Video #7
Tom and Grace discuss the many musicals and operas that Bill arranged for CEG with each one becoming more complex, involving more characters, and longer scripts. Grace talks about the one time she took Bill to the movies and revels his surprising reaction. This is the only video to include an audio of Bill talking as he introduces "Your Were There" by Noel Coward, a piece in which Bill arranged a horn part for himself to complement the tenor and piano.
In this final installment of the "Remembering Bill" videos, the credits use the final bars of Karl Kroeger's Estampie! Perhaps you've been wondering how this piece actually ends . . .
These video conversations were made possible by a grant from the City and County of Broomfield's Arts Culture and Science funding program.
Video #6
In this penultimate video of the "Remembering Bill" series, Grace relates the ongoing gift of music that Bill gave to the young students associated with Chamber Ensemble con Grazia. He happily played small or large pieces so that CEG could accomplish its mission of training young musicians in the art of playing chamber music. Although this part of Bill's life was long after his retirement from the CU-Boulder College of Music, he continued to touch young musicians with his passion for music.
Video #6
In this penultimate video of the "Remembering Bill" series, Grace relates the ongoing gift of music that Bill gave to the young students associated with Chamber Ensemble con Grazia. He happily played small or large pieces so that CEG could accomplish its mission of training young musicians in the art of playing chamber music. Although this part of Bill's life was long after his retirement from the CU-Boulder College of Music, he continued to touch young musicians with his passion for music.
Video #5
Tom and Grace pay homage to Bill Kearn's close friend, Karl Kroeger, talking of the many compositions Karl gifted to Chamber Ensemble con Grazia. These pieces include "King David's Prayer" for soprano, horn and piano; "Valentines" for voice and piano; "Metaphors" for soprano and piano; "The Horn of Roland" (aka Song of Roland), and arrangements of "Billings Songs" for voice and piano. Throughout the conversation Tom highlights Karl's interest in William Billings, his work as Director of the Moravian Music Foundation, and his tenure at the University of Colorado-Boulder as the Music Librarian for the College of Music, which was Karl's most recent association with Bill. Grace describes Bill's dedication to Zeta Zeta, the Denver area Alumni chapter of Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity, in which he was inducted as a Local Patron and faithfully played for the group every year.
In this video you'll hear a performance of "Psalm," the second movement from "The Horn of Roland." The opening and closing fanfare for solo horn covers a wide range for the instrument, spotlighting the heroic nature of the instrument.
Not mentioned in this video: Bill and Karl's habitual tennis matches!
Video #4
With a graduate degree in Composition, Bill frequently wrote music or created arrangements for CEG music-making. In this video you'll hear Bill's composition, "Three Poems of Emily Dickinson" for horn and narrator. Further along in the conversation we reveal a holiday tradition and also Bill's favorite poet!
From Bill's library: a well-used volume by his favorite poet.
Video #3
In this episode, we hear the story of how Bill Kearns encouraged Tom Riis to come to the University of Colorado-Boulder as Director of the American Music Research Center. Familiar names associated with the AMRC conversation include Normand Lockwood, Wayne Scott, Sister Mary Dominic Ray, Kay Norton, Larry Worster, Susan Porter, Karl Kroeger and Dan Kingman. In addition to other instruments, did you know Bill played the trumpet? Our remembrances turn to composer and inventor Cecil Effinger with the performance "Rondino," his only piece for horn and piano, in addition to stories about his Tempo Watch and Music Writer (typewriter).
Video #2
This conversation centers around Charles Eakin and his presence in Bill's musical life. Included in this video is Bill's performance of "Soliloquy" for solo horn which was Charlie's contribution to Bill's Festschrift discussed in the first video. Other friends remembered here are Luis Gonzales and Bob Fink, plus Larry Worster's gift for computer training. Did you know that Bill liked to play jazz horn? Tom and Grace discuss the Ossabaw Artist Colony and Sophia's role as Artist for CEG.
Photo Gallery
Kathy Kearns sent these photos of Bill playing his horn at Ossabaw Artist Colony and playing tennis in the snow!
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Remembering Bill
Video #1
In this initial video conversation honoring Bill Kearns, Grace recalls her first program with Bill in the summer of 1996 and the beginning of their collaboration. Tom Riis discusses Bill’s Festschrift, composer Daniel Kingman and the Altissimo Orchestra. Viewers may once again hear the warm, rich quality of Bill’s playing in the musical offering of Dan Kingman’s majestic “Mountain Calls” for horn and piano.
Chamber Ensemble con Grazia
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