Helen Searles Westbrook Explained

Helen Westbrook
Birth Name:	Helen Searles
Birth Date:	15 October 1889
Occupation:	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

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

Westbrook's compositions include:^[14]

Organ

• 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

• 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)

External links

• • Chikago Women Organists / Guests of Helen Westbrook The Diapason, 1 January 1945, p. 7

Notes and References

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