Scribner, Norman (Orville)

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Scribner, Norman (Orville)

Scribner, Norman (Orville), American organist, conductor, and composer; b. Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 1936. He studied organ with Paul Callaway and theory with Walter Spencer Huffman at the Peabody Cons. of Music in Baltimore (B.Mus., 1961). In 1960 he was appointed director of music of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.; was also a staff keyboard artist with the National Sym. Orch. (1963–67). In 1965 he founded the all-volunteer Choral Arts Soc. of Washington, D.C.; in 1971 he founded the Norman Scribner Choir. He served on the faculties of American Univ. (1960–63) and George Washington Univ. (1963–69). He composed a Sextet for Winds and Piano (1975), The Nativity, choral cantata (1975), The Tide Pool, song cycle for Mezzo-soprano and Orch. (1977), Laudate Dominimi, choral cantata (1979), I Hear America Singing, choral suite (1979), and Nicholas, musical show (1980).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire