Jane Ellen*

Jane Ellen continues to work as a freelance composer, lecturer, and web designer. While serving as webmaster and worksheet editor for the national award-winning radio program “Boombox Classroom,” she often contributes to scripts which focus on historical music, including recent shows on the Louisiana Purchase and river boat music. With over 50 publications to her credit, she released her second CD of piano compositions in 2005, titled Seasons of the Heart, containing 16 selections written throughout one year. She was the recipient of several commissions in 2005 from the Equinox Chamber Ensemble of St. Louis, MO, including a woodwind quintet titled Lorena Remembered, based on the historic melody by J. P. Webster, and an arrangement of the George Root tribute to Abraham Lincoln Farewell Father, Friend and Guardian. Her most recent commission is an arrangement of four northern European folksongs for classical accordion ensemble. She received her 16th consecutive ASCAP award in 2005, and she will be listed in Who’s Who of American Women, 25th Silver Anniversary Edition 2006-2007 and the 32nd Edition of the Dictionary of International Biography. For more information visit www.janeellen.com or e-mail Jane@JaneEllen.com.

Premieres

The piano solo Summer in Grace Road was introduced by the composer on February 26, 2005, at the annual SAI American Composers Month Concert presented by the Albuquerque (NM) Alumnae Chapter; a piano arrangement of Glorieta, the composer’s theme written for The Man Who Lost the Civil War, was heard on the same concert. A commissioned woodwind quintet, Lorena Remembered, was premiered May 9 by the Equinox Chamber Ensemble on a program titled Footsteps on the Land: the Annual David and Beatrice Kornblum Concert of Chamber Music, for the Ethical Society of St Louis, MO. A piano solo version of My Gipsy Heart was presented by the composer on June 19 for a meeting of the Albuquerque (NM) Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF); the composer also presented On Greenland’s Coast, a medley of three English folk tunes, on July 24; and Comes a New Day on August 2 for meetings of the AUUF at the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center. Sing Out With Praise (text by Claire Roth), a festival anthem for SATB choir, youth, brass quintet, and handbells, commissioned for the 25th anniversary of Asbury United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, was presented at two worship services on November 13, under the direction of the Reverend Allen Webner. A full production of the two-act musical comedy Burying Mama (book/lyrics by Kathleen Matthews) will premiere in a three-week run directed by Robb Sisneros, during March 2006 at the Desert Rose Theatre, Albuquerque.

Performances

Composer/organist Carson Cooman performed Danse des Esprits on July 31, 2005, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Rochester, NY. Recorded selections from the CD Seasons of the Heart were included in the Meet the Composer: Jane Ellen program at the Albuquerque Branch of OASIS (Older Adult Service and Information System) on October 21. The choir of Warder Elementary, under the direction of Megan Gilbride, presented Let the Music Lift You Up on November 2 for the Pomona Area Choir Festival in Arvada, CO. Joy Thomas led the fourth and fifth grade choir of First Presbyterian Church (USA) in a performance of One Little Child in the annual Christmas Candlelight Service on December 4, Colorado Springs, CO.

Publications

Air Raid, SATB a cappella (text by Claire Roth); Summer in Grace Road, piano solo; November Rain and Winter Snow, companion piano solos; all by JEMS Publications. The poem titled “Alone,” (recipient of the Editor’s Choice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry) was published in the book Eternal Portraits and a companion three-volume audio collection The Sound of Poetry, by the International Library of Poetry.

Recordings

Seasons of the Heart, 16 piano compositions written, performed and produced by the composer; with guest artists Ken Battat and Sid Fendley; JEMS Publications. Selections from the 2004 CD From My Heart were used in a U.K. radio drama, “A Cream Cracker Under the Settee,” produced by Chris Dale.

*Sigma Alpha Iota Member

Further Information

• 2003-2004 American Composers Update
• 2002-2003 American Composers Update
• 2001-2002 American Composers Update
• 2000-2001 American Composers Update
• 1999-2000 American Composers Update
• 1998-1999 American Composers Update
• 1997-1998 American Composers Update
• 1996-1997 American Composers Update
• SAI's Composers Bureau Online