Descendants of John and Theodocia (nee John) NICHOLAS of Bletherston

Prominent Choral Director Morris Beachy Dies at 82

Feb. 9, 2011

AUSTIN, Texas — Choral director and University of Texas at Austin Professor Emeritus Morris Beachy died in his sleep on Feb. 6 due to complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Beachy joined the faculty of the university in 1957, and over the next 36 years developed one of the largest university choral programs in the country, noted for its diversity and high standards. He founded nine ensembles, including the UTChamber Singers, the Longhorn Singers and the University Chorus.

"Dr. Beachy was a consummate musician who set an extraordinarily high standard of choral performance and profoundly impacted choral conductors and singers not only in Texas, but throughout this country," said James Morrow, director of choralactivities and associate professor of choral conducting in the Butler School of Music. "His choirs always sang with a gorgeous tone and with a highly refined and expressive delivery of the text. He loved words and loved creating vocal colorsthat captured the complexities of their meanings. The choral art has lost one of its most exquisite interpreters, to be sure. I'm immensely grateful I had the opportunity to be his student."

Beachy earned his bachelor of music degree from Colorado State University in 1951, his master in music degree from the University of Oregon in 1952 and his doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Southern California in 1955. Beforejoining the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin, Beachy held teaching positions in Colorado, Oregon, Washington and California before accepting a position at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.

"Dr. Beachy's tireless devotion to choral music and his uncompromising musical standards launched a great choral arts tradition in our community, which is alive and thriving in Austin like few other cities in the U.S.," said Doug Dempster, deanof the College of Fine Arts.

Beachy served the Department of Music (now the Butler School of Music) in several capacities over the years, including coordinator of the conducting faculty, adviser to the graduate programs in choral music and acting chairman of the Departmentof Music. The University Chamber Singers (now the UT Chamber Singers), which he founded, has consistently ranked among the best in the nation. He retired from the university in 1993 as the Marlene and Morton Meyerson Centennial ProfessorEmeritus in Music.

"I was a walk-on in the A Cappella Choir at UT," said Morton H. Meyerson, a former student of Beachy's. "That choir was the elite choir for music majors only. When I say I was a walk-on, I mean I was walking by his choir room one day when I wasa freshman and I heard people singing, so I took a seat at the back of the room to listen. He saw me, stopped rehearsal and asked who I was. I told him and he asked if I could sing. I told him yes, I'm a bass. He asked me then to join them inrehearsal and I sang under his direction for the next four years. Singing in the choir was one of my greatest experiences at UT because Beachy was a master conductor, a master musician and a master psychologist. I loved music and could sing, butunder him, I was part of a well-oiled community.

"Years later, after I graduated, I made some money, and because Morris was one of the most meaningful, significant figures to me during my years at the university, I wanted to honor him, so I established the Marlene and Morton MeyersonCentennial Professorship in Music."

Beachy founded choral groups on and off campus. He founded the Austin Choral Union, a group that sang with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and later Austin Choral Artists and the Morris Beachy Singers. His association with the Austin SymphonyOrchestra began in 1958 preparing major choral works and, on occasion, serving as guest conductor and soloist for the symphony until 1994. He also held the position of chorus master for the Austin Lyric Opera for its first six seasons. Beachywas a baritone soloist in opera, oratorio and recital and was a prolific author, publishing many articles on singing and choral performance.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Frances Beachy, daughters Sylvia Beachy and Diana Rutledge and grandson Spencer Rutledge.

Members of the Morris Beachy Singers will perform at his memorial at the Unity Church of the Hills at 2 p.m., Feb. 15. The church is at 9905 Anderson Mill Road in Austin. A memorial for Beachy at the Butler School of Music is planned for thespring.

http://www.utexas.edu/news/2011/02/09/beachy_choral/

Dr. Morris Jay Beachy Dr. Morris Jay Beachy passed away due to complications with Alzheimer's disease on February 6, 2011. He was born on May 11, 1928 in Nampa, Idaho. The youngest of four children, he put himself through college earning hisbachelor's at Colorado State University where he met his beloved wife of 60 years, Frances, when both were singing in the same college choir. Frances describes falling in love with the tanned, athletic man with sun-bleached blonde hair as loveat first sight. They were married in 1950. Throughout his educational career, Beachy performed as a baritone soloist in operas, oratorios and recitals and started conducting in 1947. He received his master's at the University of Oregon and wasthe first student to receive a doctorate in voice at the University of Southern California. In 1957, he joined the music faculty as conductor at the University of Texas at Austin, which at the time had only one choral ensemble. Beachy quicklyadded nine more during his first year at UT and was also a consultant for the design of the current music building on campus. Early in his career at The University, Dr. Beachy was recruited to sing professionally in New York City, but devotionand passion of education and teaching kept him grounded in Austin. He also couldn't see uprooting his wife and two young daughters from the beautiful plot of land just above Bull Creek where he built the family home. During his tenure at UT,Beachy served on the Conducting Faculty, was Advisor to the Graduate Programs in Choral Music and Acting Chairman of the Department of Music (1974-75). Internationally, Beachy presented concerts in Europe, the Middle East, Mexico and SouthAmerica. From 1972 to 1984, he also held the position of Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Cardiff, Wales, Great Britain. In 1966, Dr. Beachy led his newly founded Chamber Singers on a three-month 90-concert State Department tourto Europe and the Middle East. While in Egypt, he was able to fulfill one of his life-long dreams and climbed the Great Pyramid. Consistently ranked among the best in the nation, the Chamber Singers were gold medal winners at the Villa-LobosInternational Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1979. Morris Beachy was a well known powerhouse on the national and internationally choral scene, admired for his craft as a conductor, his interpretation of the choral literature, and hisexpertise in training the choral voice. He retired from The University of Texas at Austin in 1993 as Morton H. Meyerson Professor Emeritus but continued to conduct the Austin Choral Union, which performed with the Austin Symphony. Lastly, hefounded the Morris Beachy Singers, comprised of many former singers, leading them on three international tours. In 2003, Beachy was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame. Aside from his perfection in choral mastery, Morris Beachy was firstand foremost a family man. He was a strict but loving and supportive father. As with his students, he shared with his daughters his out-of-this-world analogies, profound musings and interests besides music, from astronomy and archeology toancient civilizations, foreign languages and poetry. If there was something to explore, Morris would explore it! He was a born environmentalist, and was instrumental when it came to protecting Austin's own Bull Creek. He loved our planet Earthand worried openly about its possible demise brought upon by the ignorance of man. He loved animals and worried about polar bears losing their glacial habitat due to Global Warming. On a personal level, there always was a family dog, startingwith a tiny puppy he brought home to Frances in his warm pocket. They named her Tosca after one of their favorite operas. Dr. Beachy was a dreamer, explorer, interpreter, poet, mentor, friend, counselor, father, brother, conductor, musician.During concerts, his singers would often witness misty eyes looking back at them when they would produce the sounds and expression he desired. To achieve the highest and truest levels of music making was always the ultimate goal of hisperformances. Dr. Beachy is survived by his wife, Frances, daughters Diana Rutledge and Sylvia Beachy, grandson Spencer Rutledge, brother Dr. William Beachy from Kansas City, Missouri and sister Irene Radford from Williamstown, New Jersey.