Draft:Jerre Tanner

Jerre Tanner

Jerre Tanner (b. January 5, 1939) is an American composer of classical music and author of both fiction and nonfiction books. He has lived most of his adult life in Hawai'i and is a student of Hawaiian/Polynesian culture and history.

Personal life

Jerre Eugene Tanner was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania the second of two children born to Roger Pascal Tanner, Superintendent of the Lamar (Pennsylvania) National Fish Hatchery, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and Mildred Eugenia Tanner (née Catté), an amateur en plein air artist. Tanner started private Piano instruction at age eight and music theory at thirteen. He attended the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa (1956-1958) and received a BA degree in Music from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa (1960). While at U.I. he attended seminars on the process of writing at the Iowa Writers Workshop.^[1]

In 1964 he was a Resident Fellow at the Huntington Hartford Foundation in Pacific Palisades, California afterwards moving to Marin County. He moved to Hilo, Hawai'i in 1965 and taught music at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo.^[2] He received an MA degree in Music Theory and Composition at San Francisco State University (1971) where he studied Composition with Dr. Roger Nixon and Orchestration with Dr. Wayne Peterson, a Pulitzer Prize recipient (1992).^[3]

In 1970 he returned to Hawai'i to live in Kailua-Kona, Kona District of Hawai'i Island, where he was a freelance composer. In 1978 he was appointed Music Director of Opera Players of Hawai'i,^[4] and in 1979 he was co-founder and first manager of Mālama Arts Inc., a fine arts publishing company, under whose imprint he authored and edited four award-winning books on the visual artists of Hawai'i. Upon retirement, he moved to Honolulu in 2003 where he now resides. He spent increasingly more of his time on literary projects. Having reached his late seventies/early eighties (2018-2023) he wrote and published a series of fiction and non-fiction books.

Musical style

Tanner’s music is stylistically tied to World music, specifically Balinese Gamelan and traditional Japanese music.^[5] He rejected atonality and avant-gardism, dominant at the time. His music is tonal and lyrical. His orchestration abilities have been noted by several critics, especially his use of brass and percussion. “The richly colored scoring and dense brass-reinforced textures of this new folk music infused classical oratorio make it an ideal digital recording demonstration piece.”^[6]

His chief collaborator was lyric poet Harvey Hess.^[7] They collaborated on four song cycles, three operas (see Libretto), three choral symphonies and other choral/instrumental works, as well as a two-volume book on their crusade to create a Hawaiian opera subgenre. Tanner is among the first generation of classical composers to create classical music works with influences from Hawaiian/Polynesian traditional music and culture.^[8][9] (see Culture) He is a retired member of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Career in music

In 1974 the University of Hawai'i at Hilo Music Department, Kenneth Staton Director, gave the premiere of the Tanner/Hess Symphony No. 1 in E-flat ‘‘The Naupaka Floret’’, a Vietnam War protest work, with soprano Joyce Andrews and tenor William Livingstone soloists. ‘‘The Warrior’s Aria’’ excerpt from the Symphony was recorded in 1994 with Jeffrey Springer, tenor and the Moravian Philharmonic released on Vienna Modern Masters. In 1998 the score for the orchestral version of this work was placed in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Rosenthal Archives by the Estate of Margaret Hillis, founder and first director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus.^[10]

The Tanner/Hess opera “The Lei of Kane” (Ka Lei Nō Kane) (1975-1977) received grant funding from the National and Hawai'i Bicentennial Commissions. Edith Kanaka'ole created the Hawaiian language passages in the libretto and choreographed the Hula for the premiere production, which was mounted by the Opera Players of Hawai'i and the Hawai'i Chamber Orchestra, Sidney Rothstein conducting.

“Boy with Goldfish”, based on a mythic Hawaiian hero’s journey, is a collaborative crossover work encompassing ten songs by Leon Siu and Malia Elliott (Leon & Malia)^[11] and added traditional Hawaiian lyric material, inspired by a series of seven oil paintings plus graphics by artist John Paul Thomas, and Tanner’s musical visualization (1974-1976) for soloists, chorus, organ, and orchestra, over an hour in length. As part of Hawai'i’s State and National Bicentennial observance, the premiere by the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra (now renamed the Hawai'i Symphony) in conjunction with an exhibition of the Thomas artwork at the Contemporary Museum of Art (now incorporated into the Honolulu Museum of Art). Details from the Thomas oils were projected onstage during performances. As buildup to the premiere, Stafford Kiguchi noted in an article in O'ahu Magazine, “The music has been performed over 40 times by the Honolulu Symphony and represents the first work based on Hawaiian myth purposely written for the orchestra.”^[12][13]

July 1979 the London Symphony Orchestra recorded “Boy with Goldfish” with Leon Siu and Malia Elliott soloists, the Nigel Brooks Chorale, and Lee Holdridge conducting. The recording site was Watford Town Hall, Watford, England. It was recorded digitally with the then new Soundstream recording and editing technology. “The richly colored scoring and dense brass-reinforced textures of this new folk music infused classical oratorio make it an ideal digital recording demonstration piece.”^[14] It was released in 1980 by Varèse Sarabande on vinyl disc.^{[15][16][17][18]} Dr. Thomas Stockham, inventor of Soundstream digital recording and editing technology, chose excerpts from “Boy with Goldfish” for broadcast on 3 March 1980 over KFAC-FM Los Angeles, as the first direct from Soundstream digital audio to FM radio broadcast.^[19] The Compact Disc version of the complete recording was released by Albany Records in 1993. A review of this recording stated, “‘Boy with Goldfish’ … has some of the most beautiful music written in the 20th century…”^[20] Albany Records released a Super Audio CD (SACD) version in 2006.

The Tanner/Hess opera for youth “The Singing Snails (Nā Pūpū Kani Oe)” (1979-1980), the first Hawaiian children’s opera, was created for the St. Frances High School Music Department in Honolulu, with Terence Knapp stage director, on December 12, 1980.^[21][22] A 23-minute orchestral suite from the opera was recorded by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra of Bratislava, Szymon Kawalla conducting (1992), released on Vienna Modern Masters.^[13]

In 1995 the Prague Chamber Orchestra recorded the Tanner/Hess comic chamber opera “The Kona Coffee Cantata” (1983-1985) with American singers and conductor, released on Albany Records.^[23] This opera was composed for Hawai'i’s observance of the 1985 tercentenary of the birth of J.S. Bach to be performed as a companion piece to the Bach “Coffee Cantata” BWV 211 (see BWV).^[24][25][26] Among the several subsequent performances was that of the Musicians of Ma‘alwyck (Schenectady, New York).^[27]

Two other Tanner works have been recorded: Aukele (the Swimmer) Sinfonia in F (1991), a symphonic work inspired by the myth of a Hawaiian/Polynesian swimmer-hero, with the Polish Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, Szymon Kawalla conducting;^[28][29][13] and ‘‘Fragrant Harbor (Hong Kong)’’ (1992), a concert aria with text by Philip Appleman, Dominic Natoli tenor and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Szymon Kawalla conducting – both released on Vienna Modern Masters (Vienna, Austria).^[30]

His music has been performed by the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Symphony Orchestra of Boston, the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Geneva, Switzerland), the Polish Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra of Kraków, the Altoona and Nittany Valley (Pennsylvania) Symphonies, the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Iowa (formerly the Cedar Rapids Symphony), the Hawai'i Youth Symphony, the Spring Wind Quintet, Uptown Opera (Spokane, Washington, Gaston County, North Carolina Municipal Band, Hawai'i County Municipal Band, the Cincinnati Boy Choir, the Honolulu Chorale and numerous other chorus and concert band organizations.^[5]

He was committed to helping expand the availability of art songs in the Hawaiian language, with musical settings appropriate for concert and recital performance. In 1992 he received a grant from Hawai'i Foundation to create musical settings of Hawaiian Monarchy-period songs suitable for these venues. The song settings, collectively titled “The Hawaiian Songbook - the Monarchy”, were given their European premiere by tenor Keith Ikaia-Purdy.^[31][5] Tanner was awarded a Hawai'i Artist Fellowship in 1997, administered through the Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the highest award given by the State to artists.^[5]

In 1999, he was chosen in the American Composers Forum Continental Harmony Bicentennial commissioning project national competition for the State of New Mexico for which he composed "Symphony No. 2 Keepers of the Land” for chorus and orchestra, with text by Hess - honoring the Mescalero, Latino, and Anglo cultures there - given its premiere July 4, 2000 at Spencer Theatre, Alto, New Mexico. For the second round of Continental Harmony commissions he was selected for the State of North Carolina, the Gaston County Municipal Band for which he composed “High Seas to High Shoals”, a set of variations on a naval theme in honor of Admiral Charles Wilkes, a North Carolina 'favorite son' whose chief accomplishment was leading the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838 – 1842. The premiere was held in conjunction with an exhibition at the Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia, North Carolina of artifacts from the Expedition on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.^[32][3] In between these he was commissioned by the Summit Choral Society of Akron, Ohio to create a work for three choruses (children’s, SSA women’s, and SATB mixed), and orchestra (2001-2002). "Symphony No. 3 'Aumākua, Living Ancestors", with text by Hess, was given its premiere June 20, 2001.^[33]

Literary Works

In 2018 he authored the novel “Boy with Goldfish, a heroic fantasy based on ancient Hawaiian mythology” and the musical work with which he was a collaborator; and its sequel “Children of the Godlight’” (2019), published by Editions Art – Music – Poetry, Honolulu, Hawai'i. “The Novices”, a Climate fiction (cli-fi, or climate science fiction) series of four novels set in 2170 climate-ravished Vietnam (2020-2021), is also published by Editions Art – Music – Poetry. His non-fiction books include “On the Origins and Application of the Grid in the Art of John Paul Thomas” (2005), “‘to Live/Create, reflections on people, music, and events in my lifetime” (2019), and “Hawaiian Opera, an exposition and development of a life-vision” (2022), in two volumes.

Legacy

His original manuscripts and personal papers are in Special Collections at Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.^[34]

Works – music (partial list)

Opera

• The Lei of Kane (1976)
• The Singing Snails (opera for youth) (1980)
• The Kona Coffee Cantata (1985)

Orchestra

• Symphony No. 1 in E-flat “The Naupaka Floret” (with soloists and SATB chorus) (1974)
• Boy with Goldfish (with soloists and SATB chorus) (1976)
• Suite No. 1 from “The Singing Snails” (1985)
• Sinfonia in F “Aukele (the Swimmer)” (1987)
• Symphony No. 2 in G “Keepers of the Land” (with SATB chorus) (2000
• Symphony No. 3 in B-flat “'Aumākua, Living Ancestors” (with Childrens chorus, SSA chorus, and SATB chorus) (2001)
• Symphony No. 4 in C "Song of Creation" (2024)

Orchestra and solo voice

• A Spring Garland (1968) (chamber orchestra)
• Six Songs from “A Winter’s Pillow Book” (1971)
• The Hawaiian Songbook – Book I: Kona (1975)
• In Settlers’ Cemetery (1996) (medium orchestra)

String orchestra and solo instrument

• Adagio (for flute, harp, and string orchestra) (1964)
• Concerto Grosso in E major (Suite from “The Kona Coffee Cantata”), for flute, violin, cello, keyboard, and string orchestra (1992)

Concert band

• Overture to “The Singing Snails” (1980)
• Royal Tucket and Flourish (1982)
• A Kalakaua Diptych (1978, rev. 1985)
• Fanfare for a River City (brass and percussion) (1994)
• High Seas to High Shoals (2002)

Wind quintet

• Suite No. 2 from “The Singing Snails” (2005)

Percussion ensemble

• Dances of the Five Societies (1962)
• Choral Lyric (with soloists and chorus) (1961, 1963)

Song cycles (voice and piano)

• From an Albian Songbook (1963)
• A Spring Garland (1968)
• Six Songs from “A Winter’s Pillow Book” (1971)
• The Hawaiian Songbook – Book I: Kona (1974)
• In Settlers’ Cemetery (1996)
• The Hawaiian Songbook – Book II: the Tradition, Monarchy (1997)

1. “'O Makala Pua” (Punia and Eliza Holt)

2. “Ku'u Ipo i ka He'e Pu'e One” (Princess Likelike)

3. “Akahi Ho'i” (King David Kalākaua)

4. “Koni Au i ka Wai” (King David Kalākaua)

Choral settings from the Hawaiian (with various accompaniments)

• “'Opae E” (Traditional) (1975)
• “A Kalākaua Diptych” (1978, rev. 1998) ‘‘Akahi Ho'i’’ and ‘‘Koni Au i ka Wai’’
• “Ku'u Ipo i ka He'e Pu'e One” (Princess Likelike) (1992)
• “'O Makala Pua” (Punia and Eliza Holt) (1992)

Works – Literary

• Tanner, Jerre (author and editor); Thomas, John Paul (graphics); Hess, Harvey (poetry). “Orchid Art and the Orchid Isle, an art book about Hawai'i Island and its famous orchids”. Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i. Mālama Arts Inc. (1983). ISBN 0-931909-03-1.
• Tanner, Jerre (author and editor). (1989). “Hawai'i Island Artists, and Friends of the Arts”, premiere edition. Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i. Mālama Arts Inc. ISBN 0-931909-06-6.

• Second volume. (1990). ISBN 0-931909-07-4.
• Third volume. (1996). ISBN 0-931909-11-2.

• Tanner, Jerre. ‘‘On the Origins and Application of the Grid in the Art of John Paul Thomas’’. Honolulu, Hawai'i. Private publication (2005). Cedar Falls, Iowa. University of Northern Iowa. Online publication, UNIversitas, volume 3, issue 1 (2007) – (discontinued)

Republished (2024) [PUBLUU Grid_essay-WKG ] Retrieved 25 March 2025

• Tanner, Jerre. (2017) “Boy with Goldfish - a heroic fantasy from Hawaiian mythology”, Book 1. Honolulu, Hawai'i. Editions Art – Music – Poetry. ISBN 9781720 568216.

• Tanner, Jerre. (2019) “Children of the Godlight - a heroic fantasy from Hawaiian mythology”, Book 2. ISBN 9798484 988761.

• Tanner, Jerre. (2021). “The Novices”: Book 1 – “The Dispossessed, a Cli-Fi epic of Hope reborn as Earth dies”. By Jerre Tanner. Honolulu, Hawai'i: Editions Art – Music – Poetry. ISBN 979849 4718921.

• Tanner, Jerre. (2021). “The Novices”: Book 2 – “The Seekers, Begin the search for Hope and Humanity”. ISBN 979876 3613995.
• Tanner, Jerre. (2022). “The Novices”: Book 3 – “The Questors, Journey down an unsettled Land”. ISBN 979884 4089695.
• Tanner, Jerre. (2022) “The Novices”: Book 4 – “The Victors, the Way found – the Price paid”. (2022) ISBN 979884 4230820.

• Tanner, Jerre; Hess, Harvey. (2022). “Hawaiian Opera, an Exposition and Development of a Life Vision”, Volume 1. Honolulu, Hawai'i. Editions Art – Poetry. ISBN 979838 9884212.

• Tanner, Jerre; Hess, Harvey. Volume 2. (2022). ISBN 979838 9890749.

• Tanner, Jerre. (2023). “to Live / Create: reflections on people, music and events in my lifetime”. Honolulu, Hawai'i. Editions Art – Music – Poetry. ISBN 979839 4835575.

Discography

• “Boy with Goldfish”: London Symphony Orchestra, Lee Holdridge, conductor. Leon Siu and Malia Elliott, soloists. Nigel Brooks Chorale. – Souhdstream digital masters, Varèse Sarabande vinyl disc VCDM 1000.30 (1980)

• “Boy with Goldfish”: London Symphony Orchestra, Albany Records CD TROY0053 (1991), Boy with Goldfish

• Hybrid-SACD-TROY0053 (2006)

• “Aukele (the Swimmer)”: Polish Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra; Szymon Kawalla, conductor – Vienna Modern Masters VMM 3005 (1991)
• “Fragrant Harbor (Hong Kong)”: Dominic Natoli, tenor; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Szymon Kawalla, conductor – Vienna Modern Masters VMM 3013 (1992)
• Suite from “The Singing Snails”: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Szymon Kawalla, conductor – Vienna Modern Masters VMM 3016 (1992)
• “The Warrior’s Aria” from Symphony No. 1 in E-flat “The Naupaka Floret”: Jeffrey Springer, tenor; Moravian Philharmonic; Jirí Mikula, conductor – Vienna Modern Masters VMM 3041 (1994)
• “The Kona Coffee Cantata”: Marilyn Taylor, Kolea; William Livingstone, Kimo; David Small, Mr. Kua; the Prague Chamber Orchestra, Timm Rolek, conductor – Albany Records TROY0313 (1998) "The Kona Coffee Cantata" Retrieved 25 March 2025

References

1. "Life Among the Intellectuals". Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa: Times-Democrat. 30 December 1962. p. 13-14.
2. "Young Composer Receives Award". Hilo, Hawai'i: Hawaii Tribune-Herald. 22 May 1966. p. 1.
3. Who's Who in America. Vol. 68th Ed. Vol. 2. Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Marquis Who’s Who. 2013. p. 4246. ISBN 978-0-8379-7048-6.
4. "New Director". Kealakekua, Hawai'i: West Hawaii Today. 16 February 1979. p. 30.
5. Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (21 January 2001). New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2nd Ed. vol. 25. London U.K. and New York U.S.: New Groves. p. 77-78.
6. "Audiophile Recordings". Billboard. New York. 5 April 1980.
7. Bruce Duffie (30 June 1993). "Conversation Piece: Librettist Harvey Hess". Chicago, Illinois: Bruce Duffie Podcast. Retrieved 25 March 2025
8. Heymount, George (May 1988). "Opera Becomes America". Opera Monthly. New York, New York. p. 32-43.
9. Hess, Harvey (January 1991). "Hawaiianizing Opera – the operas of Jerre Tanner". Opera Monthly. New York, New York. p. 34-40.
10. Letter dated May 8, (1998) from Tina Laughlin, Administrative Assistant to the late Margaret Hillis and the American Choral Foundation, informing composer Tanner of the placement of “The Naupaka Floret” full score in the Rosenthal Archives
11. Shapiro, David (6 July 1975). "A Cantata of Hawai'i for Two". Honolulu, Hawai'i: Star-Bulletin and Advertiser. p. C-7.
12. Kiguchi, Stafford (May 1980). "Boy with Goldfish – a Landmark". O'ahu Magazine. Honolulu, Hawai'i.
13. Hall, Dale (2002). The Honolulu Symphony: a Century of Music. Honolulu, Hawai'i: Goodale Publishing. pp. 115–116, 127. ISBN 0-9662945-6-4.
14. "Audiophile Recordings". Billboard. New York. 5 April 1980.
15. "Boy with Goldfish – London Symphony Orchestra". Gramophone magazine. London, U.K. June 1980. p. 554.“Jerre Tanner is the first of the Islands’ composers to achieve international fame …”
16. Hyams, Ben (April 1980). "International Artistic Achievement". Honolulu magazine. Honolulu, Hawai'i. p. 129.Classical Music review
17. Hess, Harvey (January 1980). "Hawaiian Music Takes Another Big Step Forward". Ha'ilono Mele, the Hawaiian Music Foundation Journal. Honolulu, Hawai'i: 1-5.
18. Farmer, David (Spring 1980). "Boy with Goldfish: an Appreciation". Kani Lehua; University of Hawai'i at Hilo. Hilo, Hawai'i: 56-57.
19. Letter (4 April 1980) from Dr. Thomas Stockham to Virginia Fontaine, Executive Director of Mālama Arts Inc. music publisher, confirming historic 3 March 1980 broadcast of "...Goldfish" music.
20. Cook, Paul (December 1993). "Review: Boy with Goldfish". Classical Pulse-Tower Records. Sacramento, California. p. 59. Retrieved 25 March 2025
21. Hyams, Ben (December 1980). "the Singing Snails". Honolulu magazine. Honolulu, Hawai'i. p. 119.
22. Meinecke, Fred Kalani (February 1981). "A Hawaiian opera for youth". Ha'ilono Mele-the Journal of Hawaiian Music. Honolulu, Hawai'i: 7.
23. Whitney, Scott (October 1995). "Arias from Kona". Honolulu magazine. Honolulu, Hawai'i. p. 20.
24. Whitney, Scott (January 1987). "Bach to Kona". Honolulu magazine-Calabash. Honolulu, Hawai'i. p. 16.
25. Heymont, George (May 1988). "Opera Becomes America". Opera Monthly. New York, New York. p. 32-43.
26. Frühauf, Tina (2013). Food and Music, Music in American Life, an encyclopedia of the songs, styles, stars, and stories that shaped our culture. Vol. II. Santa Barbara: Greenwood and ABC-Clio. p. 460.article title: “The Kona Coffee Cantata and coffee culture”
27. Joe Donahue, host (20 May 2013). "The Kona Coffee Cantata-Musicians of Ma'alwyck concert". Albany, New York: WAMC-FM Northeast Public Radio. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
28. Fennie, Bill (8 May 1988). "Honolulu Symphony 'magical' in Kona performance". Kealakekua, Hawai'i: West Hawaii Today. p. 32A.
29. Harada, Wayne (25 April 1997). "Big Island Composer Is in the Swim of Things Symphonic". Honolulu, Hawai'i: Honolulu Advertiser. p. D11.
30. Bruce Duffie (20 May 1993). "Composer Jerre Tanner, a Conversation with Bruce Duffie". Chicago, Illinois. Podcast. Retrieved 25 March 2025 }}
31. "Hawaiian Songbook–Book II: the Tradition, Monarchy". YouTube. Malama Arts Inc. 1998. with Keith Ikaia-Purdy, tenor
32. "Continental Harmony". ACF. American Composers Forum. 2005. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
33. "Summit Touring Choir at St. Peter Parish, Frank Jacobs and Father Kropac". WCLV-FM. Cleveland, Ohio. December 12, 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
34. "Jerre Tanner Collection". Cedar Falls, Iowa: Special Collections–Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2025

External links

• Official website Retrieved 25 March 2025
• Jerre Tanner’s YouTube site; see video “Hawaiian Songbook – Book II: the Tradition, Monarchy” with Keith Ikaia-Purdy tenor Retrieved 25 March 2025
• Book: ‘‘On the Origins and Application of the Grid in the Art of John Paul Thomas’’. Retrieved 25 March 2025
• New Music USA Retrieved 25 March 2025
• Jerre Tanner’s J.W. Pepper MyPage site Retrieved 25 March 2025
• Amazon.com author's page Retrieved 25 March 2025
• Summit Choral Society homepage Retrieved 25 March 2025