Raymond Wilding-White (also known as Ray Wilding-White); (9 October 1922 – 24 August 2001) was an American composer of contemporary classical music and electronic music, and a photographer/digital artist.
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Biography
Wilding-White was born in Caterham, Tandridge, Surrey, England, and spent the first five years of his life in England before moving to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, outside Paris, France, where he had his first formal instruction in music at the Conservatoire Camille Saint-Saëns. In 1932 the family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, his mother's family home. By 1940 he had moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
Family
Wilding-White's father, Charles Dunning White was an American diplomat. Raymond Wilding-White had a number of brothers including Henry, Charles, and Alexander. His wife Glennie was also an accomplished musician, composer and playwright, as was his son Charles.
Education & Work
In 1940, Wilding-White enrolled in the chemical engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but dropped out to assist in the war effort as a civilian. After the war he was accepted at the Juilliard School in New York City, earning his bachelor's degree in piano performance.
Wilding-White earned his master's degree in composition from the New England Conservatory of Music. During this period he also sang in the Chorus pro Musica under Alfred Nash Patterson, and as a countertenor (male alto) in the choir at Church of the Advent in Boston.
While in Boston he worked at the radio station WGBH. He and Nancy Harper won a Peabody Award for their work on The Children's Circle.
Wilding-White left WGBH to pursue his doctorate in composition from Boston University. He was a student of Aaron Copland and Luigi Dallapiccola.
In 1956, Wilding-White married Glennie. By 1962 he had completed his doctorate and was appointed to the Kulas Chair at Case Institute of Technology. He taught in the humanities program and was director of the Case Glee Club as part of his academic duties and was instrumental in promoting contemporary music concerts and multi-media events in Cleveland, Ohio.
In 1967 Case Institute merged with Western Reserve University, and Wilding-White accepted an invitation from DePaul University to design and install an electronic music studio there. Also in 1967, he was awarded the Cleveland Arts Prize in Music.
Wilding-White continued to teach humanities courses at DePaul until retiring in the mid-1980s.
In Chicago he founded the contemporary performing arts ensemble The Loop Group.
Wilding-White created new radio programming at WFMT in Chicago, Illinois. During the Bicentennial year 1976 he recorded the daily series Our American Music. He also recorded a history of music in Chicago, entitled Music Chicago Style, as a complement to the Chicago Historical Society's exhibit, and wrote and presented programming on composers Charles Ives, John Cage, and Arnold Schoenberg.
Death
Wilding-White died at his home in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, of liver failure at the age of 78 in 2001, leaving a huge body of musical and photographic work. His wife Glennie died thirteen years later, January 31, 2014, at the age of 81.
Compositions
Orchestral
Even Now: variations for Baritone and Orchestra
Even Now: Chamber Orchestra version
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Concertante for Horn, Violin and Strings
Bandmusic for concert Band (LP Recording)
Haiku for solo voices and various Instrumental Combinations
Whatzit No 4 for Orchestra
The Southern Harmony for Orchestra and Amateur Chorus (Materials traditionally and graphically notated; final layout to be chosen by the conductor)
Symphony for Swing Orchestra
De Profundis: The 8 Virtues and 7 Vices as seen by Peter Breughel
Quodlibet for Chorus, Solo Voices and Orchestra. 4 Mov.
A Symphony of Symphonies
Symphony No 1 Old Postcards: String Orchestra
Symphony No 2 Thomas Cole's "The Voyage of Life": Full Orchestra
Symphony No 3 Boccioni's "States of Mind": Wind and Percussion Orch.
Choral
The Psalms
Psalm 1 Mixed Chorus
Psalm 2 Three Equal Male Parts
Psalm 3 SSAA and 3 Trombones
Psalm 4 SATB
Psalm 5 (Two Versions)
Psalm 5 (Monte Carlo Suite No 4): Soprano and Wind Ensemble
Psalm 6 Female Voices
Psalm 6 Spoken Ensemble and Drum Set
Psalm 7 Mixed voices
Psalm 8 SATB
Two Psalms for Baritone
No 16 Solo
No 126 with piano
Four Psalms for Tenor and String Quartet
Psalm 63
Psalm 70
Psalm 42
Psalm 100
Psalm 9 Mixed Voices
Psalm 11 SATB and flute
Psalm 12 (The Magic Square) SAB
Psalm 13 Soprano and Piano (in 12 Songs)
Three Psalms for Bariton and Percussion
Psalm 13
Psalm 93
Songs
Three Housman Poems: S and Piano (Pub Galaxy)
Six Poems from the Tang Dynasty: S and Flute
Twelve Songs for Soprano and Piano (1959) (includes 4 William Blake Songs)
Three Poems by Robert Graves: Bar and Piano
Novalis songs: Bar and Piano
Trionfo di Bacco e Arianne: Two Sopranos and Piano
The Ballad of Psychoanalysis: Contralto and Piano
Cummings Songs Soprano or Mezzo and Piano
Cinco Poemas de Gil Vicente: Soprano and Piano
Eight Songs: Two sopranos and Instrumental Ensemble
Twenty Dickinson Poems: Soprano and Alto
Four Poems by St John of the Cross: Mezzo. Two Flutes and Two Trumpets
Quatre Poemes and Quatre Poemes: Soprano, Flute/Recorder and Piano
For Mrs Crofts: Soprano and flute
For Robert Michaud: Baritone and flute
The Arkansas Traveler: Tenor and Piano
Death Songs: Soprano and Instrumental Ensemble
Millay Poems
a: Nine for Soprano and Piano
Instrumental
Sonata for Two Pianos
Piano sonata
Three organ Preludes
14 Chorale Preludes for Organ
Duos for Violin and Piano
String Quartet No 1
String Quartet No 2 (Monte Carlo Suite No l)
String Quartet No 3 (The Forest) Tenor and String Quartet
String Quartet No 4
String Quartet No 5
String Quartet No 6 (The Song Quartet) Soprano and String Quartet
String Quartet No 7 (See Psalms)
Variations for Chamber Organ and String Trio
Character Sketches for Piano (Pub Galaxy)
For Mallets (Pub Mus for Perc.)
Sonatina for Trumpet and Piano
Counterpoints for Two Clarinets
Fragments for Jazz Ensemble
Encores for Stu: Solo Trombone
Fifty Eight Traditional Variations on a Traditional Theme: Piano Brass duets
Brass duets
Whatzit No 1 for Perc and Piano
Stage works
The Tub (chamber opera for SATB soli and Piano)
The Lonesome Valley (ballet)
The Selfish Giant (opera for TV)
The Trees (ballet)
Yerma (opera in 3 acts, 6 scenes.)
The Music of Eric Zann -- A Gothic Tale after H.P. Lovecraft (tape and violin)
Liturgy (ballet, brass quintet)
Trio (ballad opera)
Gifts (liturgical drama)
Gifts II (liturgical drama)
The Ghost of a Flea (puppet show)
Books
Wilding-White, Raymond (1994). Music Chicago Style. Kewaunee, Wisconsin: Raymond Wilding-White. OCLC: 47815153.