27] Voice Published by William A. Pond & Co
One Golden Day Voice
Der Maler Voice Lyrics by A. Glück, English translation by Allen Monroe Foster, dedicated to Oscar Seagle who premiered the song.[28][29]
The Call of the Trail Voice Dedicated to Ethelynde Smith[30]
The Daughter Voice
Spinning Wheel Voice Also a prize winner in New York's American song competition in 1914.[31] Lyrics based on poetry of Alfred Perceval Graves.
Springtide of Love Voice Dedicated to Paul Althouse
In the Ilex Shadow Voice
If I Were the King of Ireland Voice
Peace, Ye Martyred Ones Voice
The Nightingales of Flanders Voice Lyrics by Grace Conkling
My Menagerie Voice Lyrics by Mrs. Elder from a poem found in The Youth's Companion. Dedicated to Louis Graveure.
O'er Bloomy Lands or Heather Voice
Secret Languages Voice Lyrics by Melville Chater. Dedicated to Kathleen Hart Bibb.
Swinging Voice
When Lovers Part Voice Lyrics by James. I. White
Love in Absence Voice
Louisiana Lullaby Choral
In the Carpenter's Shop[27] Choral Published by Oliver Ditson Company. Won a prize given by the Women's Federation of Music Clubs.[1]
A Little Boy's Dream[32] Choral The Etude from this chorus won a Theodore Presser prize
The Moon Lady, Chinese theme Opera
The Castaways[33] Operetta Libretto by Alice Monroe Foster
The Land of Chance[34] Operetta Book and lyrics by Alice Monroe Foster
Blue Beard Operetta

References

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  1. ^ a b c d The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. New York: James T. White & Company. 1926. p. 468.
  2. ^ a b c Foster, Fay (1912-01-01). "Sol' Down de Stream (voice and piano)". Dunbar Music Archive.
  3. ^ "Music in Chicago". The Musical Courier. XXXV (12): 17. September 22, 1897.
  4. ^ Foster, Fay (May 15, 1915). "Beauty and Eccentricity as Combined in Sofie Menter". Musical America. XXII (2): 13.
  5. ^ "WALTZ PRIZE FOR AMERICAN.; Miss Fay Foster Gets Second Award in Die Woche's Competition". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  6. ^ Musical America. Music Publications, Limited. July 17, 1915. p. 25.
  7. ^ a b "Studio Notes". The Musical Observer. XXV (9): 52. September 1926.
  8. ^ "Foster Trio a Decided Novelty". The Musical Observer. XXV (7): 33. July 1926.
  9. ^ "FAY FOSTER". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  10. ^ Pool, Jeannie G. (1979). "America's Women Composers: Up from the Footnotes". Music Educators Journal. 65 (5): 28–41. doi:10.2307/3395571. ISSN 0027-4321. JSTOR 3395571. S2CID 143442149.
  11. ^ Cohen, Aaron I. (1981). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. R. R. Bowker Company. p. 163. ISBN 0835212882.
  12. ^ Watt, Charles E., ed. (1920). "The Americans come". Music News. Vol. 12, no. 1. p. 20.
  13. ^ "SHOW 'DEVIL DOGS' IN TRAINING CAMP; Pictures of United States Marines Arouse Enthusiasmof Movie Audience.MAE MARSH IN NEW PLAYGeorge M. Cohan In "Hit-the-TrailHolliday" Has Great Chanceto Wave the Flag. George Cohan and Lots of Flags. Mae Marsh in New Play". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  14. ^ Rubin, Richard (2013). The last of the doughboys : the forgotten generation and their forgotten world war. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-0-547-84369-8. OCLC 850180181.
  15. ^ ""The Americans Come!" Booming - Fay Foster Presents Autographed Pathe Record to Purchaser of a $1,000 Liberty Bond". The Music Trades. LVI (16): 32. October 19, 1918.
  16. ^ ""The Americans Come!" Sung by McCormack". The Music Trades. LVI (22): 39. November 30, 1918.
  17. ^ Webb, Graham (2020). Encyclopedia of American short films, 1926-1959. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-3926-0. OCLC 1165386404.
  18. ^ Howes, Durward, ed. (1937). American Women. Vol. 2. Richard Blank Publishing Company. p. 237.
  19. ^ Green, Miriam Stewart (January 1976). "Consider These Creators". American Music Teacher. 25 (3): 9–12. ISSN 0003-0112. JSTOR 43537970.
  20. ^ Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers (2nd, revised and enlarged ed.). New York: Books & Music (USA), Inc. ISBN 0961748524. OCLC 16714846.
  21. ^ Sheppard, William Anthony (2019). Extreme exoticism : Japan in the American musical imagination. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 437. ISBN 978-0-19-007270-4. OCLC 1089258621.
  22. ^ Foster, Fay (1918). "Americans Come!". J. Fischer & Bro. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ^ Russell, Rebecca Straney (1999). A Study of Representative Musical Settings of the Poetry of Sara Teasdale by Josephine McGill, Fay Foster, Alice Barnett, Mabel Wood Hill, and Amy Beach (PhD thesis). Indiana University.
  24. ^ a b Sol' down de stream, New York: G. Schirmer, 1912, retrieved 2023-04-27
  25. ^ a b c d "Four Song Composers Who Have Made Outstanding Contributions to the Repertoires of Many Singers". The Etude. XLVI (6). June 1928.
  26. ^ "Philadelphia "Pop" Concerts a Success". Musical America. XXII: 45. May 22, 1915.
  27. ^ a b c "Books And Music". The Music News. 9 (36): 26. September 7, 1917.
  28. ^ "New Music - Vocal and Instrumental". Musical America: 36. October 23, 1915.
  29. ^ "Fay Foster Visits Musicolony, RI". Musical America: 27. August 14, 1915.
  30. ^ "Ethelynde Smith's Tour. Soprano Gives Recital in New Jersey on Way to West". Musical America. XXII (2): 21. May 15, 1915.
  31. ^ "Maverick-Foster Recital". Musical America: 30. July 17, 1915.
  32. ^ Musical Courier 1923-10-18: Vol 87 Iss 16. Summy-Birchard Publishing Company. 1923-10-18.
  33. ^ "Ideal Operettas and Cantatas from which to make selection now for spring productions". The Etude. XLIV (1). January 1926.
  34. ^ "Back Matter". Music Supervisors' Journal. 8 (3): 21–33. 1922. doi:10.2307/3382778. ISSN 1559-2472. JSTOR 3382778. S2CID 221071437.
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