Annual American Composers Update

Jeanne E. Shaffer

Jeanne E. Shaffer, of Montgomery, AL, has commissions from All Saints Episcopal Church for three works for choir, organ, and trumpet: God of Saints, Wondrous Love, and Morning Star. Her "Woman with Parasol", the first movement of Monet Triptych, is the opening music on her Internet web site, which features broadcasts of Eine Kleine Frauenmusik, her weekly Southeastern Public Radio Network show of music by women composers.

Premieres

As part of the Fifth Festival of Women Composers, Caritas, for SSAA choir and keyboard, premiered, Mar. 20, 1998 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. An AIDS benefit, July 17, 1998 at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, included the first performance of I'm Not Always Good with Words, for voice and keyboard, with mezzo-soprano Malinda Shaffer and pianist Beverly Shaffer. Montgomery Quintet, for brass quintet, was introduced by the Capital City Brass Works at Auburn University, Apr. 1997, and was heard again at the SCI Region IV annual conference, at Valdosta State University Nov. 5, 1998.

Performances

At George Masin University soprano Laura Mann and pianist Carol Anne Barry presented Shaffer's song cycle Eternity (poetry by William Blake), Apr. 1998. A Jan. 1998 Martinu Hall program, in Prague, featured Juniper Shoes, with Dita Brlicova, soprano; Tereza Nollova, flute; Ota Lebr, violin; and Josef Ruzicka, harpsichord.

Publications

Christina Rosetti, My Mother and Me; song cycle for medium voice and piano; Sisra Publications of Arsis Press.

Recordings

Boats and Candles, for soprano, string quartet, and flute; Master Musicians Collective Desertscapes: A Portrait of American Women Composers MMC 2026.