Helen Searles Westbrook

Helen Westbrook
Helen Westbrook
Born	Helen Searles; October 15, 1889
Died	1967 (aged 77–78)
Occupations	Organist; Composer;
Organizations	Chicago Opera Company; Central Church in Chicago;

Helen Searles Westbrook (October 15, 1889 – 1967) was an American composer^[1] and organist who appeared with Chicago Symphony.^[2]

Life[edit]

Westbrook was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts.^[3] She began organ lessons at age eleven with her mother, who was also an organist.^[4] Westbrook then studied with Arthur Dunham, Frank van Dusen, Wilhelm Middleschutte and Adolf Weidig at the American Conservatory, where she received a gold medal,^[5] as well as a young American Artists award.^[6] She married James Westbrook.

Westbrook was a theatre organist in Chicago. She played promotional concerts for the Hammond Organ Studios.^[7] She played with the Chicago Opera Company under Bruno Walter,^[8] as an organ soloist with Chicago Symphony, and on a WGN radio program for CBS which used her compositions "Dusk at Friendship Lake" and "Retrospection" as the program's theme songs. She was the music director at Central Church in Chicago.^[9]

Westbrook was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)^[10] and the Chicago Club of Women Organists.^[11] She helped manage the club's "Florence B. Price Organ Composition Contest" in 1954.^[12]

Through Replica Records, Westbrook released at least one 33 rpm recording ("Helen's Holiday"), as well as three 45 rpm recordings with Cecil Roy and Betty Barrie: 1) Buddy's Butterfly 2) The Thistle/Buddy's Garden 3) Christmas Eve/Plasco Toys.^[13]

Compositions[edit]

Westbrook's compositions include:^[14]

Organ[edit]

Andante Religioso
Chanson Triste
Concert Piece in D
Dusk at Friendship Lakeu (used as the theme song for a CBS radio program)
Here Comes Santa Claus
Intermezzo
Laughing Sprites
Lento^[15]
Melodie
Menuett in Olden Style
On the Ontonagon River
Pastorale Scherzo^[16]
Poem for Autumn
Retrospection,^[17] (used as the theme song for a CBS radio program).^[18]
Waltz Circe

Vocal[edit]

Alabaster
Christ My Refuge (text by Mary Baker Eddy)^[19]
Hindu Cradle Song
If You Call Me
Invincible (text by Sarojini Naidu)^[20]
Magnificat (text by Helene Grossenbacher)
March Beside Him, Lord
Music I Heard With You (text by Conrad Aiken)^[21]
Six Indian Songs
Solace (text by Josephine Hancock Logan)
Wedding Prayer (text by Curt A. Mundstock)

References[edit]

^ Stern, Susan, 1953- (1978). Women composers : a handbook. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1138-3. OCLC 3844725.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Hennessee, Don A. (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
^ Klos, Lloyd E. (August–September 1980). "Theatre Organists as Composers Part II". Theatre Organ: 8.
^ Theatre Organ: Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society. American Theatre Organ Society. 1983.
^ Anderson, Ruth, 1928-2019. (1976). Contemporary American composers : a biographical dictionary. Boston: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-1117-0. OCLC 2035024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers (Second edition, revised and enlarged ed.). New York. ISBN 0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "Frances Shimer College Commencement". The Freeport Journal-Standard. June 3, 1937. p. 2.
^ Gruenstein, Siegfried Emanuel (1945). The Diapason. Scranton Gillette Communications, Incorporated.
^ "Theatre Organ: Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society". journals.shareok.org. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
^ McNamara, Daniel Ignatius (1948). The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors and Publishers. T. Y. Crowell Company.
^ Phillips, Ora E. (August 1, 1935). "Report of Club of Women Organists" (PDF). The Diapason. p. 22.
^ The Music Magazine/Musical Courier. 1953.
^ "Helen Westbrook". Discogs. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
^ Stewart-Green, Miriam. (1980). Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice. Boston, Mass.: G. K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-8498-4. OCLC 6815939.
^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1942.
^ Music Clubs Magazine: Official Organ. The Federation. 1958.
^ Buhrman, Thomas Scott (1948). American Organist. American Guild of Organists.
^ "Neil A. Kjos Music Co, For the Organ" (PDF). The Diapason. 35 (9): 2. August 1, 1944.
^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1956). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.
^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1970). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.
^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1955). Catalog of Copyright Entries. U.S. Government Printing Office.

External links[edit]

Helen Searles Westbrook discography at Discogs
Chikago Women Organists / Guests of Helen Westbrook The Diapason, 1 January 1945, p. 7

[1] Stern, Susan, 1953- (1978). Women composers : a handbook. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1138-3. OCLC 3844725.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[2] Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Hennessee, Don A. (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.

[3] Klos, Lloyd E. (August–September 1980). "Theatre Organists as Composers Part II". Theatre Organ: 8.

[4] Theatre Organ: Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society. American Theatre Organ Society. 1983.

[5] Anderson, Ruth, 1928-2019. (1976). Contemporary American composers : a biographical dictionary. Boston: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-1117-0. OCLC 2035024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[6] Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers (Second edition, revised and enlarged ed.). New York. ISBN 0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[7] "Frances Shimer College Commencement". The Freeport Journal-Standard. June 3, 1937. p. 2.

[8] Gruenstein, Siegfried Emanuel (1945). The Diapason. Scranton Gillette Communications, Incorporated.

[9] "Theatre Organ: Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society". journals.shareok.org. Retrieved 2020-09-23.

[10] McNamara, Daniel Ignatius (1948). The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors and Publishers. T. Y. Crowell Company.

[11] Phillips, Ora E. (August 1, 1935). "Report of Club of Women Organists" (PDF). The Diapason. p. 22.

[12] The Music Magazine/Musical Courier. 1953.

[13] "Helen Westbrook". Discogs. Retrieved 2022-10-20.

[14] Stewart-Green, Miriam. (1980). Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice. Boston, Mass.: G. K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-8498-4. OCLC 6815939.

[15] Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1942.

[16] Music Clubs Magazine: Official Organ. The Federation. 1958.

[17] Buhrman, Thomas Scott (1948). American Organist. American Guild of Organists.

[18] "Neil A. Kjos Music Co, For the Organ" (PDF). The Diapason. 35 (9): 2. August 1, 1944.

[19] Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1956). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.

[20] Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1970). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.

[21] Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1955). Catalog of Copyright Entries. U.S. Government Printing Office.

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