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Bertha Weber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bertha Anna Weber (March 31, 1887 – April 17, 1961) was an American composer and organist.[1]

Life and career

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Weber was born in New Baden, Illinois,[2] to John and Elizabeth Weber.[3] The family moved to Pomona, California, in 1887. Weber studied music at Pomona College, the University of Southern California, and in Europe.[4] She was an organist at Pomona First Presbyterian Church in 1907, and later at Trinity Methodist Church for a number of years. She moved to Berkeley and maintained a studio at the Hotel Claremont there from around 1924 until she moved to Oakland in 1947. She continued composing and giving music lessons and recitals[5] until her death in 1961, when she committed suicide by stepping in front of a train.[6] She was a member of the professional music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota.[7]

Works

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Weber's compositions were published by Willis Music Company.[8] They include:

Opera

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  • The Mysterious Characters of Mr. Fu (1932)[9]

Vocal

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  • "Abraham Lincoln"[10]
  • "Angels and Shepherds Song"
  • "Lincoln So Brave and True"

References

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  1. ^ Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers (Second, revised and enlarged ed.). New York. ISBN 0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ Weber, Bertha (October 16, 2020). "Northern California Composers". sfpl.org. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  3. ^ Weber, Bertha Anna (October 16, 2020). "Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  4. ^ "Bertha Weber Obituary". Pomona Progress-Bulletin. April 23, 1961. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  5. ^ The Lyre of Alpha Chi Omega. Alpha Chi Omega. 1933.
  6. ^ "Railroad Suicide Identified as Noted Pianist and Composer". Oakland Tribune. April 22, 1961. p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  7. ^ Pan Pipes of Sigma Alpha Iota. G. Banta Publishing Company. 1967.
  8. ^ Colby, Frank Harvey (1942). The Pacific Coast Musician.
  9. ^ Wlaschin, Ken (2006). Encyclopedia of American Opera. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-2109-6. OCLC 61707101.
  10. ^ Western Journal of Education. Vol. 31. Harr Wagner Publishing. 1925. p. 3.