Utah’s Music Man

1. Utah’s Music Man By Patricia Simister

2. Ebenezer Beesley • Songster • Choir Director • Composer • Violinist • Shoemaker • President of Beesley Music Company • Musical Artist

3. “The beauty of the Land”Ebenezer Beesley, (LDS Biographical Encyclopedia Vol.1 pl 739) Born in Oxfordshire, England December 14, 1840

4. Saint George's Chapel in Windsor England Invited to train as a choir boy and reside at the St. George Chapel. His parents declined the invitation.

5. Baptismal Record Baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints September 2, 1849

6. Immigrated to the Salt Lake Valley Married Sarah Hancock on March 26, 1849 and arrived by hand-cart on September 4, 1859. Ten children were born of this union.

7. Musician Studied the violin under professors C. Thomas and G. Careless

8. Conductor Directed church choirs, symphonies and orchestras

9. Sunday School Ebenezer was the “Juvenile Instructor.” (LDS Biography page 740) His task was to write, compose and print LDS devotional music

10. First Hymn Book published in 1836 It contained ninety hymns with textonly.

11. ! Confusion ! How could they know which music accompanied each hymn?

12. Confusion solved in 1889 Now all could sing with words and music. This is the revised and enlarged edition published in 1902.

13. his name became well-known Beesley

14. Leader and Member An accomplished violinist and director for the Salt Lake Theatre Orchestra. Ebenezer is seated 2nd from the left.

15. Second Marriage April 19, 1869 to Annie F. Buckeridge. Fathered 17 children.

16. Director Of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Became the seventh conductor and served from 1880-1889.

17. 11 of his hymns are in today’s hymn book • High on the Mountain Top • What Glorious Scenes Mine Eyes Behold • The Happy Day at Last Has Come • God of Our Fathers, We Come unto Thee • Great is the Lord • Sing we Now at Parting • Tis Sweet to sing the Matchless Love • Reverently and Meekly Now • Let us Oft Speak Kind Words • Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning • We Meet Again in Sabbath School

18. Viewing Differences Notice the changes of his works from 1902 to 1985

19. Reverently and Meekly nowTune Name - Meekly 1902 1985

20. Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath MorningTune name 1902 1985

21. Sing we Now at PartingTune Name - Parting 1902 1985

22. HIGH ON A MOUNTIAN TOPTUNE Name - Deseret 1902 1985

23. Listening Guide Take a listen to one of the most loved hymns of all time.

24. High on a Mountain Top Published in 1856 (link to You Tube: Mormon Tabernacle Choir) • 0:00 Organ introductions with a pick up note. Organ playing higher register then adds lower bass. • 0:12 Trumpets playing melody join in still playing introduction. Whole brass section is added to accompany trumpets and give full powerful beginning. • 0.24 Strings are added, notice a light run in back ground . Trombones join in with kettle drums and cymbals. • 0.36 Whole choir enters with first verse. Very strong playing at forte volume. The trumpet section makes a strong statement with the faster notes in the background. • 0.57 Kettle Drums roll in. Trumpets and brass section play section of music as in section 0.12, this connects the interlude to introduction. • 1.18 Whole orchestra decrescendos. • 1.20 Women’s voices sing 2nd verse. • 1.26 Piccolo is added in the background with orchestra. • 1.43 Trumpets and brass section play interlude as and 0.58 • 2.09 Music crescendos and kettle drums bring in 3rd verse.

25. Continues BOLD MELODY • 2.11 Men sign 3rd verse. • 2.16 French horns are brought in background play melody first while Horns start to play a counter melody. • 2.30 Return to the Trumpets and brass section interlude with entire orchestra. • 2.44 More French Horns are added to bring back the counter melody that was recently introduced. • 2.53 Crescendo with symbols and Kettle drum brings in entire choir. • 2.54 Whole choir joins in forte crescendo to sing 4th verse. • 3.03 More percussion and symbols come in to make it a powerful verse ending. Listen closely, with all of the strength of the percussion a light piccolo is introduced thus making such a strong contrast. • 3.17 Choir holds last note for 6 counts while the trumpets, brass and orchestra bring in the interlude once more. • 3.32 Trumpet hits high note bringing with it much strength and drama. • 3.33 – 4.07 Choir repeats first line followed by two amen’s. Holding the amen’s and putting a fermata on the end, while the choir and orchestra comes to a double forte and ending with Kettle drum and symbols. This is a powerful arrangement only compliments this bold melody.

26. Another season Taught music in Tooele & Lehi Utah

27. Carried on Worked with youth choirs and symphonies. Per formed with the Salt Lake City Orchestra.

28. Obituary Died 21 of March 1906 in Salt Lake City, Utah

29. Tribute • British immigrant • Mormon Pioneer • Psalmody • Conductor • Musician • Composer • Utah’s music man

30. Bibliography • Biography of Ebenezer Beesly 1840- (Britsh Mormon Historical Society, http://www.mormonhistory.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=112&itemid=88) • Calman, Charles Jeffery. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Harper & Row publishers, New York, 1817 • Cornmall, J. Spencer. Stories of our Mormon Hymns. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1975) • Davidson, Karen Lynn. Our Later-day Hymns: The stories and the Messages. Salt Lake City, 1988. • Harrison, Conrad B. Five Thousand Concerts: A commemorative History of the Utah Symphony. Salt Lake City, 1986 • Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 1985 • Jenson, Andrew. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol.1. Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 1961 • Meikle, VernitaBeesley. Papers of Ebenezer Beesley [ca. 1950] Call # MS 20331 Special thanks to the Church History Library.