Helen Searles Westbrook
American musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helen Searles Westbrook (October 15, 1889 – 1967) was an American composer[1] and organist who appeared with Chicago Symphony.[2]
October 15, 1889
- Organist
- Composer
- Chicago Opera Company
- Central Church in Chicago
Helen Westbrook | |
|---|---|
| Born | Helen Searles October 15, 1889 |
| Died | 1967 (aged 77–78) |
| Occupations |
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| Organizations |
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Life
Westbrook was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts.[3] She began organ lessons at age eleven with her mother, who was also an organist.[4] Westbrook then studied with Arthur Dunham, Frank van Dusen, Wilhelm Middleschutte and Adolf Weidig at the American Conservatory, where she received a gold medal,[5] as well as a young American Artists award.[6] She married James Westbrook.
Westbrook was a theatre organist in Chicago. She played promotional concerts for the Hammond Organ Studios.[7] She played with the Chicago Opera Company under Bruno Walter,[8] as an organ soloist with Chicago Symphony, and on a WGN radio program for CBS which used her compositions "Dusk at Friendship Lake" and "Retrospection" as the program's theme songs. She was the music director at Central Church in Chicago.[9]
Westbrook was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)[10] and the Chicago Club of Women Organists.[11] She helped manage the club's "Florence B. Price Organ Composition Contest" in 1954.[12]
Through Replica Records, Westbrook released at least one 33 rpm recording ("Helen's Holiday"), as well as three 45 rpm recordings with Cecil Roy and Betty Barrie: 1) Buddy's Butterfly 2) The Thistle/Buddy's Garden 3) Christmas Eve/Plasco Toys.[13]
Compositions
Westbrook's compositions include:[14]
Organ
- Andante Religioso
- Chanson Triste
- Concert Piece in D
- Dusk at Friendship Lakeu (used as the theme song for a CBS radio program)
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- Intermezzo
- Laughing Sprites
- Lento[15]
- Melodie
- Menuett in Olden Style
- On the Ontonagon River
- Pastorale Scherzo[16]
- Poem for Autumn
- Retrospection,[17] (used as the theme song for a CBS radio program).[18]
- Waltz Circe
Vocal
- Alabaster
- Christ My Refuge (text by Mary Baker Eddy)[19]
- Hindu Cradle Song
- If You Call Me
- Invincible (text by Sarojini Naidu)[20]
- Magnificat (text by Helene Grossenbacher)
- March Beside Him, Lord
- Music I Heard With You (text by Conrad Aiken)[21]
- Six Indian Songs
- Solace (text by Josephine Hancock Logan)
- Wedding Prayer (text by Curt A. Mundstock)