Lora Aborn Busck (May 30, 1907 – August 25, 2005) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Biography

Lora Aborn was born in New York City and began studying piano, music theory and composition at the

Effa Ellis Perfield Effa Ellis Perfield (February 2, 1873 – December 1967) was an American educator who devised and promoted a "scientific" system for music pedagogy. Early life Effie May Ellis was born in Little Sioux, Iowa, the daughter of Clark Ellis and Edna H ...

School of Music. She continued studying piano and voice in California and played in a jazz band. She attended

Oberlin Conservatory The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory in Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. It is one of t ...

where she studied composition under Dr. George W. Andrews. Aborn continued her studies at the

American Conservatory The Fontainebleau Schools were founded in 1921, and consist of two schools: ''The American Conservatory'', and the ''School of Fine Arts at Fontainebleau''. History When the United States entered First World War the commander of its army, Genera ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

under John Palmer and was awarded a gold medal for composition at graduation. She composed a number of commissioned works, and her music has been played and recorded in the United States, China and Europe. She was honored in a list of top American women composers. For many years, Aborn was the organist, director of music and composer-in-residence at the

Unitarian Universalist Church Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present) ...

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

’s Unity Temple. She married Harry Busck, an antiquarian book seller who died in 1999, and had two daughters. Aborn died August 25, 2005, in Chicago. A species of

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

was named Lora Aborn's moth in her honor.

Works

Aborn composed five full length ballets, two operas, works for chamber choir, vocal solos and choral works. Ballet: *''American Woman'' *''In My Landscape'' *''The Lonely Ones'' *''Reunion'' *''Strange New Street'' *''American Ditties'' (Group of 4 dances) *''Boston John'' (Shaker) *''Casey At The Bat'' *''The Critic'' *''Hot Afternoons in Montana'' (Lament) *''The Lawyer'' *''Nostalgia'' *''Punch Drunk'' (Parade) *''Strawberry Roan'' Opera: *''Gift of the Magi'' – 1 act *''Mitty'' – 1 act Orchestra: *''Ethan Frome'' *''Hiawatha's Childhood'' *''In My Landscape'' *''The Mystic Trumpeter'' *''Reunion'' *''Rhapsody for Two Pianos & Orchestra'' *''Song of Life'' *''Symphony in A Minor'' (Birdsong Symphony) *''Tone Poem for String Orchestra'' Organ (solo): *''Canons, Preludes and Fugues'' *''Chorale – Prelude'' *''Chorale and Variations'' *''Toccata'' (from Greatest of These) Organ and other instruments: *''Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On'' *''Mystic Trumpeter'' *''Threnody'' *''Ethan Frome'' Piano: *''Andante Cantabile'' (from "Mitty") *''Cappricio Fantastico'' (Scherzo) *''Ditties''(piano arr.of 4 dances) *''Etude I'' *''Etude II'' *''Four pieces for children'' *''Fugue in Blue'' *''Fugue in Yellow *''In My Landscape'' *''Lament'' *''Parade'' (satire of French Street Band) *''Poetic music'' *''Sonata in E Minor'' *''Toccata for Piano'' *''Two-voice Etude'' *''Waltz'' (from American Woman) *''Waltz and Berceuse'' (from Reunion) *''Capriccio Fantastico'' *''Fugue in Yellow'' *''Jazz Toccata'' *''Waltz'' (a Duet from American Woman) Choral: *''All Creatures of Our God & King'' (Alleluia) *''Alleluia Motet'' *''Bless Jehovah O My Soul'' *''Bow Down Thine Ear, O Lord'' *''Canticle of Praise'' *''Canticle of the Bells'' *''Chicago, Prairie Gem of Illinois'' *''Christmas Carol, The Holly & The Ivy'' *''Christmas Night'' *''Creation'' (Song of Life) *''Give Us New Dreams for Old'' *''Harp of the North'' (Male Chorus) *''Hiawatha's Childhood'' *''How Far Is It To Bethlehem'' *''If Ye Love Me'' *''In the Lonely Midnight'' *''Little Children, Wake & Listen'' *''Lo, The Day of Days is Here'' *''Now Wander, Sweet Mary'' (Wolf-Aborn arr.) *''The Glory of the Spring'' *''The Kings of the East'' *''To Music'' *''When The Herds Were Watching'' Solo voice: *''A Good Wife'' (Proverbs 31) *''Alone in the Night'' *''American Names'' *''Ancient Prayer'' (on The Wall of an Inn) *''Apache Indian Wedding Blessing'' *''Awake, Awake For Night Is Flying'' *''Casey At The Bat'' *''Do Not Go Gently Into That Goodnight'' *''Each In His Own Tongue'' *''Fall Leaves Fall'' *''For Everything There Is a Season'' *''God is Our Refuge and Strength'' *''Great Spirit Whose Voice I Hear in the Winds'' *''High O'er The Lonely Hills'' *''Hoar Frost'' *''How Do I Love Thee'' *''I Asked The Heaven of Stars'' *''Influence'' *''Her Love Is Like An Island'' *''Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace'' *''Miracles'' (Whitman) *''My Country Is The World'' *''My Gift'' *''My Shepherd is The Lord My God'' *''New Dreams for Old'' (God Who Through Ages Past) *''Night Is Come'' *''Night Song At Amalfi'' *''Nirvana'' *''Now That Spring is in The World'' (Easter Prayer) *''O Brother Man'' *''Once More, The Liberal Year'' *''Once To Every Man and Nation'' *''Pierrot'' *''Private Enterprise'' *''Psalms from the Pilgrim Song Book'' *''Romance'' *''Salutation of the Dawn'' (Look To This Day) *''Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day'' *''Solfege In G'' (a memorial) *''Song of Songs'' (Solomon) *''Songs For Chatka'' – 8 Nursery Songs *''Summer Days Are Come Again'' *''Thank You God For This Most Amazing Day'' *''The Greatest of These'' – 3 songs from Cor 13 *''The Hallowed Season'' *''The Prince of Peace'' *''The Shell'' *''The Waters Mid Their Lilies Slept'' *''There Is A Lady Sweet And Kind'' *''T'is Winter Now'' *''Today The Peace of Autumn'' *''Unheard, The Dews Around Me Fall'' *''Weep You No More, Sad Fountains'' *''What Tomas And Buile Said – I Saw God''

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aborn, Lora 1907 births 20th-century classical composers American music educators American women music educators American women classical composers American classical composers American women classical pianists American classical pianists 2005 deaths American opera composers Oberlin Conservatory of Music alumni American Conservatory alumni 20th-century classical pianists Women opera composers 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American composers 20th-century women composers 21st-century American women