Mary Eliza Watson Weaver (January 16, 1903 – November 16, 1990) was an American composer, pianist, and poet who was born in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

Life

Mary received B.A. and B. M. degrees from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

(Massachusetts) and

Ottawa University Ottawa University (OU) is a private Baptist university with its main campus in Ottawa, Kansas, a second residential campus in Surprise, Arizona, and adult campuses in the Kansas City, Phoenix and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. It was founded in ...

(Kansas). She continued to study music with

Rosario Scalero Natale Rosario Scalero (24 December 1870 in Moncalieri - 25 December 1954 in Montestrutto) was an Italian violinist, music teacher and composer. Life and career By the age of six, Scalero was under the tutelage of Pietro Bertazzi, a violinis ...

and

Deems Taylor Joseph Deems Taylor (December 22, 1885 – July 3, 1966) was an American music critic, composer, and promoter of classical music. Nat Benchley, co-editor of ''The Lost Algonquin Roundtable'', referred to him as "the dean of American music." Ear ...

at the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. Hi ...

(Philadelphia), and privately in New York and France. Mary married composer and organist

Powell Weaver Powell Weaver (1890–1951) was an American composer, organist, pianist who was active in the midwest during the early 20th century and who wrote some organ pieces that are included in recitals today. Early life Powell Weaver was born on ...

on March 24, 1938, and they had one son (Thomas Watson Weaver). She gave lectures and recitals, and taught piano at the Kansas City Conservatory, the Curtis Institute, the

University of Missouri–Kansas City The University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) is a public research university in Kansas City, Missouri. UMKC is part of the University of Missouri System and one of only two member universities with a medical school. As of 2020, the university ...

(1946 – 1957), the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in mu ...

(New York; 1957 – 1970), and the Henry Street School of Music (New York).

Compositions

Mary's compositions were published by Belwin-Mills, G. Schirmer Inc., Galaxy Music Corporation, and

Shawnee Press Shawnee Press, Inc., was an independent print and recorded music publisher and for a time, the largest educational music publisher in the world. The Company published several music types including choral, vocal, instrumental, and classroom in a ...

. She collaborated with her husband on some compositions (noted below), and he set some of her poems to music. Her musical compositions, all for voice, include: *''All Weary Men'' (with Powell Weaver; mixed chorus; 1949) *''Confess Jehovah'' (mixed chorus; 1951) *"Cradle Song" (text by

Padraic Colum Padraic Colum (8 December 1881 – 11 January 1972) was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival. Early life Col ...

; soprano and piano; 1940) *''Enchanted Islands'' (women's chorus; 1952) *''God's Love Enfold'' (mixed chorus; 1952) *''Hail, Jesu Bambino'' (mixed chorus; 1967) *"Heart of Heaven" (soprano or alto and piano; 1952) *''Kneel Down'' (unspecified chorus) *''Like Doves Descending'' (with Powell Weaver; mixed chorus; 1952) *''Like the Young Sheep'' (mixed chorus; 1950) *''New Mexican Lullaby'' (women's chorus; 1953) *''O Holy Child'' (women's chorus; 1952) *''On the Eve of the First Christmas'' (with Powell Weaver; mixed chorus; 1948) *''Rise Up All Men'' (mixed chorus; 1953) *''When Jesus Lay by Mary's Side'' (with Powell Weaver; mixed chorus; 1951) *Wild Swans

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson Weaver, Mary 20th-century American composers 1903 births 1990 deaths American women composers American women poets Curtis Institute of Music alumni Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri Manhattan School of Music faculty University of Missouri–Kansas City faculty American women academics 20th-century American women