Louise E. Stairs facts for kids
Louise E. Simpson Stairs (born March 24, 1892, died November 1975) was a talented American musician. She was a composer, meaning she wrote music, and she also played the organ and piano. Sometimes, she used a secret name, Sidney Forrest, when her music was published. Louise wrote many different kinds of music, including longer pieces called cantatas, and also songs and piano pieces especially for kids.
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Who Was Louise E. Simpson Stairs?
Her Early Life
Louise E. Simpson Stairs was born in Troupsburg, New York, a town in New York state. Her parents were Alice Clare Stephens and Colonel Ellsworth Simpson.
On September 3, 1912, Louise married Alpheus Wade Stairs. They had one daughter named Ruth. We don't know much about where Louise studied music, but her talent was clear.
Her Musical Works
Louise's music was printed and sold by several companies. These included Carl Fischer Music, Hall-Mack Co., Oliver Ditson, and Theodore Presser Co.. She wrote many different types of pieces, from grand cantatas to simple songs.
Cantatas
A cantata is a special type of musical story, usually sung by a choir. Louise wrote several of these:
- Choral Cantata
- Infant Holy: Christmas Cantata
- Light O’er Bethlehem: Christmas Cantata
Organ Music
Louise was also an organist, and she composed beautiful music for the organ:
- Advent Prayer
- Arietta
- Bright and Morning Star
- He Shall Be Their Shepherd
- Manger’s Gift
- Master Call
- Sabbath Morning
- White Lillies
Piano Pieces
She wrote many pieces for the piano, some of which were for children:
- Clocks in the Hall (written with E. B. Marks)
- Floating Clouds
- Peach Blooms
- Soldiers at Play
- Sunday Morning
- To Whit, To Whoo
- Uncle Ben
Vocal Songs
Louise also composed many songs for singers. These often had sweet and simple themes:
- “His Loving Call”
- “Hush-a-bye Dolly”
- “Finding Fairies”
- “Lazy Frog”
- “Lift Up Your Heads”
- “Lord, Speak to Me” (using words by Frances Ridley Havergal)
- “Nest of Baby Bunnies”
- “Robin Redbreast’s Song”
- “Robin’s Song”
- “Sailboats”
- “So Longeth My Soul for Thee”
- “There is an Eye that Never Sleeps”
- “When the Robin Sings”
- “Woodland Concert”
