Finding Aid for University Bands Recordings, 1940-1992 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Title: University Bands Recordings, 1940-1992

ID: 12/9/19

Primary Creator: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. University Bands

Extent: 50.35 cubic feet

Arrangement:

Arranged in three series:

Series 1) Programs and Card Files, ca. 1956-2000, is arranged chronologically.

Series 2) Reel-to-Reel Sound Recordings, ca. 1949-1990, is arranged according to unique numbering system, listed as the recording ID in the item description, but is also roughly chronological.

and Series 3) 12-Inch Discs, ca. 1960-1965, is arranged according to unique numbering system, listed as the recording ID in the item description, but is also roughly chronological.

Date Acquired: 06/01/1982. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: American Bandmasters Association, Band Clinics, Band Concerts, Band Department, Bands, Begian, Harry, Commencement, Convocations, Goldman, Edwin Franko, Harding, Albert Austin, Hindsley, Mark H., Illinois Summer Youth Music, Keene, James F., Sousa, John Philip, Stokowski, Leopold (1882-1977), Summer Youth Music

Formats/Genres: Electronic Data Files, Sound Recordings

Languages: English

Consists of reel to reel audio recordings, 12" Discs, and program card files, documenting the performances and recording sessions of University Bands from 1940 to 1991, including master tapes for LP recordings. Of note are concerts conducted by Leopold Stokowski, Fredrick Fennell, Glenn Cliff Bainum, George C. Wilson, and William Revelli; guest soloists Harvey Hermann, Howard Klug, David Hickman, William Warfield, Philip Smith, Ray Sasaki, Amy Gilreath, Blaine Edlefsen, Charles Delaney; and performances at the American Bandmasters Association national conferences.

The University of Illinois Military Band was established in 1870 for the purpose of providing music for functions within the military department of the Illinois Industrial University. From 1868 to 1894, the band was administered by student leaders and from 1895 to 1904 was led by various university faculty members. From 1905-1907, the band was led by Albert Austin Harding, who was an undergraduate in engineering.

In 1907, Harding was named the first director of bands, serving in this role for over forty years (1907-1948) and leading the band to a position of national prominence. Under Harding, the University of Illinois band became the first band to perform at a collegiate baseball game (1906) and a collegiate football game (1907); one of the few collegiate bands to receive a march written by John Philip Sousa (1929); and a laboratory ensemble for many of Harding's mentees, which included William D. Revelli, Frederick Fennell, Clarence Sawhill, Ray Dvorak, and Glen Cliffe Bainum. In 1929, Harding became one of the founding members of the American Bandmasters Association.

In 1932, upon the death of John Philip Sousa, Sousa left his vast library of sheet music and original manuscripts in the care of the University of Illinois Band. In 1955, the Band Department had grown so large that they required a new building to be constructed. In 1958 the Harding Band Building was completed, becoming the first permanent building specifically constructed for a collegiate band program in the country.

Subsequent directors of the Band Department include: Mark H. Hindsley (1948-1970), Harry Begian (1970-1984), James F. Keene (1985-2008), Abel Saldivar Ramirez (2008-2009), Robert Rumbelow (2009-2014), Linda Moorhouse (2014-2015), Stephen Peterson (2015-2022), and Kevin Geraldi (2022- ). The University Band Department also saw the rise of several important assistant directors and directors of the Marching Illini, including: Ray Dvorak, Glen Cliffe Bainum, Clarence Sawhill, Everett Kisinger, Guy Duker, Eldon Oyen, Harvey Herman, Gary E. Smith, Ken Steinsultz, Peter Griffin, Tom Cavena, Roby George, Barry Houser, Jesse Leyva, Elizabeth Peterson, and Kimberly Fleming.

The Band Department is currently a unit of the University of Illinois School of Music, which is in turn a unit of the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Ensembles under the administration of the Band Department include the UI Wind Symphony, two symphonic bands, three concert bands, a British Brass Band, Clarinet Choir, the UI Basketball Band, the Orange & Blues and the Marching Illini.

American Bandmasters Association
Band Clinics
Band Concerts
Band Department
Bands
Begian, Harry
Commencement
Convocations
Goldman, Edwin Franko
Harding, Albert Austin
Hindsley, Mark H.
Illinois Summer Youth Music
Keene, James F.
Sousa, John Philip
Stokowski, Leopold (1882-1977)
Summer Youth Music

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: 56 12-inch vinyl disks acquired from University Bands, July 2022.

Other Note: The primary recording location for concerts is the Krannert Center for Performing Arts, with rehearsals primarily recorded at the Harding Band Building; generally, if recorded elsewhere, the location is noted in the reel description.