sai-national.org • SPRING 2016 • PAN PIPES 17
Branscombe. ese treasured items were nearly
60 years old. e memories and stories of their
conductor were ones of admiration, deep respect,
and of someone who held them together through
her gi of music. ese kind women have given
me their Choral memorabilia, including an
original manuscript. Never one to shy away from
being a trend-setter, her Branscombe Choral
programs included music of classical composers
as well as her colleagues and friends Virgil
omson, Amy Beach, Marion Bauer, Mabel
Daniels, and Eleanor Remick Warren. In a 1934
letter to Miss Branscombe, Mabel Daniels, aer
hearing her piece performed live on the radio
wrote,
"Please present my compliments to the
Branscombe Choral and tell them how delighted I
was to hear my "rough the Dark the Dreamers
Came" over the radio this morning. e volume,
intonation and expression were all splendid!"
2
During a time when all-American music
programs were not well-attended, Gena inspired
her Choral with challenging programs. In a 1948
review in e World Telegram she was cited as
follows:
POETRY IN SONG
BRANSCOMBE continued on page 18
Above, one thousand women performed at The Golden Jubilee Convention of the
General Federation of Women's Clubs in 1941. Below, the Branscombe Choral in
New York City, May 1949.
