BALLARD, WILLIAM J. (1922-2006)

Choral Music Director and Musicologist, William J. Ballard received a Fulbright Grant for study in Florence, Italy, from 1952-1953. At this time, the manuscript of Orazio (Horatio) Vecchi's Madrigal Comedy, L'Amfiparnaso, drew his committed attention. This vocal work for 6 a cappella voices for three acts and many scenes is a 40-minute work. Ballard diligently went to work transcribing it from manuscript translating the Italian dialects into English and then prepared The Tudor Singers, a professional ensemble, to perform and record it. Luckily for the music world, this taped recording after 50 years has been able to be restored and digitally re-mastered to accompany the first time publication of the score by Alliance Publications, Inc.

 

Ballard received his musical training from Chicago Musical College in Voice (B.M.) and Theory (M.M.) and Northwestern University in Music History and Literature (Ph.D). His experience as a Director of Choral Activities have been extensive. He served as Director of Choral Organizations and Assistant Professor of Choral Literature at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from 1954-1970. He was Head of the Music Department and Director of Sixth Form Studies at Ely High School, Ely, Cambridge, England, and from 1970-1971. Then he became Director of the Centenary College Choir and Associate Professor of Music History and Conducting at Centenary College of Louisiana from 1972-1974. Following this he was the Music Director of the San Francisco Boys Chorus from 1974-1985 and then formed a new choir, The Singing Boys of San Francisco Bay, in 1985-1988. During these years, he also served churches as Director of Music in Waukegan, Chicago, Evanston, and Glencoe, Illinois and founded The Tudor Singers (1946-1970), a professional ensemble and directed community choral organizations as well the Commonwealth Edison Choraliers (1954-1964) and the Elgin Choral Union (1962-1970).

 

Dr. Ballard's assiduous study has produced editions of early music for modern performance of 6 major works by Italian masters Vecchi, Banchieri, Striggio, Gagliano, Monteverdi, Janequin and Marenzio, four of which have also been translated for singing in English. Published articles may be found in The Choral Review, The School Musician, and Choristers Guild Letters.