Composer Of "glory To The Green And White" Was...

[rcade]

I vote molehill on this one too.

Morris Martin's in a position to know how Julia Smith felt about a piece she composed in her teens continuing to be one of her best-known works after she became an acclaimed composer of international renown. Smith thought enough of North Texas for her papers and other material to be contributed to UNT. One of the parts of her collection is a folder, "Alma Mater Correspondence and Papers," so anyone who is curious about how she felt can go read it.

Smith also had lifelong ties to UNT. Her mother lived in the house that became Smith Hall, described here:

http://themusingsofkev.blogspot.com/2003/1...smith-hall.html

My guess is that she took pride in authoring the alma mater but was embarrassed at her composition.

[eulessismore]

I knew I could find a real gem out there somewhere about Julia Smith; I think this link from Time Magazine, 1939, is pretty cool. However, they don't mention she even attended North Texas, just as a Denton girl who "made good by way of Juilliard":

Time Magazine on Julia Smith's "Cynthia Parker", from 1939

[NTPhiKap99]

Eh. Steven Tyler composed Dream On in his middle teens and said the same thing. One of the greatest rock songs ever penned.

I'm sure Alma Maters aren't generally considered great compositions by music scholars. Doesn't change that it's ours. We can still be proud of it, whatever its creator thinks. Appreciate the honesty if nothing else.

I personally think most composers are happy whenever anything they write gets played over and over. Regardless of what else you life that alma mater lives on what more can you ask as an artist.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I personally think most composers are happy whenever anything they write gets played over and over. Regardless of what else you life that alma mater lives on what more can you ask as an artist.

I'm sure she was proud that her composition was chosen and remained the alma mater of her alma mater for several decades and counting. However, there is a lot of snobbishness that goes on among musicians (just ask us music majors who played country music on weekends), and her peers may well have given her a hard time for writing something so light and trivial.

[letsgiveacheer]

What an interesting thread! As the director of an opera company in New York City, I am not surprised that she was embarrassed by the alma mater. How old was she when she wrote this? 18 ?

I am embarrassed by my early compositions (and some recent ones, as well!). Heaven forbid that they would be played 100's of times a year. Most writers, painters, composers, architects etc all wish things they created would go away. Many famous composers burn their works!

While not having the pleasure of meeting Julia Smith, I understand she was indeed proud of North Texas. She married into "money" and is best known for her works on Aaron Copland. She was well-known enough to get a small obit in the NY Times.

While on the subject of our alma mater, it was originally a much longer work. We now only sing the refrain.

Regarding Morris Martin, I recall him as a fine man who has done quite a bit to build a world-class music library. As anyone knows who has been interviewed, sometime you make an "off the cuff" remark and then are very surprised and embarrassed to see it in print.