Louise E. Simpson Stairs (March 24, 1892 - November 1975) was an American composer, organist, and pianist, who sometimes published under the pseudonym Sidney Forrest. She composed several cantatas, as well as piano and vocal works for children.
Stairs was born in Troupsburg, New York, to Alice Clare Stephens and Colonel Ellsworth Simpson. She married Alpheus Wade Stairs on September 3, 1912, and they had a daughter (Ruth). Little is known about Stairs’ education. Her music was published by Carl Fischer Music, Hall-Mack Co., Oliver Ditson, and Theodore Presser Co. Her compositions include:
Cantatas
- Choral Cantata
- Infant Holy: Christmas Cantata
- Light O’er Bethlehem: Christmas Cantata
Organ
- Advent Prayer
- Arietta
- Bright and Morning Star
- He Shall Be Their Shepherd
- Manger’s Gift
- Master Call
- Sabbath Morning
- White Lillies
Piano
- Clocks in the Hall (with E. B. Marks)
- Floating Clouds
- Peach Blooms
- Soldiers at Play
- Sunday Morning
- To Whit, To Whoo
- Uncle Ben
Vocal
- “His Loving Call”
- “Hush-a-bye Dolly”
- “Finding Fairies”
- “Lazy Frog”
- “Lift Up Your Heads”
- “Lord, Speak to Me” (text by Frances Ridley Havergal)
- “Nest of Baby Bunnies”
- “Robin Redbreast’s Song”
- “Robin’s Song”
- “Sailboats”
- “So Longeth My Soul for Thee”
- “There is an Eye that Never Sleeps”
- “When the Robin Sings”
- “Woodland Concert”
References
- ^ "Louise E. Stairs". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
- Anderson, Ruth (1976). Contemporary American composers : a biographical dictionary. Boston: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-1117-0. OCLC 2035024.
- Room, Adrian (2014-01-10). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-5763-2.
- Burns, Kristine Helen (2002). Women and Music in America Since 1900: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-1-57356-309-3.
- Stern, Susan (1978). Women composers : a handbook. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1138-3. OCLC 3844725.
- ^ "The Light o'er Bethlehem". www.carlfischer.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Hymns of Pentecost 31. There's a gentle voice that's calling | Hymnary.org". hymnary.org. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ Musart. 1953.
- ^ Stairs, Louise E.; Stairs, Louise E. (1940). Hush - a - bye, Dolly. Theodore Presser Co.
- ^ Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. Books & Music (USA). ISBN 978-0-9617485-1-7.
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1941.
- ^ "Louise E. Stairs". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ Stewart-Green, Miriam (1980). Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-8498-4. OCLC 6815939.
- Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1950). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.
- Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1939.
- The Music Magazine/Musical Courier. 1951.
- Claghorn, Charles Eugene (1996). Women composers and songwriters : a concise biographical dictionary. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-585-03162-2. OCLC 42329817.
- Music Clubs Magazine: Official Organ. The Federation. 1952.
- Music Clubs Magazine. National Federation of Music Clubs. 1950.
- Music Clubs Magazine. National Federation of Music Clubs. 1939.
- Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1963). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.