A Guide to the Jean Slater Edson Papers MSS.0009

A Guide to the Jean Slater Edson Papers MSS.0009


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University of Mary Washington Special Collections and University Archives

Simpson Library
1801 College Ave.
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Business Number: 540-654-2045
archives@umw.edu
URL: https://libraries.umw.edu/specialcollections/

Ivy Sanders '22

Repository
University of Mary Washington Special Collections and University Archives
Identification
MSS.0009
Title
Jean Slater Edson Papers 1929-1984
Quantity
3 Linear Feet, 2 upright legal-size document boxes (Box 1 and 2) and one flat storage box (Box 3). All oversize material is located in Box 3.
Creator
Edson, Jean Slater
Language
Contains songs written in German, French, and Russian.

Administrative Information

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The first documented instance of a donation to this collection was on May 19, 1971, when Mary Washington College associate professor Jean Slater Edson donated recital programs as well as her organ arrangement of the University of Mary Washington's "Alma Mater." The next series of donations occurred about ten years later and were given by Barbara Alden, Jean Slater Edson's friend and MWC's archivist at the time. On May 16, 1983, Alden donated some letters addressed to her from Mrs. Slater Edson; on November 01, 1984, she donated a revised score of Jean Slater Edson's original piece "From Age to Age"; and then on September 23, 1985, shortly after Mrs. Slater Edson's passing, she donated more correspondence.

There exists correspondence dated August 16, 1999, where James Baker, the then conductor of the Mary Washington College and Community Orchestra, writes about how he would like to donate some "materials (original music compositions [of Edson's]… [that] came my way from the basement of Dr. G. C. Simpson."


Biographical / Historical

Jean Slater Edson was an associate professor of music and physics at Mary Washington College, which has since been renamed the University of Mary Washington. Born on December 22, 1906, as Jean Appel, she grew to be equally interested in science and music. This passion led her to pursue both topics in higher education. Jean Slater began her education by obtaining a liberal arts degree from Vassar College, a Bachelor of Music with a minor in both science and math. From there, she pursued a Master of Arts of Music at Columbia University, where she also studied physics and earned a music fellowship abroad in Vienna, Austria. Jean Slater became Associate Professor of Music at Mary Washington College in 1947. After her first thirteen years of teaching there, she was additionally hired as a part-time professor of physics. Later, she would evenly split her time between her organ studio and physics labs at MWC. During her time at MWC, she married Andrew W. Edson and garnered the name that she would be known by today and in history: Jean Slater Edson. Likewise, some accounts and records of her refer to her as "Mrs. Andrew W. Edson," denoting her status as married. Despite teaching at MWC, Edson was also an active member of the American Guild of Organists, which she held an Associate Degree and a Choir Master degree within. She retired from teaching at MWC in 1972 and died due to declining health on September 19, 1985.

In addition to her research for physics, Edson also researched music and wrote composition pieces of a large variety. Her most well-known non-composition work is her book, Organ Preludes: An Index to Compositions on Hymn Tunes, Chorales, Plainsong Melodies, Gregorian Tunes, and Carols . Edson wrote this with other organ players, like herself, in mind; she wanted other organists to have a good reference to the vast world of the instrument's repertoire. Her book outlines and cross-indexes over 3,000 different organ pieces for this purpose, and it was published by Scarecrow Press in 1970. Regarding compositional music, her two most popular pieces among the Fredericksburg community are those that she dedicated to Dr. Grellet C. Simpson, MWC Chancellor from 1956 to 1974. The first one titled "Fanfare on G.C.S." for organ was composed for Dr. Simpson's inauguration, and the other one, titled "From Age to Age" for women's choir and organ, was composed for the tenth-year anniversary of his position. Other notable compositions by her include "Missa Universalis," a work for men's choir, solo baritone, and organ that was commissioned and premiered by the Dartmouth College Glee Club, which had nearly fifty members at that time.

Sources:

MWC Today . "In Memory of Jean Slater Edson." Winter 1986, 10. Accessed October 30, 2020.

U of Mary Washington.

The Bullet . "MW College Will Offer Physics Major Next Year." February 19, 1960, 5. Accessed

October 30, 2020. U of Mary Washington

The Bullet . "Mrs. Edson is Composer." November 16, 1963, 3. Accessed October 30, 2020. U of Mary Washington

Scope and Contents

The Jean Slater Edson papers span 3 boxes that contain her original music manuscripts, programs or news clippings that she was featured in, correspondence regarding her personal life and music, a vinyl of her original music, and other miscellaneous items that pertain to her. The dated materials span 1929 to 1984. Although the majority of her compositions are undated, most of her dated works were created during her time as a teacher at Mary Washington College. Additionally, most correspondence and publications in this collection are in reference to the publishing process for some of Jean Slater Edson's musical works while she was residing in the Northern Virginia/DC area.

Of particular interest is a collection of letters written by her while she was conducting research across Europe to complete her Organ Preludes publication. These letters are addressed to both the family of MWC's former Chancellor, Dr. Simpson, and MWC's first archivist, Barbara Alden, and they document her journey through Germany, Denmark, and England. Some other items that are of note are the score and papers surrounding her large-scale work Missa Universalis , which include correspondence, a performance program, a newspaper article, and various other documents that denote Jean Slater Edson's creative process for the piece as well as its public reception.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in 5 series: 1) Musical Compositions, 2) Correspondence, 3) Printed Materials, 4) Unpublished Materials, and 5) Audio-Visual and Ephemera. The bulk of the collection consists of Professor Edson's written music, which has been arranged into sub-series to reflect the nature of the compositions and instrumentation.

Material is arranged alphabetically except in a few instances where arrangement by date was more appropriate.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

  • Composition (Music)
  • Keyboard instrument music, Arranged
  • Musicals
  • Organ music, Arranged
  • Simpson, Grellet C., 1909-1997

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

  • Berkowitz, Albert M., 1921-2015
  • Edson, Andrew W.
  • Edson, Jean Slater
  • Raplee, Elizabeth Virginia
  • Simpson, Grellet C., 1909-1997

Container List

1
Musical Compositions
1929-1986
  • 1
    Choral
    1944-1977
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 1 1
      "Battle Hymn of the Republic," arr. Jean Slater Edson
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 2 2
      "Blessed Jesus (Opening of Service)," arr. Jean Slater Edson
      1949
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 3 3
      "Entreat Me Not to Leave Thee"
      1944
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 4 4
      "God of Our Life"
      1965
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 5 5
      "Great Sons of God"
      1954
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 6 6
      "Greetings"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 7 7
      "I Hear America Singing"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 8 8
      "Integer Vitae"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 9 9
      "Litanies"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 10 10
      "Lo, Here Is Felawschipe"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 11 11
      "Lullaby of the Virgin Mary"
      1953
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 12 12
      "Lullaby of the Virgin Mary" & "Noel (Introit)"
      1966
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 13 13
      Noel (Introit)"
      1951
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 14 14
      "Now Praise We Great and Famous Men," arr. Jean Slater Edson
      1949
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 15 15
      "O Brother Man," arr. Jean Slater Edson
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 16 16
      "O God Stretch Forth Thy Mighty Hand," arr. Jean Slater Edson
      1957, 1958
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 17 17
      "O Sons and Daughters," arr. Jean Slater Edson
      1960
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 1 18
      "Peace I Leave with You"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 18 19
      "Praise to the Lord," arr. Jean Slater Edson
      1949
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 2 20
      "Psalm 117"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 19 21
      "Song of the Northwest Wind"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 20 22
      "This is the Day the Lord Hath Made," arr. Jean Slater Edson
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 21 23
      "To Be Sung"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 22 24
      "To Music"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 23 25
      Untitled
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 24
      "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones," arr. Jean Slater Edson
      1949
  • 2
    Instrumental
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 25 1
      "Adagio and Scherzo for Woodwinds"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 26 2
      "Adagio for Small Orchestra"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 27 3
      "Ars Festiva (Camus)"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 28 4
      "Elegie"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 3 5
      "Scherzo for Woodwinds"
  • 3
    Operettas and Stage Plays
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 4 1
      "Joie de Vivre"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 29 2
      Untitled Two-Act
  • 4
    Keyboard
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 30 1
      "Be Thou My Vision"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 5 2
      "The Breakers"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 31 3
      "Children's Suite"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 32 4
      "Death Wind (The Call of the Will-o-the-Wisps)"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 33 5
      Fanfare on 'G.C.S.' [Grellet C. Simpson]"
      1956
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 34 6
      "Fantasie" for organ
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 35 7
      "Fantasie" for piano
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 6 8
      "Fantasy on a Given Motive"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 36 9
      "Folk Suite for organ"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 37 10
      "Fugue in G Minor"
      1929
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 38 11
      "Gaudeamus Igitur (Academic Procession)"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 39 12
      "Mary Washington College Alma Mater," arr. Jean Slater Edson
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 40 13
      "Minuet" (for piano or string trio)
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 41 14
      "Jeg er så glad hver julekveld (Norwegian Christmas song)"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 42 15
      "Phrygian Cortege"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 7 16
      "Prelude" 1
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 43 17
      "Prelude" 2
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 44 18
      "Prelude on Old 107th"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 45 19
      "Reverie"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 46 20
      "Russian River-Song"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 47 21
      "Sarabande"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 48 22
      "Scherzo for Organ"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 8 23
      "Sonata No. 1 in E major"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 49 24
      "Suite for Piano"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 9 25
      "Thema und Variations (für Orgel)"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 10 26
      "Three Voice Fugue for Piano"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 50 27
      "Variations of the Sigma Alpha Iota Chorale"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 51 28
      "(Wedding) Prelude"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637505] box: 1 folder: 52 29
      "Wie ist es mӧglich dann"
  • 5
    Solos
    1949-1980
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 1 1
      "Aspiration"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 2 2
      "Cossack Folk Tune"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 3 3
      "Dedication"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 4 4
      "Fantasie" for cello and piano
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 11 5
      "From a Coral Island"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 5 6
      "I Belong to You"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 6 7
      "It Cannot Was (A Folk Lament)"
      1958
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 7 8
      "Like Summer Rain"
      Raplee, Elizabeth Virginia
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 8 9
      "Love Song of a Lunatic"
      1980
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 9 10
      "Le Parapluie de ma Tante," transcribed, Jean Slater Edson
      Berkowitz, Albert M., 1921-20151949
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 10 11
      "Lullaby for Fay," typeset, Jean Slater Edson
      Edson, Andrew W.
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 11 12
      "Requiem for a Lost Love"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 12 13
      "She is so Sweet" & "Song of Mary"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 12 14
      "Sonata for Cello"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 13 15
      "Three German Folk Songs
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 14 16
      "To Washington We Sing"
      1951
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 15 17
      Untitled collection
      1944
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 13 18
      "Wheeling Wings"
  • 6
    Multiple Arrangements
    1946-1986
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 16 1
      "Alleluia"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 17 2
      "Babe of Bethlehem"
      1946, 1949, n.d.
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 18 3
      "Brothers All"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 19 4
      "From Age to Age"
      1984, n.d.
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 20 5
      "Missa Universalis"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 14 6
      "Night Stuff"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 15 7
      "Passion Chorale"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 21 8
      "Schlafe, schlafe still mein Kind"
      1951, n.d.
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 22 9
      "Short Requiem"
    • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 23 10
      "Will You Waltz?"
2
Correspondence
1957-1999
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 24 1
    Christmas letters
    1967, 1972-1983
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 25 2
    Curry, W. Lawrence
    1964
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 26 3
    Demarest, Alison
    1960, 1964
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 27 4
    Simpson, Grellet C.
    1956-1970
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 28 5
    Zeller, Paul
    1960-1963
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 29 6
    Miscellaneous
    1959-1984
3
Printed Materials
1948-1978
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 30 1
    Articles published by Edson
    1971-1978
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 31
    Newspaper clippings
    1951-1970
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 32 3
    Performance programs
    1948-1980
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 33 4
    Promotional materials for Organ Preludes
    1970-1974
  • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 16 5
    Miscellaneous
    1961-1971
4
Unpublished Materials
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 34 1
    Copyright application
    1980
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 35 2
    Manuscript, "Beethoven's Use of Contrast, Particularly Dynamic, in the Seventh Symphony"
  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 36 3
    Miscellaneous manuscript material and notes
5
Audio-Visual and Ephemera
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

The library is not equipped with the appropriate technology to play the record or to transfer to digital. At this time, the record in this series is available only as an artifact and cannot be used as intended.

  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 37 1
    Photos
    1932
  • Mixed Materials [1000637507] box: 3 folder: 17 2
    Vinyl record, "A Short Requiem"
    Feb. 8, 1953
    General

    Noted on record: "National Presbyterian Church Choir. Theodore Schaefer, Conductor. Paul Callaway, Organist. At Washington Cathedral."

  • Mixed Materials [1000637506] box: 2 folder: 38 3
    Miscellaneous ephemera