Violet Archer

Archer, Violet
Violet Archer (b Balestreri) [the name "Archer" was legally adopted in 1940]. Composer, teacher, pianist, organist, percussionist, b Montreal 24 Apr 1913, d Ottawa 21 Feb 2000; L MUS (McGill) 1934, B MUS (McGill) 1936, ACCO 1938, B MUS (Yale) 1948, M MUS (Yale) 1949, honorary D MUS (McGill) 1971, honorary FRCCO 1985, honorary D MUS (Windsor) 1986, honorary LLD (Calgary) 1989, honorary D LITT (Alberta) 1993. Archer was taken by her mother to Italy in 1914 at age 14 months; they remained five years after the war broke out. There Archer received her first musical impressions, which were strengthened back in Canada by her opera-loving parents and by attending Presbyterian church services. At 17 she attended the McGill Conservatory to study piano with Dorothy Shearwood-Stubington, organ with J.J. Weatherseed, and on scholarships at McGill University, and composition with Claude Champagne and later with Douglas Clarke. She was a percussionist 1940-7 with the Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra and worked as a piano accompanist and teacher of piano and theory. Archer made her formal debut as an orchestral composer with her Scherzo Sinfonico, performed by the Montreal Orchestra under Douglas Clarke in 1940. The following year Sir Adrian Boult selected her Britannia, a Joyful Overture for a BBC broadcast 19 Mar 1942. The work was later recorded and broadcast by the BBC to the armed forces in Europe. Her first published work was Three Scenes for Piano (Habitant Sketches) (Mercury Music 1946). She commuted to New York in the summer of 1942 for private study with Bartók, who introduced her to Hungarian folk tunes and to variation technique. She taught 1944-7 at the McGill Conservatory. Assisted by the Bradley-Keeler Memorial Scholarship (1947), Quebec government scholarships (1948, 1949), and, for her Passacaglia, the Charles Ditson Fellowship (1948; the companion Fanfare followed in 1949), she studied composition with Hindemith at Yale University 1947-9, taking advantage of the full range of his courses: the craft of musical composition, and exercises in composition and the teaching of theory. She also took part in his Collegium Musicum. At Yale she won the Woods-Chandler prize (1949) for her large choral-orchestral work The Bell (to words from the Sermons and Devotions of John Donne; it was premiered in 1953 by the Montreal Bach Choir). Her Fanfare and Passacaglia was premiered at the 1949 International Student Symposium of Music, Boston. Archer was percussionist 1947-9 with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and taught in 1948 and 1949 at the University of Alberta summer school. An award in 1949 from the Ladies' Morning Musical Club of Montreal enabled her to spend some time in 1950 in musical reconnaissance in England. She performed her piano works there and in France, Switzerland, and Italy. Composer-in-residence 1950-3 at North Texas State College, she also taught at Cornell University in 1952 and at the University of Oklahoma 1953-61, giving a series of radio lectures 1960-1 on WNAD, Norman, Oklahoma, and acting as a state judge 1953-61 and national judge 1959-61 for various US young-composer competitions. In the early 1950s she also studied musicology with Otto Kinkeldey, who was a guest professor 1952-3 at North Texas. On a Canada Council senior fellowship and with a year's leave 1958-9 from the university she completed four works, including Apocalypse and the Violin Concerto. Following her return to Canada she took up doctoral studies at the University of Toronto in 1961, but joined the faculty at the University of Alberta in 1962, becoming chairman 1962-78 of the theory and composition department. After her retirement as professor emeritus, Archer continued as part-time lecturer at the University of Alberta and as visiting lecturer at other universities. She lectured at the University of Saskatchewan 1990 and the University of Alaska 1992, and was named adjunct professor at Carleton University. Among her noteworthy students were the composer Larry Austin, and cellist Shauna Rolston. In addition to her academic duties, Archer was an active organizer for Canada Music Week in Edmonton, an adjudicator at composition contests (eg, Banff CA, CBC, CFMTA, PRO Canada, and some in the USA) and co-founded 1977 the Alberta Composers' Association. In 1993, at age 80, she was composer-in-residence at the Festival of Sound, Parry Sound, Ont, and took part in a festival at the University of Alaska.

Archer was a methodical composer, working efficiently and comfortably in the western tradition but absorbing serial procedures, parallelism, and folk influence into her music occasionally. Her early works reflect the influence of modality from such models as Douglas Clarke and Vaughan Williams. An emerging tendency toward chromaticism was counteracted by her acceptance of the Gebrauchsmusik ethic. The major influence of Hindemith is reflected in much of her output after 1950, a significant component of which consists of works with an educational mission. During her teaching years in the USA the influence of Schoenberg asserted itself in her variation technique, and with the Cantata Sacra of 1966 an expressionistic element gained strength. Without making a policy of novelty, Archer was not afraid of new means, and in the 1970s her Haiku and Episodes used electronic sounds. While exposing her students to the 12-tone technique, she did not apply it in her own work, nor did she make use of aleatoric procedures.

Among her early works, those for piano were the most skilful, but she soon made effective use of the orchestra, particularly after deliberate study of clarinet, percussion, strings, and brass and further study, with Hindemith, of composition. Her augmented skills are on full display in the Piano Concerto (1956) with its brilliant solo part and transparent orchestral writing in which the winds have solos in a spare texture - a typical Archer feature. Adroit counterpoint and strong formal organization are hallmarks of her work. An interest in the rhythmic freedom of folk music dates from 1938 but became highly developed and abstracted in the sonatas and the String Trio No. 2 (1961). A growing interest in dramatic and evocative sonorities led to the expressionism of the Prelude-Incantation (1964). In keeping with the medieval nature of its carol texts the Cantata sacra favours the intervals of fourth and fifth. The comic opera Sganarelle exploits the basso buffo tradition and elements of Sprechstimme to convey the wit of Molière. Archer described her music as containing Canadian landscape influences; Canadian folk influences can also be found in her Evocations (1987), which incorporates Inuit and West Coast native themes.

Archer received a citation for distinguished service in music from the Yale School of Music Alumni Association in 1968, an Alberta Achievement Award in 1970, and the Creative and Performance award from the City of Edmonton in 1972, and she was elected to the council of the CLComp in 1975. In 1983 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada and in 1984 she received the Canadian Music Council's composer of the year award. A three-day Violet Archer Festival took place in Edmonton in October 1985 during which 14 of her major works were performed, several of them premieres, including the opera The Meal. For the composer's 80th birthday in April 1993, there were concerts of her works at the University of Alberta, and her Variations on an Original Theme for Carillon was played by the Dominion Carilloneur, Gordon Slater, at the Peace Tower in Ottawa. In January of the following year, CJRT-FM radio broadcast a documentary and other programming on the composer, including introductions by Archer. Archer was an associate of the Canadian Music Centre. Her donation of $50,000 to the University of Calgary in 1987, doubly matched by the Province of Alberta, resulted in the creation of a permanent fund, the interest of which is to be used for maintaining and improving the library managed by the CMCentre Prairie Region. In recognition of her generous contribution, the library was named after her in a formal ceremony on 13 Nov 1987.

The 1990s saw numerous other awards for Archer. Among them were the Alberta Life Achievement Award (1990); the Canada 125 award (1992); International Woman of the Year 1992-3 from the International Biographical Centre, England; and Woman of the Year as well as Most Admired Woman of the Decade, 1993, both from the American Biographical Institute. In her final decade Archer continued composing and accepting commissions, teaching, and travelling to premieres of her music. She moved from Edmonton to Ottawa in 1998, to be closer to family. Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra, completed the year before her death, was her final commissioned composition. Archer's compositional output was significant, numbering over 330 compositions, which have been performed in over 30 nations. Dr. Fordyce Pier, of the University of Alberta, stated that, 'Her music is characterized by great craft and an often almost overwhelming intensity and intellectual rigor.' Ottawa Chamber Music Festival organizer Julian Armour assessed the composer's impact by saying, 'Violet Archer's output was phenomenal, and virtually all of it is incredibly well-crafted ... For decades she has been one of Canada's most important composers.' Archer will also be remembered for her support of new music, and especially for her belief in the importance of creating 20th century music for youngsters. The composer donated her manuscripts to the University of Calgary in 1990. A final endowment was made in 2000 to the CMC, for use in assisting Canadian composers.

Selected Compositions
Stage

Sganarelle, opera (Molière, S. Eliot, Archer). 1973. Ber 1973

The Meal, opera (R. Holt-Wilson). 1983. Ms

Orchestra
3 early works (1930-40). All manuscript

Poem for Orchestra. 1940. Ber 1979

Scherzo Sinfonico. 1940. Ber (rental)

Britannia - A Joyful Overture. 1941. Ms

Fantasy on a Ground. 1946 (rev 1956). Ber (rental)

Symphony. 1946. Ber (rental)

Fanfare and Passacaglia. 1949, 1948. BMIC 1964. RCI 130/7-ACM 17 (CBC Symphony Orchestra)

Divertimento. 1957. BMIC 1968

Three Sketches. 1961. BMIC 1966. CBC SM-119/7-ACM 17 (CBC Winnipeg Orchestra)

Prelude-Incantation. 1964. B&H

Sinfonietta. 1968. Ber 1977. CBC SM-226/7-ACM 17 (CBC Vancouver Orchestra)

Sinfonia. 1969. Ber (rental)

Little Suite for String Orchestra. 1970. Ms

Soloist(s) or Choir with Orchestra
Fantasia Concertante. 1941. Fl, oboe, clarinet, string. Ber (rental)

Fantasy for Clarinet and Strings. 1942. Ms

Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra. 1946 (rev 1956). Ber (rental)

Lamentations of Jeremy (Bible). 1947. SATB, orch. Ms

The Bell (Donne). 1949. SATB, orch. Ms. RCI 130/7-ACM 17 (CBC Symphony Orchestra)/('The Bell doth toll') 1978. Audat WRC1-499 (University of Alberta Concert Choir)

Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra. 1956. Ber 1979

Apocalypse 'Revelations. ' 1958. Sop, SATB, brass, timpani. Ms

Violin Concerto. 1959. Ber (rental)

Cantata sacra (medieval texts). 1966. 5 soli, small orch. Ms

Psalmody (Bible). 1978. Bar, SATB, orch. Ms

Divertimento for Piano and Strings. 1985. Ms

Evocations. 1987. 2 piano, orch. Ms

Improvisation On a Name. 1987. Chamb orch. Ms

Four Dialogues for Classical Guitar and Chamber Orchestra. 1990. Ms

Chamber
2 String Quartets (1940, 1949). Both manuscript

Sonata. 1944. Fl, clarinet, piano. Ms

Quartet. 1945. Fl, oboe, clarinet, bassoon. Ms

Fantasy for Violin and Piano. 1946. Ms

Two Pieces for Flute Solo. 1947. Ms

Divertimento No. 1. 1949. Ob, clarinet, bassoon. Dorn 1981. RCI 192 (Berman)

Fantasy in the Form of a Passacaglia. 1951. Chamb ensemble. Ms

2 String Trios (1953, 1961). Both manuscript

Trio No. 1. 1954. Pf trio. Ms. RCI 112/7-ACM 17 (Bress)

Prelude and Allegro. 1954. Vn, piano. BMIC 1958. RCI 136/7-ACM 17 (Le Blanc)

Three Duets for Two Violins. 1955. Peer 1960

Sonata for Cello and Piano. 1956. Ms. RCI 139/7-ACM 17 (W. Joachim)

Sonata No. 1. 1956. Vn, piano. Ms. RCI 196/7-ACM 17 (M. Goodman)

Trio No. 2. 1957. Pf trio. Wat 1977. RCI 196 (Bress violin)/RCI 241/CBC SM-5/7-ACM 17 (Brandon University Trio)

Divertimento No. 2. 1957. Ob, violin, violoncello. Ms

Divertimento for Brass Quintet. 1963. Ber 1974

Introduction, Dance and Finale. 1963. Tpt, horn, trombone, tuba, harp (piano), percussion. Ms

Sonata. 1965. Hn, piano. Ber 1980. RCI 412/7-ACM 17 (Maiste)

Dance. 1970. Vn, violoncello. Ms

Sonata. 1970. Cl, piano. Wat 1973. RCI 412/7-ACM 17 (Campbell)

Three Little Studies for Violin and Piano. 1970. Ms

Suite for Four Violins. 1971. Ms

Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. 1972. Ber 1974. RCI 412/7-ACM 17 (Brodie)

Sonata for Oboe and Piano. 1973. Ber 1978

Little Suite for Trumpet and Piano. 1975. Leeds 1979

Simple Tune for Soprano Recorder and Piano. 1975. Ms

Sonata. 1976. Va, violoncello, piano. Ms

Suite for Solo Flute. 1976. Dorn 1981

Sonatina for Oboe and Piano. 1977. Dorn 1981

Fantasy on 'Blanche comme la neige'. 1978. Guit. Ms

Sonatina for Bassoon and Piano. 1978. Ms

Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano. 1978. Dorn 1981

Divertimento for Saxophone Quartet. 1979. Dorn 1981

Four Duets for Violin and Piano. 1979. Ms

Sonata for Bassoon and Piano. 1980. Dorn 1981

Capriccio. 1981. Vc, piano. Ms

Sonata for Solo Cello. 1981. Ms

String Quartet No. 3. 1981. Ms. 1982. 7-ACM 17 (University of Alberta Str Quar)

Twelve Miniatures. 1981. Vn, piano. Wat 1982

Soliloquies. 1982. Cl. Ms

Statements. 1982. Fl. Ms

Celebration. 1983. Brass quintet. Ms

Signatures. 1984. Alto, fl. Ms

Ikpakhuag. 1984. Vn, violoncello, piano. Ms

Six Miniatures for Cello. 1984. Wat 1984

Six Miniatures for Double Bass. 1984. Wat 1984

Six Miniatures for Viola and Piano. 1984. Wat 1984

I va vari. 1985. Brass quintet. Ms

Moods. 1985. Cl, alto saxophone. Ms

The Dancing Kitten. 1986. Vn, piano. McCurdy Festival Series 1986

Six Miniatures for String Bass and Piano. 1986. Wat 1986

Four Miniatures for Classical Accordion. 1988. Ms

Three Essays. 1988. Saxophone. Ms

Two Fanfares for a Festive Day. 1989. Brass quintet. Ms

Improvisation for Solo Snare Drum. 1990. Ms

Prelude and Dance for Solo Tympani. 1990. Ms

One Fifth on Four. 1991. Xyl, celesta, piano, clarinet, violoncello. Ms

Piano
Three Scenes. 1945. Mercury 1946, Presser 1961, Ber 1982

Sonata for Pianoforte. 1945 (rev 1957). Ms

3 Sonatinas (1945, 1946, 1973). (No 2) B&H 1948, (No 3) Wat 1979. (No. 2) RCI 132 (Pratt piano)

Three Scenes. 1945. Ber 1982

Six Preludes. 1947. Wat 1979

Three Sketches for Two Pianos. 1947. Wat 1979

Suite for Piano. 1947. Ms

Theme and Variations on Là-Haut. 1952. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-1684 (Foreman)

Ten Folk Songs for Four Hands. 1953. BMIC 1955. RCI 113/7-ACM 17 (P. Beaudet, G. Bourassa)

Rondo. 1955. Peer 1964

Minute Music for Small Hands. 1957. Peer 1959

Eleven Short Pieces. 1960. Peer 1964. CCM-1 (Cavalho)

Four Little Studies for Piano. 1963. Wat 1964

Theme and Variations for Piano. 1963. Wat 1964

Three Miniatures. 1963. Wat 1965. CCM-1 (Cavalho)

Improvisations for Piano. 1968. Ms. Mel SMLP-4031 (Kubálek)

Two Miniatures. 1970. ('Little March') Wat 1972

Lydian Mood and A Quiet Chat. (1971). Wat 1973

Four Bagatelles for Piano. 1977. Wat 1979

Four Contrapuntal Moods for Piano. 1978. Ms. Oil City Press 1981

Eight Little Canons for Piano. 1978. Ms

Sonata No 2. 1979. Ber 1982. 7-ACM 17 (Foreman)

Here and Now. 1980. Kerby 1982

Four Vignettes. 1984. Ms

Also others, some included in RCMT graded piano books and in collections published by Alberta Keys

Organ
Sonatina. 1944. GVT 1971

Two Chorale Preludes. 1948. Peer 1962

Chorale Improvisation on 'O Worship the King'. 1967. Ms. All Saints' Cathedral Edmonton ST-56722-23 (Bancroft)

Prelude and Fantasy on 'Winchester New'. 1978. Ms

Festive Fantasy. 1979. Ms

Improvisation on 'Veni Creator'. 1984. Wat 1986

Variations on Aberystwyth. 1984. Wat 1986

4 other preludes. All manuscript

Also several works for carillon

Choir
Psalm 150. 1941. SATB, organ. Wat 1965

Landscapes (T.S. Eliot). 1950. SATB. Wat 1973. CBC SM-274/7-ACM 17 (Festival Singers)/RCI 70 (Montreal Bach Choir)

'Proud Horses' (Sampley). 1953. SATB. Peer 1981. RCI 189/7-ACM 17 (Montreal Bach Choir)

Three French Canadian Folk Songs. 1953. SATB. BMIC 1962. Vox STPL-511-860 (Montreal Bach Choir)

Christmas (A. Bass). 1955. SSA, oboe, harp (piano). Chanteclair 1972. TCC D-003/TCC 009 (Tor Children's Chor)

The Mater Admirabilis Chapel (A. Bass). 1955. SSA, oboe, harp (piano). Chanteclair 1972, Avondale 1990

Two Songs for Women's Voices (A. Bass). 1955. SSA, oboe, piano. GVT 1972

Introit and Choral Prayer (liturgical, G. R. Campbell). 1962. SATB, organ. BMIC 1963

Sing, The Muse (Shakespeare, Marston, Drummond, Raleigh). 1964. SATB. Ms

Centennial Springtime (J. Alexander). 1967. Unison (SATB), piano. Ms

Harvest (J.L. Hetherington). Arr 1967. Unison, piano

"I Will Lift up Mine Eyes" (Psalm 121). 1967. SATB, organ. Wat 1969

Sweet Jesu, King of Bliss (anonymous). 1967. SATB. Jay 1967

"À la claire fontaine." Arr 1968. SA, piano. Ber 1970

Amens For Church Use. 1968-74. SATB, (organ). Ms

"O Lord Thou Hast Searched Me and Known Me" (Psalm 139). 1968. SATB, organ. Wat 1969

"O Sing Unto the Lord" (Psalm 96). 1968. SA, trp (organ). Wat 1969. SNE 525 (Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal)

The Glory of God (Bible). 1971. SSAA. Ms

"Sing a New Song to the Lord" (Psalm 98). 1974. SATB, organ. Wat 1974

Four Newfoundland Folk Songs. Arr 1975. Ten, TTBB. Ms

"Three Sailors from Groix" arr (French sea shanties, transl Cockshott). 1975. SSA, piano. Ms

"Shout with Joy" (Psalm 100). 1976. SATB, organ. Wat 1977

To Rest in Thee (Thomas a Kempis). 1981. SATB. FH 1984

"The Cat and the Moon" (Yeats). 1983. SATB, piano. Ms

Songs of Summer and Fall (D. Carter). 1982. SATB. Ms

Reflections (D. Carter). 1983. SSAATB. Ms

Two Hymns for SATB, Congregation and Organ (H. O'Driscoll). 1986. Ms

"O Sing Unto the Lord a New Song'" (Psalm 96). 1989. SATB. Ms

Also several other choral works

Voice
"Someone" (de la Mare). 1949 (rev 1959). Med voice, piano. Wat 1976

Under the Sun (Bourinot). 1949. Mezzo, piano. Ms. CBC SM-79/7-ACM 17 (Forst)/('First Snow') RCI 108 (Forrester)

"April Weather" (A.B. England). 1950. Alto, piano. Wat 1976. RCI 108/7-ACM 17 (Forrester)

"Cradle Song" (England). 1950. Alto, piano. FH 1959. RCI 108/7-ACM 17 (Forrester)

"The Twenty-Third Psalm." 1952. Alto, piano. BMIC 1954. RCI 108/7-ACM 17 (Forrester)

Two Songs for Soprano Voice and B-flat Clarinet (Blake). 1958 (rev for mezzo 1987). Ms

"I Corinthians, 13." 1976. Mezzo, piano. Ms

Moon Songs (Vachel-Lindsay). 1976. Mezzo, piano. Ms

"Separation" (10th century Chinese). 1976. Alto (bar), piano. Ms

"In Just Spring" (e.e. cummings). 1977. Med voice, piano. Ms

Plain Songs (D. Livesay). 1977. Mezzo, piano. Ms

Northern Landscape (A.J.M. Smith). 1978. Mezzo, piano. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-1083 (Mailing)

A Sprig of Flowers.(Kuan Han Ch'ing). 1979. Ten, fl, piano. Ms

Prairie Profiles (D. Carter). 1980. Bar, horn, piano. 7-ACM 17 (H. Wiens bar, J. Scott piano, D. Hoyt horn)

Primeval (Native songs, transl Densmore, Neihardt). 1980. Ten, piano. Ms

"Caleidoscopio" (G. Azzi). 1981. Sop, piano. Ms Centrediscs CMC-1183 (Roslak)

Green Jade (Wu-chi Liu, Irving Lo). 1982. Fl, bar, piano. Ms

"Birds at Daybreak" (I. Layton). 1982. Ten, piano. Ms

Epigrams. 1985. Bar (tenor), piano. Ms

If the Stars Are Burning (F.E. Buske). 1987. Mezzo, clarinet, piano. Ms. Arts Venture CD-1001 (S. Summerville mezzo, R. Nunemaker clarinet, R. McCoy piano)

"Surly, Burly Shirley" (S. Ottman). 1989?. Sop (tenor), piano. Alberta Keys Music 1989

"The Owl Queen". 1989? Sop (tenor), piano. Alberta Keys Music 1989

Northern Journey. 1990. Bar, piano. Ms.

Also several others

Electronic
Episodes. 1973. Elec tape. Ms. Melbourne SMLP-4024

Film Score
Someone Cares. University of Alberta documentary, 1976

Whatsoever Things Are True. University of Alberta documentary, 1980

Writings
"Music of Canada as related to its composers," Pan Pipes, vol 51, Mar 1959

"Alberta and its folklore," CFMS Newsletter, vol 2, Jul 1967

"The need for educational music," Prairie Sounds, vol 5, no 2, 1987

"Let us bring an understanding of 20th century music into the 21st," Prairie Sounds, Apr 1992

"Paul Hindemith in the USA," CFMTA Newsletter, Apr 1996

Author Elaine Keillor, Helmut Kallmann, Betty Nygaard King

Bibliography

Violet Archer, Pan Pipes, vol 45, Jan 1953

PRO Canada Ltd/BMI Canada Ltd. 'Violet Archer,' pamphlets, 1970, 1979, 1983

Byron, E., and Ashwell, K. 'Doctor Violet Archer: prominent Alberta composer,' Music in Alberta, vol 1, Sep-Oct 1972

Ashwell, Keith. Review of Sganarelle, Edmonton Journal, 6 Feb 1974

Huiner, Harvey Don. "The choral music of Violet Archer," PH D thesis, U of Iowa 1980

Foreman, Charles, "Violet Archer - Sonata No. 2: 'All great music is variations,'" Composers West, vol 3, Mar 1980

Hicks, Graham. "Our cultural heritage: Violet Archer," Encore, Jan 1982

McCoppin, Peter. "Violet Archer at 70," MSc, 332, Jul-Aug 1983

Brown, Jeremy "An interview with Canadian composer Violet Archer: her life. her compositions and some thoughts on the Canadian music scene," Prairie Sounds, vol 4, winter 1985.

Weber, Robert. "A western voice with historical ties," Music, vol 9, Jan-Feb 1986

Reid, John. "An interview with Dr. Violet Archer," Prairie Sounds, Sep 1989, Jan 1990, Apr 1990

Hartig, Linda. Violet Archer: a bio-bibliography (New York, 1991)

Valente, Liana Elise. Violet Balestreri Archer: Her life, her vocal literature, and her influence on Canadian music. PhD theses.

Dalen, Brenda, R. Qureshi, A. La France, eds. Voices of Women: Essays in Honour of Violet Archer. Canadian University Music Review vol 15 no. 1. 1995

Qureshi, Regula Burckhardt. Canadian University Music Review, issue dedicated to Archer, vol 16:1, 1995

Fenwick, George. "Farewell to Violet," Prairie Sounds, vol 44, Fall 1998

Deaville, James, ed. "Colloquy/débat: Violet Archer, Jean Coulthard, and Barbara Pentland remembered," Canadian University Music Review, vol 20:2, 2000

Bruneau, William. International Alliance of Women in Music Journal, issue dedicated to Archer, Jean Coulthard, Barbara Pentland, vol 6:3, 2000

Contemporary Canadian Composers

Creative Canada, vol 1

Proctor, George A. "Notes on Violet Archer," Musical Canada

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Music Centre
Search the extensive CMC website for Canadian composer biographies and interviews, music scores, online newsletters, audio clips, podcasts, and more. Check out "CentreStreams" to listen to online archived recordings featuring outstanding Canadian composers.

Ten Folksongs for Four Hands
Scroll down the page to access audio clips featuring pianists Pierre Beaudet and Guy Bourassa performing Violet Archer's "Ten Folksongs for Four Hands." From classicsonline.com.

Remembered Voices
Album notes and music clips from the recording "Remembered Voices," featuring Ralitsa Tcholakova, violin and Elaine Keillor, piano. From the Carleton Sound website.

100 Years of the Sounds of Music
This article offers historical highlights of the University of Alberta's Department of Music. From the website "The University of Alberta at 100 years."

A Canadian Portrait: Violet Archer
Scroll down to Program #208 to hear a program devoted to the life and music career of Violet Archer. Includes a brief segment of "The Bell," CBC Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Geoffrey Waddington. From the website "Into the Light Radio."

Centrediscs CD: 3 Concerti Just Released
A review of the recording "3 Concerti," which features pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico performing works of three Canadian women composers for piano and orchestra. From the website newswire.scena.org.

NACmusicbox.ca
An extensive collection of audio clips from recordings featuring the National Arts Centre Orchestra performing works by noteworthy Canadian and international composers. Click on a composer's name on the right side menu to access specific works. See also composer biographies and the interactive timeline of historical milestones in classical music. From artsalive.ca and the Virtual Museum of Canada.