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Phyllis Zimmerman facts for kids

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Phyllis E. Zimmerman (1934–2012) was an American composer, a person who writes music. She was also a choral conductor, meaning she led groups of singers, and a music educator, a teacher of music. She shared her music on platforms like Spotify.

Her Life and Music

Phyllis Zimmerman was born in Pennsylvania in 1934. She loved music from a young age. She went to Thiel College and graduated in 1956. Later, she studied singing at Concordia College in Minnesota. There, she learned from a famous conductor named Paul J. Christiansen. She finished her studies in 1959.

Phyllis started her career teaching music at high schools in Pennsylvania. In 1969, she moved to California. She became the choral director at Santa Barbara High School. She taught there for many years, until 1995. Her school choirs were very good. They even toured Europe several times. They also performed in Romania. This special trip was by invitation of the U.S. State Department.

In the late 1970s, Phyllis worked with a group called the International League of Women Composers. This group later joined with the International Alliance for Women in Music in 1995.

After she retired in 1995, Phyllis started a new choir. It was called the Canticle A Cappella Choir. This was a community choir. They recorded several music CDs. They also performed on National Public Radio and NBC-TV. In 2006, Concordia College honored her. They named her a Distinguished Alumna. This award recognized her amazing achievements.

Musical Works

Phyllis Zimmerman wrote many pieces for choirs. These are called choral compositions.

Choral Compositions

  • "Alleluia"
  • "An Easter Carol"
  • "Earth Chants"
  • "Fog" (The words were by Carl Sandburg. Phyllis wrote the music.)
  • "Four Settings of Poems by Sara Teasdale (Life Has Loveliness to Sell; To-night; Dusk in June; I Would Live in Your Love)"
  • "Hodie Christus natus est"
  • "Letting the Silence Sing"
  • "My Song in the Night"
  • "O Sing Unto the Lord"

She also created new versions of existing songs. These are called choral arrangements.

Choral Arrangements

  • "Gentle Annie" (The original melody was by Stephen Foster. Phyllis arranged it.)
  • "King of Glory"
  • "Simple Gifts"
  • "Thy Little Ones, Dear Lord, Are We"
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