by Jeanne Brossart and Canary Burton
as published in the IAWM Journal, February 1997, pp. 45-46.
WOMR is one of the few remaining grass roots, non-commercial, public-access, independent community radio stations in the country. In existence for nearly 15 years, this 6000-watt station broadcasts at 92.1 FM out of Provincetown, covering most of Cape Cod and the South Shore of Massachusetts. WOMR is staffed by some 70 volunteers who carefully plan all their own programs, whether spoken word or music. The youngest programmer is now a seasoned DJ of 11, but started at age 9. The oldest is 82. WOMR depends entirely on listener contributions and local business underwriting for its budget and on promotion copies of recordings for its library. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers who write to composers, performers and record companies requesting music, the station has a large and highly inclusive selection.
The dozen or so spoken-word programs produced in-house cover the arts, theater, politics, spirituality and cultural issues. Music not heard on commercial stations spans the world of sound: folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass, world beat, country, celtic, rock, children's music, marching band (probably the only program of its kind in the USA) and classical. Classical programs air Sunday through Friday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm with a different host and a unique flavor each day. In addition to the six three-hour programs, Canary Burton, who is a composer herself, hosts "The Latest Score" every Friday afternoon at four. On air for only one hour, Canary, flying by the seat of her pants, chooses edgy, envelope-pushing classical music to shock, inform and amuse her audience. Nothing she plays sounds remotely like "new age"music, and music with a dramatic architecture is dominant. Although she tries to keep the show equal regarding sex, she would like include more compositions by women and would appreciate CDs and tapes. Traditional instruments, voice, synthesizer, tape and electroacoustic compositions twenty years old or less are of particular interest.
Canary is an independent composer, having no ties to a school or university and relying on unrelated work to support her and her music. Earlier in her career, she was primarily interested in jazz and after being the first woman to be admitted into the composition program at the University of Idaho at Moscow, she formed three jazz bands and performed solo piano with them. Over the past 20 years, her compositional style has changed from its earlier jazz orientation to third stream and to classical romantic/contemporary. She uses both tonality and atonality, sometimes within the same piece. She has just completed a new work for Row Twelve, a group consisting of oboe, flute, piano and occasional speaker, to be premiered in 1997. Her compositions are frequently performed in the Boston and New England area, and she receives commissions from several performing groups.
Jeanne Brossart is the producer/host of "Listening to Women-& Men," which is heard every Tuesday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The program includes equal amounts of music by women and men composers, with an emphasis on living composers and other under-represented groups, such as African Americans. Jeanne includes a brief biographical description of each composer whose music she plays, and she likes to air interviews with composers, performers and others. Whenever possible, she broadcasts local concerts that she records. Jeanne is not a musician but a retired Assistant Professor of Public Health Nursing. In addition to hosting her music program, Jeanne is currently Acting Station Manager and is the station's chief sound engineer, responsible for the recording and post production work on most of the station's spoken-word programs.
Jeanne has counted more than 1,700 works by women composers in WOMR's classical music library-a number that she suspects may be record-setting. You can preview Jeanne's monthly program schedule on the world wide web at Composers, performers and others are invited to send CDs, LPs and high quality tapes to Canary Burton or Jeanne Brossart at WOMR, PO Box 975, Provincetown, MA 02657.
Works by Women Composers:
Aired 9/1/96-12/31/96 on WOMR 92.1 FM, Provincetown, MA Appledorn, Mary Jeanne van. Contrasts; Missa Brevis (CRS). Cycles of Moons & Tides; Incantations for Trumpet & Piano (Opus One)
Archer, Violet. Sonatina (Gasparo)
Aspen, Kristan & Janna MacAuslan. Blochsberg; Ocean Moon Chant; Scottish Suite (Lilac)
Bacewicz, Grazyna. Partita; Sonata no. 3; Sonata no. 4 (Cambria). String Quartet no.3 (United)
Bearer, Elaine L. The Nicholls Trio: A Musical; Biography of a Scientist; Toccata (Albany/ Troy)
Beath, Betty. Indonesian Diptych (VMM). Points in a Journey; River Songs (Jade)
Bonds, Margaret. Dry Bones (Koch)
Boulanger, Nadia. "Doute," "J'ai frappé" and "Le couteau" from Sept Melodies (VMM)
Buechner, Margaret. Erlkönig; Suite 2 from Phantomgreen; The Flight of the American Eagle (Nord-Disc)
Chaminade, Cécile. L'Eté (VMM)
Childs, Mary Ellen. Bright Faces (Innova)
Coolidge, Peggy Stuart. Rhapsody for Harp & Orchestra (Vox Box). Spirituals in Sunshine & Shadow (MHS)
Cox, Cindy Annice. Four Studies of Light & Dark (Capstone)
Cramer, Anna. Episode; Erwachen in den grellen Tag, op.4, no 1; Souvenir de Malmaison (Globe)
Diemer, Emma Lou. Encore (VMM)
Dinescu, Violeta. ..wenn der freude thrannen fliessen.. (GEMA)
Dring, Madeleine. American Dance; Danza Gaya (Cambria)
Eckhardt-Gramatté, Sophie-Carmen. Piano Sonata no. 5, E.126 (E-Gré Foundation). Sonata no. 6, E.130 (Altarus)
Giraud, Suzanne. Bleu et ombre (Capstone)
Gubaidulina, Sofia. In Croce (Wergo)
Hall, Juliana. "Splinter" from Theme in Yellow (VMM)
Hardin, Elizabeth. Lesson 5 in G (Hester Park)
Henderson, Moya. Sacred Site (Southern Cross)
Hildegard von Bingen. O virga ac diadema (Naxos). O vos angeli (Telarc)
Hindman, Dorothy E. drowningXnumbers (Living Music)
Holland, Dulcie. Meditations of Mary; Sonata; Sonatina (Jade)
Holmès, Augusta. Andromeda, Symphonic Poem; Poland, Symphonic Poem (Marco Polo)
Hyde, Miriam. Piano Concerto no. 2 in C-sharp minor; Village Fair (ABC Classics)
Jacquet de la Guerre, Elizabeth-Claude. Sonata no. 1 in D minor (Wildboar)
Kolb, Barbara. Three Lullabies (Bridge)
Landowska, Wanda. Bourrée d'Auvergne; The Hop (wedding folk song) (RCA Victor)
Larsen, Libby. In a Winter Garden (a choral work for Advent) (Pro Arte)
Maconchy, Elizabeth. Overture to Proud Thames (Lyrita)
Marlow, Janet. For Sound Reasons; Time Alone (Sesac)
Misurell-Mitchell, Janice. Alone Together (MMC)
Moore, Mary Carr. Lo We Shall See the Veil Withdrawn; L'Etoile du soir (Cambria)
Moore, Undine Smith. Before I'd Be a Slave (Leonarda). Come Down Angels; I Am in Doubt; Is There Anybody Here that Loves My Jesus (Koch). Love Let the Winds Cry; How I Adore Thee (U. of Mich. Records)
Price, Florence. Cotton Dance; "Nimble Feet" from Dances in the Canebrakes (Cambria). Three Negro Dances (NAU)
Schumann, Clara. Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 7 (Tudor)
Sirmen, Maddelena Lombardini. Concerto no. 1 for solo organ (Hester Park)
Suchy, Gregoria Karides. Twelve Greek Maxims (Capstone)
Sutherland, Margaret. Concerto for Violin & Orchestra; Concerto Grosso; Haunted Hills (ABC Classics)
Tailleferre, Germaine. Pastorale in A flat (Cambria). Sonata no. 1 for violin & piano (Northeastern)
Talma, Louise. Holy Sonnets-La Corona; The Leaden Echo & the Golden Echo; Voices of Peace (Vox Box). Toccata for Orchestra (CRI)
Thome, Diane. The Ruins of the Heart (Centaur)
Van de Vate, Nancy. Adagio & Rondo; An American Essay; Chernobyl; Concerto no. 1 for Violin & Orchestra; Dark Nebulae; Journeys; Six Etudes for Solo Viola; The Pond for SATB chorus a cappella; Voices of Women; How Fares the Night (VMM)
Van Ness, Patricia. Arcanae (Telarc)
Vieu, Jane. La belle au bois dormant (VMM)
Wallach, Joelle. Organal Voices (CRS). The Tiger's Tail (VMM)
Warren, Elinor Remick. Light the Lamps Up; "Tawny Days" from Singing Earth Cycle (Cambria)
Wendelburg, Norma. Sonata for Clarinet & Piano (CRS)
(2) "The Latest Score." Every Friday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm
Canary Burton, Producer and Host
Aderholdt, Sarah W. String Quartet (Leonarda)
Beach, Amy. Quartet for Strings (Leonarda)
Burton, Canary. Atlanta Sonata; Companion; Sometime After One; Tri-Tone; Sub-Rosa; Costa Brava; Sinuosity; Harbor; Meteor Shower; On the Rag; Turkey Too; Folksong for My Mother; Shri Rama; Gaia-Noon; Victoria's Harp; The Promise; Refugee; Clara Young; Nightfall in the City; Vaguely Monk; Solar Reflection; Hindquartal (tape)
Cox, Cindy Annice. Four Studies of Light and Dark (Capstone for SCI*)
Crawford, Ruth. Preludes; Piano Study in Mixed Accents (Coronet)
Denisch, Beth. Forth Project (Tape, SCI Conference)
Folio, Cynthia. Developing Hues (Capstone for SCI)
Hurley, Susan. Wind River Songs (Capstone for SCI)
Larson, Anna. The Listeners (Tape, SCI Conference)
Loman, Ruth. Five Ceremonial Masks (Coronet)
Marshall, Pamela. Cornwall Hunt (Tape, SCI Conference)
McIntosh, Diana. Go Between; Climb to Camp; The Arm of Dionysus; Processions; Playback; All in Good Time (Aurum)
Mishell, Kathryn. Poem for Solo Violin (Tape, SCI Conference)
Scheidel-Austin, Elizabeth. Five Sonnets from the Portuguese (Capstone for SCI)
Schonthal, Ruth. String Quartet (Leonarda)
Silsbee, Ann. Spirals (Northeastern)
Tann, Hillary. Doppelgänger (Capstone for SCI). Llef (Tape, SCI Conference)
Thome, Diane. Three Psalms (Capstone for SCI)
Velleri, Lucie. String Quartet no. 3 (Leonarda)
Vercoe, Elizabeth. Herstory II (Northeastern). The Varieties of Amorous Experience (Tape, SCI Conference)
Wallach, Joelle. Mourning Madrigals (Capstone for SCI)
Zallman, Arlene. Sei la terra aspetta (Tape, SCI Conference)
*SCI is the Society of Composers, Inc.
(1) "Listening to Women-and Men." Every Tuesday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Jeanne Brossart, Producer and Host