J. Durward Morsch Explained

Junior Durward Morsch (December 18, 1920 – August 2, 2015) was an American composer, prolific arranger, trombonist, and retired music educator who has worked and recorded professionally in a broad spectrum of genres, beginning with progressive big band jazz in the late 1940s and ending as a high school band director in Colorado. He was also the band director at Saguaro High School, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Career

Morsch was born in Iowa. Noted for his scoring for symphonic band works, Morsch has written over 400 arrangements, including 125 marching band scores, 110 symphonic scores, and 125 scores for film, dating from the 1930s to the present.

His son, Robert Stuart Morsch, DMA (1942–2009), was a music educator at the collegiate level, notably the director of bands at Western Illinois University.

Between 1946 and 1949, Morsch recorded on five studio sessions and two live broadcast as trombonist with the Earle Spencer Orchestra. Morsch is an alumnus of the University of Southern California and the University of Northern Colorado (1950s). He died in 2015 at the age of 94 in Colorado Springs.[1]

Selected arrangements and compositions

Arrangements

Arranged for concert band by Morsch (1950)[2]

Theodore Presser Company (1963)

Arranged for concert band by Morsch

Arranged for concert band by Morsch

Arranged for wind symphony by Morsch

Arranged for wind symphony by Morsch

Arranged for 3 instruments (woodwind, strings, recorders, or mixed)

Theodore Presser Company (1964)

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"Minuet," K. 599, No. 1

Universal Music Group

Trio for flute, B♭ clarinet, and bassoon (or strings or recorders or mixed)

Theodore Presser Company (1964), Universal edition

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For 3 B♭ clarinets, E♭ alto clarinet, B♭ bass clarinet, EE♭ contrabass clarinet, and BB♭ contrabass clarinet

By Nilo W. Hovey & Morsch

Belwin-Mills (1968)

Arranged for 3 instruments (woodwind, strings, recorders, or mixed)

Theodore Presser Company (1964)

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Arranged for wind symphony by Morsch

Arranged for wind ensemble by Morsch (2000)

Transcribed by Morsch

Arranged for concert band by Morsch

Flute solo arranged by Morsch for wind ensemble

Compositions

Professional affiliations

Notes and references

Inline citations

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Deaths for August 5, 2015. Colorado Springs Gazette. August 6, 2015. September 5, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150905075119/http://gazette.com/deaths-for-august-5-2015/article/1556820. dead.
  2. Program Notes: 1950 Music Educators National Conference: North Texas State College Concert Band March 21, 1950