American Composer Nancy Hill Cobb: Her Story, Her Music, and Her Threnody

Abstract

The music of Nancy Hill Cobb has been performed across the United States and around the world for decades, but to date, little has been written about the composer. This document contributes to knowledge in the field of choral music by recording, through first-hand accounts and additional research, the life and work of an important American composer. Interviews with Cobb provided valuable information and insight for this study, including how experiences with gender bias shaped her professional life and impacted her musical contributions. Additional information was gleaned through communication with individuals connected to Cobb, and from news stories, writings of the composer, and other publications. Cobb’s music is discussed, including her compositional influences and characteristics, and an overview of her choral catalogue is provided. Threnody, a choral-orchestral work written in response to the traumatic 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, is examined through historical precursors, including the grief journey of survivor Ernestine Hill Clark who became Threnody’s librettist. A narrative analysis is provided that may be useful to conductors of the work. Future choral scholars who perform music by Nancy Hill Cobb will have access to the information gathered in this document to inform their study. Ultimately, the document shows the importance of Nancy Hill Cobb’s contributions to the choral canon and the significance of her choral-orchestral work Threnody.