Williametta Spencer facts for kids

Williametta Spencer (born August 15, 1927) is an American composer, musicologist, and teacher. She plays the harpsichord, organ, and piano. She is most famous for her award-winning choir piece called At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners.

About Williametta Spencer

Williametta Spencer was born on August 15, 1927. She is a talented American composer, which means she writes music. She is also a musicologist, someone who studies music history and theory. On top of that, she is a teacher and plays several instruments like the harpsichord, organ, and piano.

Early Life and Education

Spencer was born in Marion, Illinois. Her parents were Viva Jewell and Samuel Joseph Spencer. When she was a child, her family moved to Paducah, Kentucky. Her father was a music minister at different Baptist churches there.

She went to Whittier College and earned a bachelor's degree. Later, she continued her studies at the University of Southern California, where she earned both a master's degree and a Ph.D. Her Ph.D. research was about the composer André Caplet. In 1953, she received a special scholarship called a Fulbright scholarship to study music in Paris, France. She learned from many great teachers, including Pauline Alderman, Tony Aubin, Alfred Cortot, Ingolf Dahl, Ernst Kanitz, and Halsey Stevens.

Awards and Achievements

Williametta Spencer has won many awards for her music. One of her most notable awards was the Southern California Vocal Association National Composition Award for her piece At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners. This is the work she is best known for.

She also received Alumni Achievement Awards from Whittier College in 1995 and 2008. These awards celebrate former students who have done great things. Another honor she received was the Amy Beach Award for her orchestral overture, which is a piece of music for a large group of instruments.

A choir group called I Cantori asked her to write a new piece, and they performed it for the first time. This piece was called And the White Rose is a Dove. Spencer is also a member of important music organizations like Mu Phi Epsilon and the International Alliance for Women in Music.

Published Works

Many of Spencer’s musical works have been published by well-known music companies. This means her music can be bought and performed by others. Some of these publishers include Associated Music Publishers Inc., Mark Foster Music Co., Orpheus Publications, Shawnee Press, and Western International Music Co.

Types of Music She Wrote

Williametta Spencer has composed many different kinds of music for various instruments and voices. Here are some examples of her works:

Chamber Music

Chamber music is written for a small group of instruments, often one player per part.

• Adagio and Rondo (for oboe and piano)
• Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano
• Sonata for Trombone and Piano
• String Quartet (for four string instruments like violins, viola, and cello)
• Suite (for flute and piano)
• Trio for Brass Instruments (for three brass instruments)

Orchestra Music

Orchestra music is written for a large group of musicians playing many different instruments.

• Overture (a piece often played at the beginning of a larger work)
• Passacaglia and Double Fugue (for string orchestra, meaning only string instruments)

Organ Music

She also wrote music specifically for the organ, a large keyboard instrument often found in churches.

• Improvisation and Meditation on “Gott sei gelobet”

Vocal Music

Vocal music is written for singers, often with words.

• And the White Rose is a Dove (for choir)
• As I Rode Out This Enders NIght (for a choir singing without instruments, called a cappella)
• As I Sat Under a Sycamore Tree (a cappella choir)
• At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners (for choir; the words are from a poem by John Donne)
• Bright Cap and Streamers (for choir)
• Cantate Domino
• Four Madrigals (the words are from poems by James Joyce)
• “Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun” (the words are from a poem by Walt Whitman)
• Make We Joy: A Cantata for Christmastide in a Medieval Atmosphere
• Missa Brevis
• Nova, Nova, Ave Fit Ex Eva (a cappella choir)
• Three Songs (the words are from plays by William Shakespeare; for flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, and a singer)
• Two Christmas Madrigals (a cappella choir)
• Winter Has Lasted Too Long (for a singer, clarinet, and piano)