Caryn Jackson and Dr. Claudine Bigelow, BYU School of Music
The viola d’amore, a unique instrument that many are not familiar with, is more important than we give it credit for, not only musically but also for the research opportunities it presents. I was first introduced to the viola d’amore two years ago when I received my mission call to the Scotland/Ireland mission. As a music major and violist at BYU, I became deeply interested in Scottish and Irish music both before and after my mission. Around that time, I learned of Irishborn Garth Knox, a prominent violist/viola d’amore player and composer who has written many Scottish/Irish pieces for the viola d’amore. After watching videos of him performing these pieces and through contact and collaboration with him, I decided to learn to play the unique instrument I had seen him play. The only problem was I had never even heard of a viola d’amore, let alone seen one in person. But I decided to try to learn it anyway, and found that BYU owned one that I was able to check out for the semester. Through Dr. Claudine Bigelow, the viola professor at BYU, I was able to get in contact with Dr. Gordon Childs, a viola d’amore expert and teacher who is retired and currently lives in Orem, UT.
I have been taking private lessons on the viola d’amore from Dr. Childs since the fall of 2013 and have loved learning about and experiencing this amazing instrument. I have also discovered just how important this instrument is, not only to the viola community but to the musical community as a whole.
As I learned more about the viola d’amore and its history, I was surprised at how many worldrenowned violists have studied and performed on this instrument. These include Carl Stamitz (17451801), Henri Casadesus (18791947), Vadim Borisovsky (19001972), and Paul Hindemith (18951963). Learning this was especially shocking because the viola d’amore is now largely unknown in the musical community and playing it is quickly becoming a lost art. Many have never even seen the instrument, let alone know how to play it. I realized how important it is to promote the viola d’amore and educate other musicians on it. As I have studied the viola d’amore with Dr. Childs, I have become more and more impressed with his passion for the instrument and his dedication to sharing this passion with others. I also began to feel the need to help people become more aware of the possibilities of this instrument.
The first part of my project was the performance aspect of it. I learned to play the viola d’amore by taking private lessons from Dr. Gordon Childs for over two years. I then prepared a recital which I gave in November of 2015 to honor Dr. Childs and recognize the work he has done to promote the viola d’amore. As part of my preparation I rehearsed extensively with the piano/harpsichord player who accompanied me. Additionally, I soloed with the BYU Baroque Ensemble for a separate concert in October 2015 that featured a Vivaldi viola d’amore concerto. I want to continue to improve my performance abilities on the viola d’amore and last month I was delighted to receive a BYU Oscarson grant to travel to Paris, France next summer where I will be studying the viola d’amore with Garth Knox, who had first kindled my interest in the instrument in 2013.
The second part was promoting the research of the viola d’amore through highlighting the work of Dr. Gordon Childs. Dr. Gordon Childs discovered the viola d’amore while studying viola at BYU in 1951 and since then has become one of the foremost performers and promoters for the instrument. He wrote his master’s thesis at BYU on the viola d’amore, performed in concerts and recitals with it all over the world, and helped host the first International Viola d’Amore Congress in 1982 at the University of Wyoming where he was on the music faculty.
After Dr. Childs donated his viola d’amore papers to the BYU Harold B. Lee Library in the summer of 2014, I had the privilege of working with them as an archival processor in the Music Special Collections department. His collection includes programs and newspaper clippings from his numerous performances, his research on the use of the viola d’amore in musical productions, correspondence with wellknown viola d’amore players, photographs, his collection of Viola d’Amore Society newsletters, his research on the viola d’amore for his master’s thesis, etc. I wrote an article on the Dr. Gordon Childs papers and submitted it for publication to the Journal of the American Viola d’Amore Society. The Harold B. Lee Library is already known throughout the world as housing the largest collection of viola music in the world and the addition of the Gordon Childs papers just serves to increase interest in the already endless resources available there.
Through the opportunities I’ve had to publicly present on the viola d’amore during the last several months I have loved seeing the curiosity and excitement in others as they see and hear this unique instrument. Several approached me to inquire about taking lessons on the viola d’amore, and many simply want to know where they can learn more. In addition to the interest I saw through my performances on the viola d’amore, I have learned how intriguing the instrument is to scholars and musicians around the world.
In September of 2015, worldrenowned violist performer/pedagogue, Donald Maurice, came from New Zealand to give a master class at BYU and to research the viola d’amore. I was able to perform on the viola d’amore for him in the master class as well as personally show him the Gordon Childs papers in the BYU library. Through further correspondence with him and Dr. Childs I have been able to aid Professor Maurice in his research of the viola d’amore and the possibilities connected with it.
In conclusion, the Gordon Childs collection on the viola d’amore is one of the best resources available to those who wish to learn more about the viola d’amore and Dr. Childs’ dedication and passion for the viola d’amore has inspired countless numbers of people, including myself. My goal, through completing this project, is to inform people of the resources available for study of the viola d’amore, inspire them to do so, and perpetuate Dr. Gordon Childs’ legacy.