A Silent H
Another H went silent two years ago when Harold (Hal) Haney
(born May 23, 1926) died in Denver, Colorado, on July 30, 2001. Creator of the
International Society of Harpsichord Builders (later The International
Harpsichord Society) and publisher of a quarterly journal, The Harpsichord,
Haney preserved a rich slice of harpsichord revival history that otherwise
might have been lost.
Haney's career was in advertising, but his several avocations
brought him special reknown. In 1970 he became the first chairman of the board
for "Historic Denver, Inc" and continued as a leader in that city's
efforts at historic preservation. The proud owner of a classic Harley, he
enjoyed riding it, and, at his death, he willed it to the Rocky Mountain
Motorcycle Club. With the eight-year run of The Harpsichord (1968-1976) Haney
combined an amateur's enthusiasm and an advertiser's expertise in the
dissemination of information about the expanding harpsichord scene in the
United States.
Toting his trusty tape recorder he trotted off to interview
builders John Challis (spelled Challas in the first issue of the magazine),
William Dowd, Frank Hubbard, Sigurd Sabathil, and David Way. Noted players who
shared reminiscences on tape for his editing included Lady Susi Jeans, Sylvia
Kind, Isolde Ahlgrimm, Fernando Valenti, Igor Kipnis, E. Power Biggs, Sylvia
Marlowe, Malcolm Hamilton, Claude Jean Chiasson, Alice Ehlers, Rosalyn Tureck,
Hilda Jonas, and Denise Restout, recounting her association with Wanda
Landowska.
Hal didn't always get it exactly right. There were, often
enough, strange phonetic renderings of proper names. Several figures of little
import to the musical scene made surprisingly lengthy appearances in the pages
of his magazine, but, all in all, there was an abundance of useful information
to be found in these thirty-two issues of The Harpsichord.
When the Midwestern Historical Keyboard Society presented
Haney with a special citation during its 16th annual meeting (in Boulder, 20
May 2000) he shared wide-ranging memories with the group, noting that there
were further interviews as yet unpublished. These additional biographies
"will appear later in a comprehensive book covering both early and current
performers and builders," he announced. Since Hal did not live to complete
this project, we must remain grateful for the legacy that does exist, while
regretting those ephemeral tapes, unedited and unpublished.
Thanks to Seattle's David Calhoun for reporting Haney's
demise, and for scouting out his elusive birth and death dates.
Christmas in July:
The Alto Wore Tweed (A
Liturgical Mystery) by Mark Schweizer
Here is the answer to all your gift needs: buy a copy of
this slim paperback for every person on your Christmas list. Any 144-page book
that manages to include references to Charles Wood, Charpentier, Mendelssohn,
Hugo Distler, bagpipes, an anthem text in which "Holy Jesus" rhymes
with "moldy cheeses," and "Martin Luther's Diet of Wurms
("the only Diet of Wurms with the International Congress of Church
Musicians Seal of Approval") gets my vote for book of the year.
Combining a Raymond Chandler-style novel-in-progress with an
organist-choirmaster's church-related murder mystery, author Mark Schweizer
(his wildly-varied professional background includes waiting tables, earning
several music degrees, raising hedgehogs and potbellied pigs [as detailed in
"About the Author"]) has written a madcap page-turner that keeps the
reader in suspense as to "whodunit" while frequently causing an
explosion of laughter. It's definitely a bargain at $10 (from St. James Music
Press, P.O. Box 1009, Hopkinsville, KY 42241-1009; <www.sjmp.com>). While
visiting their website, be sure to sample Schweizer's Weasel Cantata (the only
anthem based on the dietary laws of Leviticus)!
Send news items or comments about Harpsichord News to Dr.
Larry Palmer, Division of Music, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
75229;
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