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Fell, Eleanor

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1944 - 2013

Biographical History

Eleanor Fell (1994-2013) was a famous harpist, and one of the first to play "pop" music on the harp.

Eleanor was born to Irving and Rose Fell in Chicago on July 1944. She attended pre-school through high school at University School in Bloomington, Indiana. After a year at Stephens College, she graduated in Harp Performance from Indiana University, where she trained with Susan McDonald. Her professional life as a harpist took her to South Africa, where Eleanor moved away from classical repertoire and became one of the first "pop" harpists. She began transcribing and arranging music from the Beatles to Broadway. She married Lamar Peterson, and together they formed Vanderbilt Music Company, that has served to employ young harpists, and publish harp music--including many of her own arrangements. Eleanor was a star, taking harp outside of the realm of classical music, sharing top billings with Frank Sinatra Jr. and Dave Burbeck (among others). She passed away from leukemia on June 16, 2013.

Citation:
The Jacobs School of Musis: The Harp Department, via WWW, November 14, 2013 (Her brother, Art, a pianist, urged her to join him in Africa in the early 1970s and she took a job playing harp in the elegant Hotel Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan, in West Africa. Her life took a completely unexpected turn there after the hotel manager innocently asked the classically trained musician if she could play a popular song at the time, “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.”;Fell was, instead, the most famous harpist in the world outside of classical music circles, sharing billings with Dave Brubeck, Frank Sinatra Jr. and Lionel Hampton, among many others.)

The Funeral Chapel, via WWW, Novemeber 2013 (b. 07/29/1944; d. 06/16/2013; school - university school)

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:

Eleanor Fell Christmas set list, approximately 2010-2012

 Sub-Series — Box 1: Series 1; Series 2 [Barcode: 31197233650180], Folder: 3
Identifier: MSS 8310 Series 1 Sub-Series 3
Scope and Contents

Subseries contains a set list of Christmas harp music. Includes music and a program where this set list was performed. Music is in the form of manuscript arrangements, photocopies of her manuscripts, and photocopies of sheet music. The program indicates that she performed this on December 24, 2011 at her Methodist church in Bloomington, Indiana. Dates approximately 2010-2012.

Dates: approximately 2010-2012
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 8310, Eleanor Fell scores, manuscripts, and other materials / Eleanor Fell set lists

Eleanor Fell funeral set list, approximately 2010-2012

 Sub-Series — Box 1: Series 1; Series 2 [Barcode: 31197233650180], Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 8310 Series 1 Sub-Series 1
Scope and Contents

Subseries includes a funeral set list of harp music, funeral program, and an outline of a talk to be given regarding the harp in the Bible. She performed this setlist on July 18, 2012 at her Methodist church in Bloomington, Indiana. It's probable that this was performed many other places as well. The music is a combination of her manuscript scores, photocopied manuscripts, sheet music and photocopied sheet music. Dates approximately 2010-2012.

Dates: approximately 2010-2012
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 8310, Eleanor Fell scores, manuscripts, and other materials / Eleanor Fell set lists

Eleanor Fell set lists, Approximately 2010-2012

 Series
Identifier: MSS 8310 Series 1
Scope and Contents

This series contains manuscripts, photocopied manuscripts, sheet music, and photocopied sheet music for the harp. Includes set lists for funerals, weddings, and Christmas. These set lists could have been performed by Eleanor Fell at any venue, or time. However, event programs included suggest that these were performed approximately between 2010-2012, and in her Methodist church in Bloomington, Indiana.

Dates: Approximately 2010-2012
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 8310, Eleanor Fell scores, manuscripts, and other materials

Filtered By

  • Subject: Funeral sermons X

Additional filters:

Subject
Manuscripts 2
Music -- Performance 2
Christmas 1
 

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