C. B. Hawley Explained

Charles Beach Hawley (Brookfield, Connecticut, February 14, 1858^[1] - Eatontown, New Jersey,^[2] December 29, 1915)^[3] ^[4] was an American bass, voice teacher, organist and composer of art songs and other vocal works.

Biography

Charles Beach was born to John N. and Clarissa W. Keeler Hawley in Brookfield, Connecticut. Charles and his father were descendants of the pioneer founders of Newtown, which later became part of Brookfield. For many years, his father was the organist at St. Paul's Church in Brookfield.^[5]

As a young man he attended the Cheshire Military School, where he "took prominent part in all the musical activities of the school".^[6] In 1875, he moved to New York City, where he studied singing with George J. Webb, P.A. Rivarde, and Gustave Federlein, and composition with Dudley Buck.^[6] He soon began singing at Calvary Episcopal Church, and later became an assistant organist at St. Thomas Church. He married Hattie B. Crane in 1889.

He established himself as a versatile musician in New York. He was bass singer and choir director at the Broadway Tabernacle for 17 years. He had a private studio as a voice teacher and ran The Metropolitan College of Music for 10 years. He was a Charter Member of the Manuscript Society and was an active member of the Mendelssohn Glee Club. Later organist and choir director positions were at the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church and West End Presbyterian Church.

Music

As a composer, C. B. Hawley concentrated on secular and sacred art songs, publishing at least 50 songs. He also composed a Christmas cantata, The Christ Child, esteemed in its day, and several part-songs for the Mendelssohn Glee Club.

His musical language is "simple and lyrical" at times,^[7] with more dramatic passages when indicated by the text. Songs such as "Noon and Night" and "The Sweetest Flower That Blows" are especially good for young or beginning singers.^[7] Most were published by G. Schirmer between 1895 and 1915.

At least one of his works remained in the repertoire after his death: the song "Because I Love You, Dear" was heard on a WABC radio broadcast on December 10, 1934, with Andre Kostelanetz conducting.^[8]

Musical compositions

All published by G. Schirmer unless noted; texts are by the composer unless noted.

Larger works

The Christ Child, Christmas cantata for SATB soloists, SATB choir and organ

Secular songs for voice and piano

Ah! 'Tis a Dream, ©1887^[9]
(The) Arrow and the Song (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), William A. Pond, ©1893^[10]
Because I Love You, Dear, ©1894
Bedouin Love Song
For Love of Thee
Greeting (Frank Lebby Stanton), ©1898
Hushaby, Sweet My Own (Eugene Field) ^[11]
I Love You So (Alice Dunbar), John Church publisher
In April
The Joy of Spring (Kate Chopin), John Church, ©1913
A June Madrigal
Katherine's Curls
Lady Mine
(The) Land of Nod
My Little Love, ©1890
(The) Nightingale and the Rose (R. H. Beck), ©1898^[12]
Noon and Night (Herbert Trench), John Church/T. Presser, ©1905
O Haste Thee, Sweet
Once Again
A Question (Richard Watson Gilder)
Rainbows
The Ring
A Rose Fable
A Song of Seasons
(The) Song that my Heart is Singing
Spring's Awakening
(The) Sweetest Flower That Blows (Frederic Peterson), John Church publisher, ©1898
Sweetheart
Three Songs with piano accompaniment, ©1894

Good-Night (S. Weir Mitchell)
Unknown
Unknown

Two Eyes of Brown
Where Love Doth Build His Nest

Sacred songs for voice and piano or organ

Angels Roll the Rock Away (Easter Song)
Breathe Your Soft Prayer to Christ the Child (anonymous text from The New York Sun newspaper), John Church publisher, ©1910^[16]
The Christ Child
Redeeming Love

References

Book: Carman . Judith E. . Art Song in the United States, 1759-2011: An Annotated Bibliography . Lanham, Maryland . The Scarecrow Press . 2013 . Fourth . 978-0-8108-8307-9 .
Book: Hall , Charles J. . A Chronicle of American Music, 1700-1995 . Schirmer Books . 1996 . New York, New York . 0-02-860296-X . registration .
- Book: North , James H. . Andre Kostelanetz on Records and on the Air: A discography and Radio Log . Scarecrow Press . 2011 . Lanham, Maryland . 978-0-8108-7732-0 .
On the Death of C.B. Hawley . The Music News . 8 . 1 . 8 . Chicago . 1916 .

Notes and References

Noted in Hall, A Chronicle of American Music, p. 154
"On the Death of C.B. Hawley", The Music News, vol. 8, no. 1, 1916, p. 8.
Hawley, Emily C., Annals of Brookfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, 1929, p. 416.
Noted in Hall, A Chronicle of American Music, p. 292
Hawley, Emily C., Annals of Brookfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, 1929, p. 415.
Annals of Brookfield, p. 161
Carmen et al, Art Song in the United States, 1759-2011, p. 209
North, Andre Kostelantetz on Records and on the Air, p. 233
Dedicated "To Mrs. Anna Bulkley Hills"
http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/b/b3/IMSLP184688-PMLP321493-HawleyArrowandSong.pdf Dedicated to "Mr. A. D. Woodruff". Available in IMSLP
Published in Songs of Childhood, Charles Scribner, ©1897; available in IMSLP http://hz.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/7/7d/IMSLP216500-PMLP359602-EField_Songs_of_Childhood.pdf
Also published in Anthology of American Song, G. Schirmer, ©1911; available in IMSLP http://burrito.whatbox.ca:15263/imglnks/usimg/4/49/IMSLP281051-SIBLEY1802.19164.c1c5-39087011997964score.pdf
Dedicated to "Mr. George Ingraham". Low voice version available in IMSLP: http://imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/9/9f/IMSLP113001-PMLP230642-CBHawleySorrowBW.pdf
http://imslp.org/wiki/When_Love_is_Gone_%28Hawley,_Charles_Beach%29 Both high voice and low voice versions available on IMSLP
http://burrito.whatbox.ca:15263/imglnks/usimg/2/2f/IMSLP112399-PMLP229541-Hawley_Woodland_Love_Song_cropped.pdf High voice version available in IMSLP
Web site: High voice version available in IMSLP . 2015-04-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073408/http://imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/8/8b/IMSLP112833-PMLP230359-Hawley_Breathe_Your_Soft_Prayer_cropped.pdf . 2016-03-04 . dead .
http://hz.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/3/3f/IMSLP98767-SIBLEY1802.14568.f34a-39087011266824score.pdf High voice version available in IMSLP