Cromwell Everson (28 September 1925 – 11 June 1991) was primarily known as a composer during his lifetime. He was brought up as an
Afrikaner by his mother, Maria De Wit and father, Robert Everson. He continued this tradition and all his children were brought up as Afrikaners.
Everson wrote the first
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
opera, and most of his other vocal works were in Afrikaans. His works consist of five sonatas, a trio, an opera, a set of inventions, four song-cycles, a piano suite, miscellaneous movements for the piano and guitar and an incomplete symphony and string quartet.
During Everson's career in
Worcester, Western Cape
Worcester ( ) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is located north-east of Cape Town on the N1 highway north to Johannesburg.
Being the largest town in the Western Cape's interior region, it serves as the administrative capital o ...
he also gave music lessons to the musician
David Kramer.
For his Afrikaans opera Everson received in 2007 a posthumous acknowledgement from the ATKV (Afrikaans Language- and Cultural society).
Education
* 1945, Matric, Central High School, Beaufort West
* 1950, Bachelor of Music,
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University ( af, Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant ...
* 1974, Doctor of Music,
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
Compositions
Vocal works
Opera
* ''Klutaimnestra'' (''eng:
Clytemnestra
Clytemnestra (; grc-gre, Κλυταιμνήστρα, ''Klytaimnḗstrā'', ), in Greek mythology, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and the twin sister of Helen of Troy. In Aeschylus' '' Oresteia'', she murders Agamemnon – said by E ...
'') (Libretto, Cromwell Everson),
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
opera in four acts (1967). First performance 7 November 1967, Biesenbach Hall,
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
* ''Rat a Plan'' (Libretto, unannotated), incomplete chamber opera (1952).
Choral
* ''Kyrie Eleison'', SATB (1952)
Song cycles
* ''Vier Liefdesliedjies'' ("four love songs") for soprano and piano (1949). First performance on 9 June 1955 in the Stellenbosch Conservatory of Music. First radio broadcast performance on 11 January 1960 (Switzerland).
*# ''Nagliedjie'' (
N. P. van Wyk Louw)
*# ''Net altyd jy'' (N. P. van Wyk Louw)
*# ''Nooit Nog'' (
W. E. G. Louw)
*# ''Dennebosse'' (N. P. van Wyk Louw).
* ''Kontraste'' (
D. J. Opperman) (1951)
* ''Water en Woestyn'' (1955) re-titled ''Die Dobbelsteen'' (1984). First performance on 26 August 1956 in the Stellenbosch Conservatory of Music.
*# ''By alle skone dinge'' (N. P. van Wyk Louw)
*# ''Drie Bome'' (
Uys Krige)
*# ''Die Karnaval sal eindig'' (I. Rousseau)
*# ''Boer'' (D. J. Opperman)
*# ''Hael'' (D. J. Opperman)
*# ''Wat kan ek jou gee?'' (N. P. van Wyk Louw)
*# ''Nagrit'' (I. Rousseau)
* ''Three Brontë Songs'' (1987)
Solo songs
* ''Maria'' (
W. E. G. Louw) for soprano and piano (1949)
* ''Nagstorm oor die see'' (
D. J. Opperman) for dramatic soprano and piano (1950)
* ''Die Vreemde Dae'' (
Elisabeth Eybers
Elisabeth Françoise Eybers (26 February 1915 – 1 December 2007) was a South African poet. Her poetry was mainly in Afrikaans, although she translated some of her own work (and those of others) into English.
Eybers was born in Klerksdorp, ...
) for soprano and piano (1949)
Instrumental works
Orchestral
* Symphony, an incomplete work (1953)
* ''Danza Senzule'' for chamber orchestra (1961)
Chamber music
* String Quartet (first movement), an incomplete work (1949)
* Trio for Viola, Violoncello and Piano (1963)
First complete performance 8 April 1978,
SABC
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's stat ...
Concert Studio Sea Point, Cape Town. First radio broadcast performance 20 July 1971 (SABC).
* String Quartet, an incomplete work (1970)
Solo works
* Suite for Piano (1951)
* Prelude and Fuga for piano solo (1953–1954)
* Sonata – Variation I for piano solo (1953)
* Sonata – Variation II for piano solo (1956)
* Sonata for violin and piano (1954). Dedicated to famous violinist Maria Neuss. First performance and live broadcast (
SABC
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's stat ...
) 22 August 1954, Hidding Hall, Cape Town.
* Three Eliegies for piano solo (1970)
* Variations for piano (1978)
* Etude for piano solo (1981)
* Guitar Sonata (1984). Dedicated to David Hewitt
* ''Cantús Tristitae'', for solo guitar (1984). First performance 11 Augustus 1985, Jubilee Hall, Durban. First radio broadcast performance 5 July 1988 (SABC).
* Sonato for solo flute (1987). Dedicated to Esmé Venter.
* Sonato for violin solo (1985 rev. 1987). Dedicated to Marike Urban-Grimm.
* Wedding March for organ solo (1987). Dedicated to Ludwig en Retha Everson.
Electro-acoustical works
* ''Son Staan Stil'', an electronic music composition (1971)
* ''Seven Inventions'', a computer music composition (1988)
References
* "The life and music of Cromwell Everson" by Brukman, Jeffrey James – Thesis, Doctor of Musicology, 2006,
UNISA
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australi ...
* "Komponiste van Suid-Afrika" ''Composers of South Africa'' by Bouws, Jan, publisher C.F. Albertyn (Pty) Ltd, Stellenbosch, 1971
External links
ATKV postuum recognition to EversonMusicology ars nova list -UnisaArticles in Musicus – UnisaArts and Humanities pages of IntuteMusicSack database* "Die sewe invensies van Cromwell Everson" by Gysbertha D. Beernaert
{{DEFAULTSORT:Everson, Cromwell
1925 births
1991 deaths
People from Beaufort West
Afrikaner people
South African people of English descent
South African composers
South African male composers
South African opera composers
Stellenbosch University alumni
South African College of Music alumni
20th-century classical composers
Male classical composers
20th-century male musicians