ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

DAKOTA COMPOSERS RECORDS

OGL # 1334

DATES: 1984-1989.

SIZE: .75 linear feet, 2 loose items, 3 oversize folders, 4 cassette tapes.

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Dakota Composers Records were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection on March 6, 1996 (Acc. # 96- 2088). They had previously been housed in Dr. Thomas Peterson's former office, which was located in the University of North Dakota's Music Library. Dr. Peterson was a founding member of the Dakota Composers.

ACCESS: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The Dakota Composers was established in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1984. The group initially called itself the Dakota Young Composers "for the relative age in experience of its members." Nevertheless, some members were older, established area musicians, including University of North Dakota instructor Robert Wharton and pianists Henry Rose and Paul Swenson. The Composers were loosely modeled after the Minnesota Composers Forum, and several of its members had been members of that group. Until disbanding in 1990, the Composers frequently held concerts, meetings, and special sessions with guest composers. Musicians from several areas of North Dakota were members, although UND faculty and students constituted the majority.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Dakota Composers Records span 1984-1989. Materials include correspondence, financial records, concert programs, grant applications, newsletters, a mailing list,a 1987 Lecture Workshop survey, newspaper clippings, sheet music, a scrapbook, and miscellaneous pamphlets. Correspondence, newspaper clippings and the scrapbook document the group's formation and early development. Group activities, including musical performances and competitions, lectures and workshops are documented through correspondence, newspaper clippings, concert programs and newsletters. Newspaper clippings and two folders of correspondence, dated 1984-1985, relate to "The North: Symphony for Orchestra," a piece composed by Thomas Peterson and commissioned by the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

  1. Correspondence, Greater Grand Forks Symphony 1984.
  2. Correspondence, The North: Symphony Orchestra 1985.
  3. Correspondence, American Music Center, 1984.
  4. Correspondence, General 1983, 1985-1986.
  5. Correspondence, General 1987-1989.
  6. Correspondence, undated.
  7. Correspondence, Grant Applications.
  8. Financial Records.
  9. Concert Programs.
  10. Newsletter, The Dakota Composer, Nov. 1987-March 1988, and May 1988.
  11. Mailing List.
  12. Grant Applications.
  13. Surveys of 1987 Lecture Workshop.
  14. Newspaper Clippings.
  15. Miscellaneous Pamphlets.
  16. Sheet Music, Polly Von, Thomas Peterson.
  17. Sheet Music, Piano, Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry Rose.
  18. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", Percussion Parts.
  19. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", Flute.
  20. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoons.
  21. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", Saxophone.
  22. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", Trumpets, Cornets.
  23. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", French Horn.
  24. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", Trombone.
  25. Sheet Music, " Sioux Panorama", Basses.
  26. Sheet Music, unidentified.

Loose items:

1 scrapbook
"Ninepence for Violin and Piano" by Thelma Willett [Sheet Music]

SEPARATIONS RECORD

4 cassette tapes and 3 folders of oversize material were separated from this collection.

The cassette tapes are recordings of musical performances. These have been assigned Audio Tape numbers and are described as follows:

#1804. "Henry Gwiazda, Composer/Performer, Milkboys, Sinfony, Encore"

#1805. Side 1: "Lis: 3 Pieces on 9 Notes (1983); Janet Lopinski, piano, University of Cincinnati, 1984"
Side 2: "Lis: Moravian Counterpoint (1986); Jazz Band I - University of Northern Iowa, 1986"

#1806. "Dan Breedon: Sextet" [undated]

#1807. [unlabeled; undated.]

Oversize folders are labeled as follows:

  1. Sheet Music, "Out of this Prairie"
  2. Sheet Music, "Out of this Prairie" (cont.)
  3. Sheet Music, "Sioux Panorama"

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