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By Robert DeLand, Emilia Garvey, Janice Wien and Scott Schwartz
Collection Overview
Title: Robert Gray Papers, Music and Instruments, 1910-2006
ID: 12/5/40
Primary Creator: Gray, Robert (1926-2008)
Extent: 9.0 cubic feet
Arrangement: The collection is organized in three series: Series 1, Personal Papers, 1940-2006; Series 2, Music, 1929-1998; and Series 3, Historical Trombones, ca. 1910-1992. Material within each series is arranged alphabetically.
Date Acquired: 05/10/2007
Subjects: Bands, Brass Instruments, Church music, Composers, Concert tours, Conductors (Music), Faculty, Faculty Papers, Illinois Summer Youth Music, Music, Music, School of, Musical Instrument Makers - United States, Music instruction
Formats/Genres: Papers, Photographs, Sheet music, Sound Recordings
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of papers, photographs, music, correspondence, teaching notes, research, and music instruments documenting Robert Gray's professional music career as a trombone professor, performer, and church music director between 1940 and 2006. Of particular interest are the papers documenting the University Wind Ensemble's 1977 tour of South America and Gray's prototype F attachment that was an attempt to modify the Conn's 8H bass trombone design but was never put into production by the manufacturer.
Biographical Note
Robert E. Gray (1926-2008) was born in Ambridge, PA on June 13, 1926 the son of William and Helen Lowary Gray. Gray graduated from Ambridge High School near Pittsburgh, PA. In 1949, he graduated with a bacheolors in music education from Muskingum College (New Concord, Ohio). While a student, Gray was a member of Phi Beta Mu. He received his Masters degree in trombone performance from the Eastman School of Music. During the Korean War, Gray served as a Musician First Class in the US Navy. In 1957, he was the first trombonist to earn a DMA at the Eastman School of Music, writing a dissertation entitled "The Treatment of Trombone in Contemporary Chamber Literature." Following this, he taught at Duke University, the University of Arizona, and East Carolina University.
Dr. Gray joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1955, and served as professor of trombone and low brass, and director of several student wind and brass ensembles. He was also a member of the Illinois Brass Quintet, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and the Sinfonia da Camera. Gray led the wind ensemble during its 1977 tour of South America. He was one of the charter members of the Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1986 he was presented with an outstanding bandmaster award from that same organization. During his time in the brass area, Gray performed alongside faculty members like Michael Ewald, Ray Sasaki, and Mark Moore. Gray retired in 1991 after serving 36 years on the UIUC faculty.
In addition to his teaching and performance responsibilities a the University Gray served on the board of advisors for the International Trombone Association and was its president from 1984 to 1986. For most of his tenure at the University of Illinois he also taught trombone for the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp (ISYM). In addition to his teaching and research he served as the music director at Champaign, Illinois' First Presbyterian Church and concertized with his wife, organist Joan Gray, throughout his career. Robert Gray died in 2008 in Urbana, IL.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Acquisition Source:
Robert Gray
Acquisition Method:
Gift
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal Papers, 1940 - 2006],
[
Series 2: Original/Published Music and Sound Recordings, 1929 - 1998],
[
Series 3: Historical Trombones, ca. 1910 - 1992],
[
All]
- Series 1: Personal Papers, 1940 - 2006
- Consists of correspondence, newsclippings, music catalogs, teaching and research files, awards, photographs and concert programs. Organized in five sub-series: Sub-series 1, Student/College Reunion Papers and Early Teaching Records, 1940-2004; Sub-series 2, Professional Corresondence, 1956-2002; Sub-series 3, UI Teaching and Performance Records, 1954-2006; Sub-series 4, Research Files, 1951-1994; and Sub-series 5, First Presbyterian Church Performance Records, 1971-2001. The documents are arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronological within each subject grouping.
- Sub-Series 1: Student/College Reunion Papers and Early Teaching Records, 1940 - 2004
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Correspondence, programs, 1940-55
- Folder 2: Programs, 1943-45
- Folder 3: "Eastman School of Music, Its First Quarter Century" (book), 1948
- Folder 4: Correspondence, programs, 1948-57, 1979
- Folder 5: Duke University, 1950-55
- Folder 6: Magnificat (Bach) with notes and programs, 1950-99
- Folder 7: East Carolina College, 1951-55
- Folder 8: Programs, clippings, photographs, 1951-64
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Muskingum College, 1952-2004
- Folder 2: University of Arizona, 1952-55
- Folder 3: Darius Milhaud letter, 1954
- Folder 4: Bulletin of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, 1954-55
- Folder 5: Brevard Music Center, 1954-55
- Folder 6: Emory Remington, 1957-80
- Box 24
- Item 1: Great Lakes Choir of 1000 Voices, Oct. 1944
- Item is in Map Cabinet 3, Map Drawer 1, Folder 1
- Item 2: 25th & 27th Regiment Choir, Nov. 1944
- Item is in Map Cabinet 3, Map Drawer 1, Folder 1
- Item 3: Faculty and Students of Muskingum College, New Concord, OH, Oct. 1945
- Item 4: Faculty and Students of Muskingum College, New Concord, OH, Oct. 1946
- Item 5: Faculty and Students of Muskingum College, New Concord, OH, Oct. 1947
- MapCabinet 3
- MapDrawer 1
- Folder 1: Great Lakes Choir of 1000 Voices photo; 25th and 27th Regiment Choir photo; Honor al Merito Award, 1944, 1977
- Sub-Series 2: Professional Correspondence, 1956 - 2002
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Correspondence, 1956-86
- Folder 2: Correspondence, 1956-89
- Folder 3: Correspondence from former students, 1964-87
- Folder 4: Correspondence, 1966-2002
- Folder 5: Correspondence, 1967-97
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Correspondence, Programs, Clippings, Photographs, 1971-2001
- Folder 2: Correspondence, 1977-84
- Folder 3: Correspondence, 1980-91
- Folder 4: Correspondence on school retirement, 1991-92
- Sub-Series 3: UI Teaching and Performance Records, 1954 - 2006
- Box 5
- Folder 1: American Federation of Musicians, Champaign Chapter, 1954-55, 1999-2006
- Folder 2: Biographical file, 1962-95
- Folder 3: Book Review - The Trombone in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, 1983-84
- Folder 4: Employment Contracts, 1955-91
- Folder 5: Former Trombone Students list, 1984-92
- Folder 6: International Trombone Association, Trombone Workshops, 1971-88
- Folder 7: Photographs, undated
- Folder 8: Robert Gray Retirement, 1991
- Folder 9: Robert Gray Trombone Award, donors, 1991-2001
- Folder 10: Robert Gray Trombone Award, statements, programs and contracts, 1990-2002
- Box 6
- Folder 1: Trombone Clinics, educational materials, 1995-98
- Folder 2: Trombone Curriculum Book, 1985-86
- Folder 3: Trombone Method Books, 1966
- Folder 4: UIUC Alumni Trombone Choir, 1996-97
- Folder 5: UIUC and other venues, performance programs, 1957-90
- Folder 6: Bemidji State University Summer Music Camp, 1959-70
- Folder 7: Bemidji State University Summer Music Camp, 1971-84
- Box 7: Music Catalogs and Illinois Summer Youth Music (ISYM) Camp Files
- Folder 1: ASCAP Symphonic Catalog, 1959
- Folder 2: C. F. Peters Catalog, 1960-85
- Folder 3: Fleisher Music Collection Catalog, 1955-56
- Folder 4: Library of Congress, SESAC, ISCM Catalogs, 1955-58
- Folder 5: Magnamusic Catalog, 1956-79
- Folder 6: Russian Catalogs, 1956-95
- Folder 7: Scandinavian Catalogs, 1956-87
- Folder 8: Zentralarchiv Suisse Catalogs, 1956
- Folder 9: Catalogs, General, Notes and Correspondence, 1965-94
- Folder 10: Musical Instruments Catalogs, 1960-70
- Folder 11: ISYM, 1964-88
- Folder 12: ISYM, 1972-91
- Folder 13: ISYM, 1990-91
- Box 8
- Folder 1: International Trombone Workshop, 1973-78
- Folder 2: International Trombone Workshop, 1979-80
- Folder 3: International Trombone Workshop, 1981-82
- Folder 4: International Trombone Workshop, 1983-84
- Folder 5: International Trombone Workshop, 1985
- Folder 6: International Trombone Workshop, 1986-87
- Folder 7: International Trombone Workshop, 1988
- Folder 8: International Trombone Workshop, 1991-92, 1997
- Folder 9: UIUC Wind Ensemble, personnel, clippings, 1960-80
- Folder 10: UIUC Wind Ensemble, Vaclav Nelhybel - guest conductor and composer, 1960-70, 1983
- Folder 11: UIUC Wind Ensemble, National Wind Ensemble Conference, 1974
- Box 9
- Folder 1: UIUC Wind Ensemble, Programs (1 of 3), 1959-88
- Folder 2: UIUC Wind Ensemble, Programs (2 of 3), 1959-88
- Folder 3: UIUC Wind Ensemble, Programs (3 of 3), 1959-88
- Folder 4: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Passports and Faculty ID
- Folder 5: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, auditions and programs, 1977
- Folder 6: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Chile, 1977
- Folder 7: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Ecuador, 1977
- Folder 8: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Guatemala, 1977
- Folder 9: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Guatemala photographs, 1977
- Box 10
- Folder 1: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Joan Gray Journal, 1977
- Folder 2: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Panama, 1977
- Folder 3: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Panama photographs, 1977
- Folder 4: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Paraguay, 1977
- Folder 5: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Paraguay award, 1977
- Folder 6: Wind Ensemble South American Tour, Uruguay, 1977
- Box 23
- Item 1: Photo: Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Krannert Center, March 1974
- Item 2: Photo: UIUC brass quintet performance photo with R. Gray, M. Ewald, K. Machala, M. Moore, and R. Sasaki, March 1991
- Item 3: Photo: Concordia Band photo - Concordia, MO, Undated
- Box 24
- Item 6: Award: Honor al Merito, Guatemala, 1977
- Item is in Map Cabinet 3, Map Drawer 1, Folder 1
- Sub-Series 4: Research Files, 1951 - 1994
- Box 10
- Folder 7: Trombone Literature Catalog, A-F, undated
- Folder 8: Trombone Literature Catalog, G-K, undated
- Folder 9: Trombone Literature Catalog, L-P, undated
- Folder 10: Trombone Literature Catalog, R-Z, undated
- Folder 11: Research Material, Trombones, 1951-94
- Box 11: Chamber Music Index Cards - Part 1 of 2, undated
- Box 12: Chamber Music Index Cards - Part 2 of 2, undated
- Sub-Series 5: First Presbyterian Church Performance Records, 1972 - 2001
- Box 13
- Folder 1: First Presbyterian Church, Choir Records, 1972-90
- Folder 2: First Presbyterian Church Correspondence, 1973-2001
- Folder 3: First Presbyterian Church music arranged by Theodor Duda, 1977-82
- Folder 4: First Presbyterian Church Christmas Music and notes, 1983-94
- Folder 5: First Presbyterian Church "A Woman and A Coin," piece commissioned for Malcolm Nygren's retirement, 1990
- Folder 6: First Presbyterian Church Gray retirement programs and correspondence, 1994
- Folder 7: First Presbyterian Church Trombonists, 1997-2001
- Box 14
- Folder 1: Brass and Organ, music and notes, 1980's
- Folder 2: Trombone and Organ Programs and Correspondence, 1992-97
- Folder 3: Trombone and Organ Recital Programs, 1980-2001
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal Papers, 1940 - 2006],
[
Series 2: Original/Published Music and Sound Recordings, 1929 - 1998],
[
Series 3: Historical Trombones, ca. 1910 - 1992],
[
All]
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