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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, Concert tours, Faculty, Illinois Summer Youth Music, Music, Music, School of, Musical Instrument Makers - United States, Photographs
Formats/Genres: Music instruction, Papers, 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 2: Original/Published Music and Sound Recordings, 1929 - 1998
- Consists of original and published music for solo trombone and brass/wind ensembles, and sound recordings of ISYM and UI wind ensemble performances directed by Gray. Organized in three subseries: Sub-series 1, Sound Recordings, 1978-1998; Sub-series 2, Original Music, 1929-1977; and Sub-series 3, Published Music, 1933-1990. The material is arranged alphabetically within each sub-series and then chronologically. The abbreviations following each title identify the format of the music (FS) full score, (CS) condensced score, (PS) piano score, and (P) parts.
- Sub-Series 1: Sound Recordings, 1978 - 1998
- Box 14
- Folder 4: Notes to audio recordings, undated
- Folder 5: 7" REEL, John Boda: Sonatina for Baritone Horn and Synth, undated
- Box 15
- Item 1: "1978 ISYM W.E.", 1978
- Item 2: "10-19-95 Side A Telemann", 1995
- Item 3: "10-24-96 Tape II", 1996
- Item 4: "10-25-95 Side A: Joseph I", 1995
- Item 5: "1982 Illinois Summer Youth Music", 1982
- Item 6: "1986 Illinois Summer Youth Music", 1986
- Item 7: "3/8/96 Joan & Robert Gray 1st L", 1996
- Item 8: "4-5-98 Recital", 1998
- Item 9: "Classic Solos", undated
- Item 10: "Faculty Brass Recital", 1988
- Item 11: "Faculty Recital / Robert Weiss, Donald Beattie", 1984
- Item 12: "ISYM Senior Orchestra Wind Ensemble 6/22/1991", 1991
- Item 13: "Lacrimae Lacrimae" (DAT), undated
- Item 14: "Music for Trombone and Organ I", undated
- Item 15: "Music for Trombone and Organ II", 1996
- Item 16: "Music for Trombone and Organ II MASTER", 1996
- Item 17: "ORG/TBN Better Perf's - I", undated
- Item 18: "ORG/TBN Better Perf's - II", undated
- Item 19: "PR-MRU", undated
- Item 20: "R & J Gray Recital 10-30-94", 1994
- Box 16
- Item 1: "R.Gray / J.Gray 'A' ", undated
- Item 2: "S. YIYATT = Meulemaab" (sic), undated
- Item 3: Senior Orchestra Wind Ens. 1987, 1987
- Item 4: "Skidmarks", undated
- Item 5: "SRO Wind Ensemble ISYM 1983", 1983
- Item 6: "Banhert:Tableaux for Trombone and Piano - Tom Vincent, tbn", 1995
- Item 7: "Tape I - 4-6-95", 1995
- Item 8: "Tape II - 3-27-95", 1995
- Item 9: "Tape III - 4-26-95", 1995
- Item 10: "TBN + ORG Berlios", undated
- Item 11: "Tear Open the Heavens", 1993
- Item 12: "Trombone / IBC2 Concert 42", 1984
- Item 13: "Trombone / Wind Ensemble", undated
- Item 14: "Trombone and Organ MASTER", 1995
- Item 15: "U. S. Marine Band - First Symphony - Knox", 1996
- Item 16: "Walter C. Pelz: Our Soul...", undated
- Item 17: "Wind Ens / Senior Orchestra 1989", 1989
- Item 18: "Wind Ensemble / Lincolnshire Posey / Three…", undated
- Item 19: "Wyatt = Otterloo 4-26-95", 1995
- Sub-Series 2: Original Music, 1929 - 1977
- Box 17
- Folder 1: Bowman: Trio (FS, P), undated
- Folder 2: Fitelberg: Capriccio (CS), 1929
- Folder 3: Hovhannes: Mysterious Horse Before the Gate (P), 1964, 1970
- Folder 4: Looser: Konzertante Musik (FS), 1951, 1957
- Folder 5: McCulloh: Chamber Concerto (FS), 1947
- Folder 6: McCulloh: Toccata (FS), 1949
- Folder 7: Persichetti: Serenade #6 (FS, P), 1952
- Folder 8: Starer: Concertino (PS, P), 1949
- Folder 9: Tomasi: Eitre Ou Ne Pas Etre (PS, P), 1963
- Folder 10: Udow: Barn Burner (PS), 1977
- Box 18
- Folder 1: Goeb: Quintet for Trombone and Strings (FS, P), 1952
- Folder 2: Hartley: Concertino for Chamber Ensemble (FS), 1950-52
- Folder 3: Hartley: Sonata da Camera for Trombone and Four Winds (FS, P), 1950
- Folder 4: Hartley: Suite for Five Winds (FS, P), 1951
- Folder 5: Kohan: Flight of Fancy (P), 1955
- Folder 6: Premru: Concerto for Trombone and Woodwinds (FS, P), 1954
- Folder 7: Sheiukman: Divertimento for Clarinet, Trumpet, and Harp (FS), 1953
- Folder 8: Wyatt: Threesome (FS), 1977
- Sub-Series 3: Published Music, 1933 - 1990
- Box 19
- Folder 1: Bach, J. S.: Magnificat (PS), undated
- Folder 2: Bach (McCulloh): Three Arias from the Magnificat - J. S. Bach (McCulloh) (P), untitled
- Folder 3: Barber: Untitled (PS, P), undated
- Folder 4: Corelli (Marstellar - Gray): Sonata Op.5 #8 - Corelli (Marstellar - Gray) (PS, P), undated
- Folder 5: Gouinguene: Concerto for Trombone - Gouinguene (PS, P), 1975
- Folder 6: Grainger: The Sussex Mummer's Christmas Carol - Grainger (PS), undated
- Folder 7: Handel: Sonata Op.1, #15 - Handel (PS), undated
- Folder 8: Huybrechts: Concertstuk - Huybrechts (PS, P), 1944
- Folder 9: Remington (Hunsberger): Remington Warm Up Exercises (P), 1980
- Folder 10: Remington: Warm Up Exercises (P), undated
- Folder 11: Sibelius: Romance (PS, P), c 1990
- Folder 12: Sporny: Warm Up Exercises (P), undated
- Folder 13: Unidentified: Warm Up Exercises (P), undated
- Folder 14: Wagenseil (Janetzky): Concerto for Trombone (PS, P), c 1963
- Box 20
- Folder 1: Bach (Beversdorf): Haste, Ye Shepherds (PS, P), undated
- Folder 2: Beeson: Music for Two Earnest Instruments - Beeson (PS, P), undated
- Folder 3: Duncan: Divertimento for Trombone and String Quartet - Duncan (FS, P), 1955
- Folder 4: Handel (Beversdorf): Air from Celestial Seats Descending from Hercules - Handel (Beversdorf) (PS, P), undated
- Box 21
- Folder 1: Huybrechts: Andante for Trombone Quartet, Suite for 3 Bassoons, Suite voor 4 Saxophones (FS), 1959
- Folder 2: Wolfe: Konzert fur flote, Klarinette, Fagott, Trumbete, B. Horn, Posaune, Geige, Cello, Klavier (FS), 1933-34
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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