In this slightly different instalment of Earmark, Kathleen Shimeta, the chair of the board of the Gena Branscombe Project gives us a bit of insight into the life and work of Gena Branscombe and her relationship to Canada. Kathleen, along with the Branscombe estate, have recently made Gena a posthumous Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre
When Gena Branscombe’s name is mentioned it is followed with “Canadian/American composer.” Though she lived the greater part of her life in the United States, she was first and always a Canadian. Her dedication to her country of birth was evident with her childhood memory of hearing a military band march by her childhood home in Picton. The brass instruments made an indelible impression on her entire life, for carved on her gravestone is, “She Walked to the Sound of Invisible Trumpets.” And, walk she did through a long career as a composer, conductor and leader of women composers.
Miss Branscombe’s life was dedicated to the highest standards of music making. Her early compositions written and published while a young woman in Canada, confirm she was a force of musical nature that was nurtured and encouraged by her Picton teachers. Her style, influenced by the late German Romantic period, reveals memorable melodies and rich harmonies. She had a deep knowledge for setting poetry to music. Her understanding of orchestration and writing for solo instruments was powerful. She was a renowned woman composer lost over time. We must bring Gena’s music back to the 21st century, promote the performance of her music and for Canada to foster her memory.
The Gena Branscombe Project is dedicated to bringing back this important woman composer. We offer yearly scholarships to a student composer, conductor and arts administrator. We are working to re-publish her music and to publish pieces in manuscript.
#BringingBackBranscomb
– Kathleen Shimeta, Board Chair – The Gena Branscombe Project