Miscellaneous excerpts from Gordon Childs' musical library, 1690-1947, bulk: 1879-1947

Series — oversize: 7, Folder: 7

Identifier: MSS 8507 Series 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This series contains various musical scores from Gordon Childs’ personal music library. The collection includes a concerto by Casadesus that Claire Kroyt performed at the very first viola congress in 1982. Dated 1690-1947 with the bulk being from 1879-1947.

Dates

Publication: 1690-1947
Publication: Majority of material found within 1879-1947

Creator

Childs, Gordon B., 1927- (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials in English with a paper in Italian, with a translation in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the Gordon Childs papers on the Viola d'Amore must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical History

From the Collection:

Gordon Childs (born 1927) is a well-known viola d'amore performer and teacher and was one of the co-founders of the International Viola d'Amore Society/Congress.

Born on October 22, 1927 in Springville, Utah, Gordon B. Childs has B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music Education and Musicology from Brigham Young University and the Ed.D. degree in Music Administration from the University of Montana.

A violist and violinist, he was introduced to the Viola d'Amore by Homer Wakefield in a music history class at BYU in the fall of 1951. He subsequently wrote his master's thesis on the History, Technique and Literature of the Viola d'Amore, and played a graduate recital of viola d'amore music using Wakefield's instrument.

From solo to chamber music to concerti, he has given solo recitals, chamber music concerts and played concertos with symphony orchestras in most of the mid-west and western states in America and in Mexico, Poland and Germany.

Assisted by Myron Rosenblum of New York and Daniel Thomason of California, the directors of the Viola d'Amore Society of America, Childs hosted the first International Viola d'Amore Congress in 1982 at the University of Wyoming in Laramie where he was on the music faculty. Since the success of this first Congress, others have been held every other year in many cities in the United States, in England, Germany, and Poland including two he organized in Utah after retiring there in 1993.

Even after 21 years of retirement in Orem, Utah, Childs still teaches and performs on this beautiful "Viola d'Amore, Viole d'Amour, Viola of Love."