Norman Scribner
Encyclopedia
Norman Orville Scribner is an American conductor
, composer
, pianist
, and organist
. He is most widely known as the founder of The Choral Arts Society of Washington, and as its artistic director for over 45 years.
clergyman appointed the year before he was born. While in high school, he would "rac[e] to the church at 4 a.m. each morning to practice scales," but following his father's death, "financial necessity compelled him to focus on more lucrative forms of music making: church jobs." He attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music
in Baltimore
, graduating with honors in 1961. He studied organ with Paul Callaway
and music theory with Walter Spencer Huffman. While still a student at Peabody, he formed a Baltimore Choral Society and "[s]o perfection-oriented was he that he held sectionals for a junior choir and rigorous auditions" for the Society.
In 1960, after "a stint in the Army," he accepted a position as musical staff assistant for the Washington National Cathedral
, choirmaster of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, and chapel organist for the St. Albans School for Boys
. (He served at St. Alban's Church until his retirement in 2007.) In 1960 he also joined the faculty at American University, serving there until 1963. He later joined the faculty at George Washington University from 1963-1969, and served on the faculty of the College of Church Musicians of Washington National Cathedral.
, a post he would hold until 1967. He conducted and took control of the Symphony's annual production of Handel
's Messiah
in 1963 after conductor Howard Mitchell
"was impressed by his ability and intensity." A 1964 profile in The Washington Post
described him as a "28-year old who looks, despite the glasses which occasionally slip down from his nose and give him the air of a beleaguered English professor, like a football player." It noted that for Scribner, doing music was "the complete life performing as pianist, organist, harpsichordist; directing as choir master at St. Alban's; teaching at George Washington University; conducting."
By 1970, Scribner was viewed as "the backbone of choral music in Washington." As a choral director, he received praise for his "exhaustive musical knowledge, his geniality and infectious fervor, and above all, his obsession with excellence." Moreover, local pianists spoke "of his ability at the keyboard in awe," with "his organ playing almost legendary." With funding from several grants received in 1970, the Choral Arts Society was able to retain Scribner on an annual salary for the first time, allowing him to "devote his full time to the post."
In 1971, Scribner assembled a professional choir (the "Norman Scribner Choir") for the premiere of Leonard Bernstein
's MASS, commissioned for the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
. He served for a season as chorus master of the Washington Opera
, and was a member of the Choral Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts
from 1974-1976.
In an unusual event on August 25, 1972, Scribner was directing a Kennedy Center performance of Ravel
's Introduction and Allegro
(for flute, harp, clarinet, and string quartet) when one of the harp's pedals broke. After asking the audience "with a fairly straight face ... 'Is there anyone in the house who repairs harps?'", he altered the program order in the hope of finding "another harp downstairs or if this harp has been fixed." However, a harpist from one of the military service bands was in attendance, returned home and retrieved his instrument while a Schubert
symphony was performed, and the concert was saved.
On September 12, 1974, he accompanied the violinist Eugene Fodor
at the White House
for a recital at a state dinner given by President Ford
for Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
.
, and is one of approximately 32 major choral organizations in the United States with annual budgets exceeding $1 million.
As artistic director, Scribner directs the chorus in its regular concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
and other locations in the Washington area. He also regularly prepares the chorus for guest appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra and other national and international orchestras. He has led the chorus on seven international tours (as of 2010), visiting Argentina
, Brazil
, England
, France
, Italy
, and Russia
. The Choral Arts Society has also produced or performed on at least sixteen commercially-released recordings during his tenure.
Scribner has announced that he will retire as artistic director of the Choral Arts Society on August 31, 2012.
), and the Choral Arts Society received a Grammy Award under his preparation in 1996.
He was named a Washingtonian of the Year by the Washingtonian
magazine in 1984. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Theological Seminary
in 2002, and the Peabody Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006. In 1998, Scribner received the District of Columbia Mayor's Arts Award for excellence in an artistic discipline.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
. He is most widely known as the founder of The Choral Arts Society of Washington, and as its artistic director for over 45 years.
Biography
Scribner was born on February 25, 1936 in Washington, D.C., the son of a MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
clergyman appointed the year before he was born. While in high school, he would "rac[e] to the church at 4 a.m. each morning to practice scales," but following his father's death, "financial necessity compelled him to focus on more lucrative forms of music making: church jobs." He attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music
Peabody Institute
The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a renowned conservatory and preparatory school located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets at Mount Vernon Place.-History:...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, graduating with honors in 1961. He studied organ with Paul Callaway
Paul Callaway
Paul Smith Callaway was a prominent American organist and choral conductor, particularly well-known for his thirty-eight years at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., between 1939–1977...
and music theory with Walter Spencer Huffman. While still a student at Peabody, he formed a Baltimore Choral Society and "[s]o perfection-oriented was he that he held sectionals for a junior choir and rigorous auditions" for the Society.
In 1960, after "a stint in the Army," he accepted a position as musical staff assistant for the Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
, choirmaster of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, and chapel organist for the St. Albans School for Boys
St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)
St. Albans School is an independent college preparatory school for boys in grades 4–12, located in Washington, D.C. The school is named after Saint Alban, traditionally regarded as the first British martyr. Within the St...
. (He served at St. Alban's Church until his retirement in 2007.) In 1960 he also joined the faculty at American University, serving there until 1963. He later joined the faculty at George Washington University from 1963-1969, and served on the faculty of the College of Church Musicians of Washington National Cathedral.
Rise to Prominence
Scribner first received significant public attention while serving as assistant organist at the Washington National Cathedral. A review of an organ recital in June 1963 observed that "[i]n the last few years a young musician in town has found the right climate to establish himself as one of those to whom musical leadership and responsibility will be given in years to come." That year, Scribner was appointed as staff keyboard artist for the National Symphony OrchestraNational Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1931, is an American symphony orchestra that performs at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.-History:...
, a post he would hold until 1967. He conducted and took control of the Symphony's annual production of Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
in 1963 after conductor Howard Mitchell
Howard Mitchell
Howard Mitchell was an American cellist and conductor. He conducted the National Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1969....
"was impressed by his ability and intensity." A 1964 profile in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
described him as a "28-year old who looks, despite the glasses which occasionally slip down from his nose and give him the air of a beleaguered English professor, like a football player." It noted that for Scribner, doing music was "the complete life performing as pianist, organist, harpsichordist; directing as choir master at St. Alban's; teaching at George Washington University; conducting."
By 1970, Scribner was viewed as "the backbone of choral music in Washington." As a choral director, he received praise for his "exhaustive musical knowledge, his geniality and infectious fervor, and above all, his obsession with excellence." Moreover, local pianists spoke "of his ability at the keyboard in awe," with "his organ playing almost legendary." With funding from several grants received in 1970, the Choral Arts Society was able to retain Scribner on an annual salary for the first time, allowing him to "devote his full time to the post."
In 1971, Scribner assembled a professional choir (the "Norman Scribner Choir") for the premiere of Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
's MASS, commissioned for the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
. He served for a season as chorus master of the Washington Opera
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera is an opera company in Washington, D.C., USA. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performances are now given in the Opera House of the John F...
, and was a member of the Choral Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
from 1974-1976.
In an unusual event on August 25, 1972, Scribner was directing a Kennedy Center performance of Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's Introduction and Allegro
Introduction and Allegro (Ravel)
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet was written by Maurice Ravel in 1905...
(for flute, harp, clarinet, and string quartet) when one of the harp's pedals broke. After asking the audience "with a fairly straight face ... 'Is there anyone in the house who repairs harps?'", he altered the program order in the hope of finding "another harp downstairs or if this harp has been fixed." However, a harpist from one of the military service bands was in attendance, returned home and retrieved his instrument while a Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
symphony was performed, and the concert was saved.
On September 12, 1974, he accompanied the violinist Eugene Fodor
Eugene Fodor
Eugene Nicholas Fodor, Jr. was the first American violinist to win the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.Fodor was born in Denver, Colorado. His first ten years of study were with Harold Wippler...
at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
for a recital at a state dinner given by President Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
for Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
.
The Choral Arts Society of Washington
Scribner founded The Choral Arts Society of Washington in 1965, and has served as its artistic director since that time. Since its founding, the Choral Arts Society has grown to become a prominent cultural institution in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and is one of approximately 32 major choral organizations in the United States with annual budgets exceeding $1 million.
As artistic director, Scribner directs the chorus in its regular concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
and other locations in the Washington area. He also regularly prepares the chorus for guest appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra and other national and international orchestras. He has led the chorus on seven international tours (as of 2010), visiting Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The Choral Arts Society has also produced or performed on at least sixteen commercially-released recordings during his tenure.
Scribner has announced that he will retire as artistic director of the Choral Arts Society on August 31, 2012.
Compositions
- The Nativity (1975) - premiered Dec. 20, 1975 by the Choral Arts Society of BaltimoreBaltimore Choral Arts SocietyThe Baltimore Choral Arts Society is a music organization in Baltimore, Maryland that manages a full orchestra, chorus and chamber chorus. Performance venues include the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, as well as Goucher College's Kraushaar Auditorium and frequent stops throughout...
under Theodore Morrison. - Love Divine (1984) - commissioned by the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
and premiered at its 1984 General Conference in Baltimore. - Song for St. Cecilia (1988) - commissioned by the British Institute and performed in concert at the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in 1988
Awards
Scribner received a co-nomination for a Grammy Award in 1973 (with Leonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
), and the Choral Arts Society received a Grammy Award under his preparation in 1996.
He was named a Washingtonian of the Year by the Washingtonian
Washingtonian (magazine)
Washingtonian is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, DC area since 1965. The magazine describes itself as "the magazine Washington lives by." The magazine's core focuses are local feature journalism, guide book-style articles, and real estate advice.-Editorial Content:Washingtonian...
magazine in 1984. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary , formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is the largest accredited Episcopal seminary in the United States. Founded in 1818, VTS is situated on an campus in Alexandria, Virginia, just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC. VTS...
in 2002, and the Peabody Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006. In 1998, Scribner received the District of Columbia Mayor's Arts Award for excellence in an artistic discipline.