Ruth Russell, Soprano, at home, after her Senior Recital,
Frank Strong Hall, University of Kansas, April, 1945.
Degree: Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.
Ruth Killeen (1923-2009), at home, Beverly Hills, Michigan
-Photo by Ann Garske
~
Baby Ruth (in hat) with Laurie (in hat), Alice and Robert, 1924.
~
~ Ruth, Laurie, Robert, Alice, 1930s ~
~ Laurie, Alice, Ruth, Robert, 1970 ~
Ruth made her dress out of Marimekko fabric!
Ruth, at home, after her Masters Recital, University of Kansas, 1945, with
Laurie, Alice, and Robert. Degree: Master of Music in Vocal Performance.
~ The Russell Family Home, 1656 Illinois Street, Lawrence, Kansas ~
Ruth was born in July of 1923, while we were living at 2235 Massachusetts
Street... [Since] it looked like a position in which I would be happy [teaching
in the K.U. Engineering Department], we then decided to sell the Kansas
City place and build a new house at 1656 Illinois Street, where we moved in
and lived until 1952...
This home on Illinois Street was a busy place with all the activity and the
congregation of other neighborhood children.
-75 YEARS IN KANSAS OR CORN BREAD AND SORGUM MOLASSES,
by Frank A. Russell (1879-1957), self-published book, 100 pp, c.1956, p. 91.
Robert and Alice
Laurie and Ruthie
~1920s~
1656 Illinois Street, when Alice and Pat visited Lawrence in 2003.
Frank and Friend
F.A. Russell: Patriarch, Professor, Gentle Wit, Family Chronicler...
As a young man, Frank played in a mandolin orchestra in Kansas City.
Ruth played his violin in her high school and college orchestras.
Professor Frank A. Russell Family Reunion, University of Kansas, September 17, 2005
Nephews Bob, Howard and Andy. F.A. Russell had a zany side too!
Captions and card design by Laurie Russell. Minnie had excellent taste in home decorating.
Her family thought her cooking had excellent taste too!
~
Here are some remembrances of the Russell family by Mr. Mou-Hui King of Taipei, Taiwan,
who studied engineering at the University of Kansas, and earned his bachelors degree in 1944.
As a result of his first meeting with F.A. Russell in September of 1940, Mou-Hui King became
a family friend.
These Russell family photographs brought back memories of his first day on Mt. Oread:
I fitted the attributes of a greenhorn in every respect.
After 20 some days on the Pacific Ocean and two days and nights
on the Union Pacific, I got off the train. The next morning I tried
to find the office of Dean Crawford. A man informed me that I
should see Dean Russell. There behind his desk was the kind
elderly gentleman who told me the essentials of registration, and
then asked me whether I was available for dinner that evening.
On that evening I met the entire Russell family and was deeply
impressed by their kindness and compassion.
Mou-Hui King
-Sent by email, July 15, 2011
Thank you Mr. King for your contribution to this blog.
Family reunion in Illinois, 1992. Ruth is in the center, wearing red. That funny looking man
in the hat is Ruth's brother-in-law, C.H., all "dressed up" for the occasion.
~ Pooch ~
Pooch was the neighborhood dog who belonged to
three families in Lawrence: the Treeces, the Bakers,
and the Russell family. This intelligent canine joined
the procession of graduates when he saw Ruth filing
down Mt.Oread to attend her graduation exercises in
the stadium!
~
~ Ruth, age 16, 1939 ~
~ Church job, c.1940 ~
Ruthie always said she wanted to be a singer and was interested in
playing records of the many singers. We paid little attention to what
she said she was going to be as she had not been doing any singing
around home. Finally we noticed her seriousness as she was singing
in the choir at the Episcopal Church and the Dean's Choir at the
university. -F.A. Russell, p. 91-2.
~
~ Ruth, c.1946 ~
On graduating from the Fine Arts Department from
the University (1945), she went to New York for a year,
taking some training there and singing in the Robert Shaw
Chorale. Then she returned to the university and studied
for her masters degree. -F.A. Russell, p.92
~
Ruth at home after her Masters Recital, University of Kansas, 1949.
Masters Thesis: A Study of the Folk Songs and Ballads of the Hebrides
-Submitted to the Department of Voice and the Faculty of the Graduate
School of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Music.
Hardcover, 92 pp, May, 1949, maps drawn by F.A. Russell
~
Bridesmaid Meg Stanton, The Bride, Father of the Bride F.A. Russell, and Alice, Matron of Honor
~
After taking a job as voice instructor at Michigan State University
in East Lansing Michigan in 1949, Ruth meets the son of a faculty
member. A tall, dark, and handsome man 10 years her senior, Bob
Killeen was an engineer working in Detroit. Ruth and Robert were
married in Lawrence, Kansas, on September 9, 1950, at the Trinity
Episcopal Church.
(click on to enlarge)
The Lansing State Journal, Sunday, September 10, 1950
~
~ Ruth and Bob, 2002 ~
50th Wedding Anniversary Party invitation designed and made by niece Martie, 2000.
What a wonderful evening! Family came from as far away as Nebraska, California, New York, and
Canada. Ruth's musician friends, Bob's engineering colleagues, and neighbors joined in celebration.
Dinner-buffet to the strains of Borodin. Quartet: Martha, Joan, Pat and Mike.
Saule and Cliff are seated at the table, Laurie standing; Birmingham Community House, 2000.
~
~ Young marrieds, early 1950s ~
The Killeen Family ~ Jim, Julie, Tom, Bob, Ruth, Margo ~ Easter, 1989, Beverly Hills, Michigan
Horseback riding...
C.H., Alice, and Ruth, c.1940. Alice took some teaching courses in Boulder, Colorado one summer.
In a Mini...
Detroit International Car Show, 2007
Sailing... then Schubert
Ruth and Pat on Kay and Tom's sailboat, Georgian Bay, Ontario, c.1999.
Kay, Joan, Ruth, Greg and Pat read through the Schubert C Major Quintet
before a standing-room-only crowd in the marina that evening.
This beautiful photograph was used for Ruth and Bob's 1994 Christmas card.
~
War years ~ Laurie, Ruth, Robert, 1940s
Ruth is wearing her Kappa Alpha Theta pin.
Ruth with Laurie and June at the Professor Frank A. Russell Family Reunion, K.U., 2005.
Alice, Laurie, and Ruth at Alice and C.H.'s 50th Wedding Anniversary, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1992.
Remembering their brother Robert... Ruth, Laurie, Alice, Kansas City, May 1985.
C.H. and Alice with Ruth and Russell family friend Walton Ingham in Kansas City, Missouri, 1941.
Walton was a good friend of Ruth's brother Robert, and lived in the neighborhood in Lawrence.
Alice accompanied him when he played his cello. Walt became Dr. Walton Ingham, a prominent
Kansas City surgeon, and was the Robert Russell family physician. He served as an usher in Ruth
and Bob's wedding in 1950.
The morning after Ruth and Bob's Anniversary Party...
At Ruth's breakfast table: Martie, Margo, Alice, Pat, June, Bob, Jim
Devonshire Street, Beverly Hills, Michigan, September, 2000.
Ruth must be in the kitchen browning the sausage! -photo by Laurie
Ruth, Alice, and Martie in front
of Ruth and Bob's first home, Yosemite Boulevard, Birmingham, Michigan,
early-1950s.
Ruth bought matching dresses for nieces Martie and Patsy, and
for daughter Julie, Yosemite Boulevard, Birmingham, Michigan,
early-1950s.
From the time of this snapshot, the words "Yosemite"
and "Birmingham" have always had a magical quality
about them.
We used to visit Ruth and Bob and our cousins,
driving over by car from Kalamazoo. There was a
sense of anticipation when we turned onto Telegraph
Road. We knew there would be fun times ahead with Ruth!
-Pat
~Family Reunion in Illinois~
Laurie, Alice, C.H., June, Ruth, Laurie, Annette
Bob, Bob, Howard, Andy
Alice, Laurie and Ruth in Omaha in March, 1996,
at the time of Laurie & June's 50th Anniversary.
Professor F.A. Russell Family Reunion, University of Kansas, 2005
Ruth is in the center wearing the red neck scarf.
(click on image to enlarge)
~
Morning Glories on Devonshire Street, Beverly Hills, Michigan
Ruth made this ad into a party invitation in 2009, to show
Jim's independent film Google Me The Movie, 2007.
www.googlemethemovie.com
Ruth is a movie star! She is featured in several scenes in the film.
Ruth with all the Jim Killeens, in Killeen, Texas-- where else? 2007
~
~ Robert: quiet, smart, well-read, witty and wise-- a good man. ~
~
Lily Killeen: Girl-cat-gadabout, Devonshire Street, Beverly Hills, Michigan, 2006.
"In my next life, I would like to be re-incarnated as a cat in the Killeen household."
~ Killeen family friend
~
Miss Ruth Russell, Soprano, at home, after her Senior Recital, 1945.
(click on to enlarge)
Lawrence Journal-World, April, 1945.
Floral tributes abound ~ Ruth's Senior Recital at Strong Hall, 1945.
Keep scrolling...
More Photographs, History & Memorabilia
___________________________________
(Click on article to enlarge)
~ LIBERTY MAGAZINE, April 12, 1947 ~
Ruth plays the violin at an impromptu jam session at the apartment
she shared with other Kansas grads while working and studying
in New York City. Ruth studied voice and sang in the Robert Shaw
Collegiate Chorale in New York and at Tanglewood, 1946-47.
(click on to enlarge)
"Whee, an audition with Billy Rose!" cries Mary, clutching letter which brought
early-morning good news. Betty is borrowing lunch money from Jo Ann, while
Ruth, before calling on producers, scans list of shows to be cast.
Auditioned by Billy Rose for a spot Privacy by consent. Gals give Betty
in his Diamond Horseshoe, Mary and Cadet John Anderson a moment
plays her own accompaniment. alone. They'll be married following
his June graduation.
(click on to enlarge)
Sisters and Recitalists: Alice and Ruth, Yosemite Boulevard, Birmingham, Michigan, c. 1960.
~ RUTH ON CD ~
This recital was taped live on reel-to-reel, and later transfered to CD by their brother Laurie.
(click on to enlarge)
Recorded in Lawrence, Kansas, New York City, East Lansing and Birmingham, Michigan.
This compilation CD was created from a stack of 78 and 33 1/3 rpm long-playing records,
found in Ruth's front hall closet, August, 2009.
Opera Workshop with famous opera impresario Boris Goldovsky, and Detroit-area pianist and
vocal coach Justine Macurdy, Detroit, 1960s. Ruth is in the center, wearing the black medallion.
Ruth was a very busy singer from the 1950s to the early-1980s She sang arias from La Traviata
with the South Oakland County Symphony in 1957. In later years, Ruth sang the role of the
Witch in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel with a Detroit-area opera ensemble. She did solo
work with choirs in many Metro-area churches, including the First Presbyterian Church in
Birmingham, where she was a longtime member. Her performance of Mendelssohn's Hear My
Prayer for solo soprano, choir and organ was recorded with the First Presbyterian Church Choir
on a 33 1/3 rpm LP, recorded in 1956.
Ruth taught herself guitar, and sang folk songs in the Birmingham schools in the early-1950s.
She drew on her knowledge of folk song literature, and developed vocal programs with piano
accompaniment for music clubs, church and alumni groups, service clubs and nursing homes
throughout the Detroit area. She performed traditional songs from America, Scotland, Ireland,
and England, and kept extensive repertoire lists in a small blue notebook, written in her familiar
scrawl. The songs have titles such as "Oh, whistle and I'll come to you", "Greensleeves", "Road
to the Isle", "The Old Maid's Song", "Michigan-i-a!". There are hundreds listed. She sang hymns
and spirituals, and gave Christmas programs. According to the blue notebook, Ruth began singing
for these audiences in 1961. Her final notebook entry was 1985.
In the 1960s, Ruth was a member of the Kenneth Jewell Chorale, one of Detroit's premiere choral
ensembles. Their performances with the Detroit Symphony, and for "Bach at Cranbrook" were
memorable highlights. The Chorale also made several recordings.
Ruth was a longtime member of the Birmingham Musicale, and the Little Musicale, and gave
programs both as a singer, and later as a violist... direct segue.
Program of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra
2004 - 2005
While many people knew Ruth as a singer, others knew her as a violist.
She was a busy string player in the Detroit area for about 40 years. It all started sometime in the
1960s. This writer recalls a reading of Schubert's Trout Quintet in Ruth's living room on Madison
Street, with violinist friend Jean Hohmeyer, Ruth's sister Alice as pianist, and others. She
encouraged her niece, a fledgling cellist, to sit alongside her elder counterpart and double the cello
line that evening.
The number of groups Ruth was in over the years is staggering when one begins to recollect.
From community orchestras to union gigs, string group, music clubs, weekly readings of Haydn
String Quartets (the entire canon), Dare-to-be-Dull chamber music play-a-thons, church jobs,
read-throughs of viola solos with piano, viola section member in many Metro-area symphony
orchestras: Rochester, Birmingham-Bloomfield, Royal Oak, Dearborn, and others.
Her enthusiasm for chamber music also took her away from Detroit, to points west (Sleepy
Hollow in South Haven), and north (Interlochen), for adult chamber music workshops. She
loved to study scores, and be coached by the pros. She took private viola lessons.
What was extraordinary was Ruth's diligence to keep learning and never give up... even when her
spiccato could never be as good as that of her teacher, Hart Hollman, or when Felix Resnick's
tempi were too fast, the programs too long, or when the hall was freezing cold.
What warmed Ruth's heart was the camaraderie of her play fellows, unmatched in other professions.
Her love and respect for all of you was equalled only by her love of the repertoire itself.
She kept company with the best.
"We are the music makers,
and we are the dreamers of dreams..."
-Arthur O'Shaughnessy (1844-1881)
Thanks to Mary Ellen and Leon Judd of NAMI Metro for this glowing tribute to Ruth.
Mental health issues were never far from Ruth's thoughts. It was a cause she kept close
to her heart and hearth, as she fiercely advocated for the mentally ill-- year in, year out.
Thanks to the "AMI Ladies" for friendship and support, and for being such a fun lunch bunch!
~
-Photo by Ann Garske
~
~
Ruth made her dress out of Marimekko fabric!
Laurie, Alice, and Robert. Degree: Master of Music in Vocal Performance.
Ruth was born in July of 1923, while we were living at 2235 Massachusetts
Street... [Since] it looked like a position in which I would be happy [teaching
in the K.U. Engineering Department], we then decided to sell the Kansas
City place and build a new house at 1656 Illinois Street, where we moved in
and lived until 1952...
This home on Illinois Street was a busy place with all the activity and the
congregation of other neighborhood children.
-75 YEARS IN KANSAS OR CORN BREAD AND SORGUM MOLASSES,
by Frank A. Russell (1879-1957), self-published book, 100 pp, c.1956, p. 91.
Laurie and Ruthie
~1920s~
Frank and Friend
As a young man, Frank played in a mandolin orchestra in Kansas City.
Ruth played his violin in her high school and college orchestras.
Professor Frank A. Russell Family Reunion, University of Kansas, September 17, 2005
Captions and card design by Laurie Russell. Minnie had excellent taste in home decorating.
Her family thought her cooking had excellent taste too!
~
Here are some remembrances of the Russell family by Mr. Mou-Hui King of Taipei, Taiwan,
who studied engineering at the University of Kansas, and earned his bachelors degree in 1944.
As a result of his first meeting with F.A. Russell in September of 1940, Mou-Hui King became
a family friend.
These Russell family photographs brought back memories of his first day on Mt. Oread:
I fitted the attributes of a greenhorn in every respect.
After 20 some days on the Pacific Ocean and two days and nights
on the Union Pacific, I got off the train. The next morning I tried
to find the office of Dean Crawford. A man informed me that I
should see Dean Russell. There behind his desk was the kind
elderly gentleman who told me the essentials of registration, and
then asked me whether I was available for dinner that evening.
On that evening I met the entire Russell family and was deeply
impressed by their kindness and compassion.
Mou-Hui King
-Sent by email, July 15, 2011
Thank you Mr. King for your contribution to this blog.
in the hat is Ruth's brother-in-law, C.H., all "dressed up" for the occasion.
Pooch was the neighborhood dog who belonged to
three families in Lawrence: the Treeces, the Bakers,
and the Russell family. This intelligent canine joined
the procession of graduates when he saw Ruth filing
down Mt.Oread to attend her graduation exercises in
the stadium!
~
~ Church job, c.1940 ~
Ruthie always said she wanted to be a singer and was interested in
playing records of the many singers. We paid little attention to what
she said she was going to be as she had not been doing any singing
around home. Finally we noticed her seriousness as she was singing
in the choir at the Episcopal Church and the Dean's Choir at the
university. -F.A. Russell, p. 91-2.
~
On graduating from the Fine Arts Department from
the University (1945), she went to New York for a year,
taking some training there and singing in the Robert Shaw
Chorale. Then she returned to the university and studied
for her masters degree. -F.A. Russell, p.92
~
Masters Thesis: A Study of the Folk Songs and Ballads of the Hebrides
-Submitted to the Department of Voice and the Faculty of the Graduate
School of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Music.
Hardcover, 92 pp, May, 1949, maps drawn by F.A. Russell
~
Bridesmaid Meg Stanton, The Bride, Father of the Bride F.A. Russell, and Alice, Matron of Honor Lawrence, Kansas, September 9, 1950.
~
in East Lansing Michigan in 1949, Ruth meets the son of a faculty
member. A tall, dark, and handsome man 10 years her senior, Bob
Killeen was an engineer working in Detroit. Ruth and Robert were
married in Lawrence, Kansas, on September 9, 1950, at the Trinity
Episcopal Church.
The Lansing State Journal, Sunday, September 10, 1950
~
What a wonderful evening! Family came from as far away as Nebraska, California, New York, and
Canada. Ruth's musician friends, Bob's engineering colleagues, and neighbors joined in celebration.
Saule and Cliff are seated at the table, Laurie standing; Birmingham Community House, 2000.
~
Horseback riding...
In a Mini...
Sailing... then Schubert
Kay, Joan, Ruth, Greg and Pat read through the Schubert C Major Quintet
before a standing-room-only crowd in the marina that evening.
~
Ruth is wearing her Kappa Alpha Theta pin.
Walton was a good friend of Ruth's brother Robert, and lived in the neighborhood in Lawrence.
Alice accompanied him when he played his cello. Walt became Dr. Walton Ingham, a prominent
Kansas City surgeon, and was the Robert Russell family physician. He served as an usher in Ruth
and Bob's wedding in 1950.
The morning after Ruth and Bob's Anniversary Party...
Devonshire Street, Beverly Hills, Michigan, September, 2000.
Ruth must be in the kitchen browning the sausage! -photo by Laurie
Ruth, Alice, and Martie in front
of Ruth and Bob's first home, Yosemite Boulevard, Birmingham, Michigan,
early-1950s.
for daughter Julie, Yosemite Boulevard, Birmingham, Michigan,
early-1950s.
From the time of this snapshot, the words "Yosemite"
and "Birmingham" have always had a magical quality
about them.
We used to visit Ruth and Bob and our cousins,
driving over by car from Kalamazoo. There was a
sense of anticipation when we turned onto Telegraph
Road. We knew there would be fun times ahead with Ruth!
-Pat
Laurie, Alice, C.H., June, Ruth, Laurie, Annette
Bob, Bob, Howard, Andy
at the time of Laurie & June's 50th Anniversary.
Ruth is in the center wearing the red neck scarf.
(click on image to enlarge)
~
Ruth made this ad into a party invitation in 2009, to show
Jim's independent film Google Me The Movie, 2007.
www.googlemethemovie.com
Ruth is a movie star! She is featured in several scenes in the film.
~
~
"In my next life, I would like to be re-incarnated as a cat in the Killeen household."
~ Killeen family friend
~
Lawrence Journal-World, April, 1945.
Keep scrolling...
More Photographs, History & Memorabilia
___________________________________
~ LIBERTY MAGAZINE, April 12, 1947 ~
Ruth plays the violin at an impromptu jam session at the apartment
she shared with other Kansas grads while working and studying
in New York City. Ruth studied voice and sang in the Robert Shaw
Collegiate Chorale in New York and at Tanglewood, 1946-47.
"Whee, an audition with Billy Rose!" cries Mary, clutching letter which brought
early-morning good news. Betty is borrowing lunch money from Jo Ann, while
Ruth, before calling on producers, scans list of shows to be cast.
in his Diamond Horseshoe, Mary and Cadet John Anderson a moment
plays her own accompaniment. alone. They'll be married following
his June graduation.
(click on to enlarge)
~ A CONCERT IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN ~
Ruth Killeen, vocalist, with Alice Mullen, piano accompanist
Civic Theatre, March 15, 1960Works by: Purcell, Buononcini, Morley, Cilea, Debussy, Granados, Villa-Lobos, Nordoff, Duke, Berger.
This recital was taped live on reel-to-reel, and later transfered to CD by their brother Laurie.
RUTH KILLEEN, SOPRANO, SINGS OPERA, SACRED MUSIC
AND
POPULAR BALLADS OF THE DAY
(1944 - 1957)
Works by
Rossini, Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Verdi, Coward, Kern, Arlen,
Bach, Mozart,
Works by
Rossini, Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Verdi, Coward, Kern, Arlen,
Bach, Mozart,
with
Piano, organ, string quartet and orchestral accompaniments, and two male vocalists.
This compilation CD was created from a stack of 78 and 33 1/3 rpm long-playing records,
found in Ruth's front hall closet, August, 2009.
Opera Workshop with famous opera impresario Boris Goldovsky, and Detroit-area pianist and
vocal coach Justine Macurdy, Detroit, 1960s. Ruth is in the center, wearing the black medallion.
Ruth was a very busy singer from the 1950s to the early-1980s She sang arias from La Traviata
with the South Oakland County Symphony in 1957. In later years, Ruth sang the role of the
Witch in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel with a Detroit-area opera ensemble. She did solo
work with choirs in many Metro-area churches, including the First Presbyterian Church in
Birmingham, where she was a longtime member. Her performance of Mendelssohn's Hear My
Prayer for solo soprano, choir and organ was recorded with the First Presbyterian Church Choir
on a 33 1/3 rpm LP, recorded in 1956.
Ruth taught herself guitar, and sang folk songs in the Birmingham schools in the early-1950s.
She drew on her knowledge of folk song literature, and developed vocal programs with piano
accompaniment for music clubs, church and alumni groups, service clubs and nursing homes
throughout the Detroit area. She performed traditional songs from America, Scotland, Ireland,
and England, and kept extensive repertoire lists in a small blue notebook, written in her familiar
scrawl. The songs have titles such as "Oh, whistle and I'll come to you", "Greensleeves", "Road
to the Isle", "The Old Maid's Song", "Michigan-i-a!". There are hundreds listed. She sang hymns
and spirituals, and gave Christmas programs. According to the blue notebook, Ruth began singing
for these audiences in 1961. Her final notebook entry was 1985.
In the 1960s, Ruth was a member of the Kenneth Jewell Chorale, one of Detroit's premiere choral
ensembles. Their performances with the Detroit Symphony, and for "Bach at Cranbrook" were
memorable highlights. The Chorale also made several recordings.
Ruth was a longtime member of the Birmingham Musicale, and the Little Musicale, and gave
programs both as a singer, and later as a violist... direct segue.
2004 - 2005
She was a busy string player in the Detroit area for about 40 years. It all started sometime in the
1960s. This writer recalls a reading of Schubert's Trout Quintet in Ruth's living room on Madison
Street, with violinist friend Jean Hohmeyer, Ruth's sister Alice as pianist, and others. She
encouraged her niece, a fledgling cellist, to sit alongside her elder counterpart and double the cello
line that evening.
The number of groups Ruth was in over the years is staggering when one begins to recollect.
From community orchestras to union gigs, string group, music clubs, weekly readings of Haydn
String Quartets (the entire canon), Dare-to-be-Dull chamber music play-a-thons, church jobs,
read-throughs of viola solos with piano, viola section member in many Metro-area symphony
orchestras: Rochester, Birmingham-Bloomfield, Royal Oak, Dearborn, and others.
Her enthusiasm for chamber music also took her away from Detroit, to points west (Sleepy
Hollow in South Haven), and north (Interlochen), for adult chamber music workshops. She
loved to study scores, and be coached by the pros. She took private viola lessons.
What was extraordinary was Ruth's diligence to keep learning and never give up... even when her
spiccato could never be as good as that of her teacher, Hart Hollman, or when Felix Resnick's
tempi were too fast, the programs too long, or when the hall was freezing cold.
What warmed Ruth's heart was the camaraderie of her play fellows, unmatched in other professions.
Her love and respect for all of you was equalled only by her love of the repertoire itself.
She kept company with the best.
"We are the music makers,
and we are the dreamers of dreams..."
-Arthur O'Shaughnessy (1844-1881)
Mental health issues were never far from Ruth's thoughts. It was a cause she kept close
to her heart and hearth, as she fiercely advocated for the mentally ill-- year in, year out.
Thanks to the "AMI Ladies" for friendship and support, and for being such a fun lunch bunch!
REMEMBERING RUTH
From Detroit Symphony concerts downtown, to green hills and Gershwin at Meadowbrook; from the top of the stands at Comerica Park, to the music stands of her suburban string group, Ruth was there.
She was our "lady bountiful"-- a cornucopia of daily delights. She would rattle a few pans in her kitchen
and then suddenly, a full-course meal would magically appear. Ruth was "queen of casseroles"-- the AMI Ladies, the Bridge Club, Book Club, and Music Club might agree.
Ruth was a hardy perennial, standing shoulder to shoulder with the tall transplants in her sunny front garden.
She mourned the demise of Jacobsons, but found refuge in Orvis, and in Talbots. White blouses for string group, long black for BBSO concerts, Ruth never met a sale she didn't like.
The Petit Prince (French bakery) was often the object of her affections. Spiccato bowing was often the object of her frustrations.
Opening up her "gig bag", heavy with viola parts, you might find music bearing the names of the many people who brightened Ruth's life with great music and great friendships: Hart, Tim, Kristi, Evelyn, Ellen, Julia, Saule, Kay, Cliff, Cecilia, Marian, Martha, Joan, Joan, Grace, Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orhcestra, Royal Oak Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic and Dare to be Dull Chamber Music Society.
From Metro-area auditoriums, to drafty churches and lovely living rooms; from the pine woods of Interlochen, to the sands of Sleepy Hollow, and to all the places where Ruth made beautiful music-- all this, in equal measure, made her beautiful.
-Written and read at Ruth's Memorial Service
by her niece Pat, June 27, 2009.
She walks in beauty, like the night,
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
Of all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes,
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,--
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.
-Lord Byron (1788-1824)
~ REMEMBERING RUTH KILLEEN ~
This collection represents over 80 years of photographs and memorabilia from
Alice's Family Archives.
Submissions to this blog are welcome.
~
-Alice's Archivist
~ An die Musik ~
To Music
Oh lovely Art, in how many grey hours,
When life's fierce orbit ensnared me,
Have you kindled my heart to warm love,
Carried me away into a better world!
How often has a sigh escaping from your harp,
A sweet, sacred chord of yours
Opened up for me the heaven of better times,
Oh lovely Art, for that I thank you!
Song with piano accompaniment
by Franz Schubert (1797-1828);
Poetry by Franz von Schober
(translated from the German),
composed in 1817.
by Franz Schubert (1797-1828);
Poetry by Franz von Schober
(translated from the German),
composed in 1817.
