The fifth Early American Moravian Music Festival was held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 22-28, 1959, on the campus of Salem College, featuring 5 free public concerts and 14 tuition seminars. Dr. Thor Johnson conducted, and a greeting was included on the inside front cover of the program book, from Howard Hanson, noted American composer and President of the National Music Council:
“May I send my warmest personal congratulations to you and your colleagues on the Fifth Early American Music Festival and Seminar. What you are doing is of enormous importance to our country, making us conscious of the very important musical heritage which is a part of our cultural history.
This importance is, however, in my opinion of more than national significance. Its significance goes beyond national borders and makes us, even in those early days, a part of the international scene.”
Seminar faculty included Thor Johnson, Director; Donald McCorkle, coordinator and lecturer in music literature; the Rev. Edward T. Mickey, dean and chaplain; Richard G. Enright, lecturer in choral and organ literature; Irving Lowens, lecturer in music literature; Paul W. Peterson and Richard Schantz, seminar fellows. Festival soloists were Ilona Kombrin, soprano; Geraldine McIlroy, mezzo-soprano; Aurelio Estanislao, baritone; Richard Schantz, tenor; Robert Darnell, piano; and Margaret Mueller, harpsichord.
Public concerts were held in Memorial Hall and the Old Chapel on …
- Tuesday, July 23, with music by Antes, Latrobe, and Haydn;
- Thursday, June 25, with music by Peter, Danzo, Hagen, Herbst, Michael, and Antes;
- Saturday morning, June 27, with music by Besozzi and Michael;
- Saturday evening, June 27, with music by Handel, Antes, Müller, Hommann, and Peter Winter;
- Sunday afternoon, June 28 (on Salem Square), with music by Peter, Antes, Hassler, Peter Wolle, E. W. Leinbach, along with a prelude of chorales by the Moravian Band directed by Austin E. Burke, Jr., and congregational hymns.
The program book for this Festival included information about published editions of Moravian music and unpublished music prepared for this Festival.
