Everett Gilmore 1935-2005

[Matt Good]

Sadly, I must tell all of you that Everett Gilmore passed away quietly at his home earlier today surrounded by his family.

Below is a biography that has been compiled by Don Little, Professor of Tuba at the University of North Texas. I received permission from Don to post this on TubeNet:


Everett Gilmore--50+ Years with the Tuba and Trombone
Compiled by Donald Little

Everett Gilmore received his formal education at Lebanon Valley College
in Annville, Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree
with a major in psychology and a minor in music. At Lebanon Valley
College, Everett studied both tuba and trombone with Dr. James Thurmond who
was also the band director. Following his graduation from Lebanon Valley
College in 1958, he was appointed to a position with the US Army Field
Band in Washington, DC, and later volunteered to transfer to the NORAD
Command Band located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During and after
his service band career, Everett was a student of Charles Gusikoff of the
Philadelphia Orchestra.

Following his tenure with the military service bands, Everett Gilmore
in 1962 began a Master of Arts degree in Library Science from the
University of Denver, Colorado. One year later in 1963 he assumed the
position of principal tuba with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra of Wichita,
Kansas, and was compensated with an annual salary of $500! He was
concurrently a full-time librarian for the City Library of Wichita. It was
during his time in Wichita that Everett traveled to Chicago for independent
tuba studies with Arnold Jacobs of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

With only a six-day notice, Everett Gilmore traveled from his home in
Denver, Colorado, to Dallas in order to audition for the principal tuba
position with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. On May 31, 1965, Everett
Gilmore won the audition after competing with twelve other tubists.
Subsequently, he held the principal tuba position with the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra for thirty seasons through 1995. During his first season the
DSO trombone section consisted of principal trombone Gordon Sweeney,
second trombone Chuck Mandernach, and bass trombone Morris Repass, who
was replaced one season later by Daral Rauscher. Everett and Daral sat
next to each other and were "good partners" (in Ev's words) for 29
seasons until they retired together at the end of the 1994-95 season. Everett
played more than 50 recordings during his DSO tenure, notably conducted
by former music director Eduardo Mata. Everett also studied tuba with
William Bell in the summer of 1969 at Aspen, Colorado.

Everett Gilmore had many other musical activities during his DSO tenure
including the founding of several ensembles including the Texas Tuba
Quartet, Dallas Tuba Quartet and Dallas Brass Quintet that recorded with
Crystal Records (DBQ-S203). He is a co-founder of both the annual
Dallas and Fort Worth TUBACHRISTMAS concerts. He served as Adjunct Tuba
Professor at Southern Methodist University during his tenure with the DSO,
and continued to serve as Adjunct Tuba Professor at the University of
North Texas until his illness earlier this year. Enjoying many years as
a free-lance low brass player in the local recording industry, Everett
was also an expert music copyist. He produced music manuscripts by hand
for many famous composers and arrangers such as Alberto Ginastera, Phil
Kelly, Tom Merriman and Robert Xavier Rodriguez.

In addition to his private and university teaching experience following
his DSO retirement, Mr. Gilmore was an active member of the Texas Wind
Symphony, Symphonic Brass Quintet, Jodie Mikula Orchestra, Lewisville
Lake Symphony and the Swing Time Rehearsal Band (on fourth trombone). He
also performed with the Dallas Wind Symphony, Dallas Opera Orchestra,
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as well as assorted chamber and orchestral
ensembles in various churches and religious establishments throughout
the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Besides his distinguished career in music, Everett Gilmore participated
frequently in local and state political issues and dialogue. He was
concerned about progressive ideals such as the civil liberties as outlined
in the Bill of Rights. He contributed his time, ideas and interests to
progressive causes throughout his life. He and his wife Mary are
members of the Unitarian Church of Dallas.

Everett Gilmore was a Miraphone tuba artist throughout his career. He
began with the acquisition of a 186BBb Miraphone tuba that he chose from
a batch of new BBb and CC tubas in Hollywood, California, during his
service band tenure in 1960. He chose a BBb model because it had the best
tone and intonation of those available at that time. Also, Mr. Gilmore
performed frequently on his 185BBb and 181F Miraphone tubas.

The Everett M. Gilmore Orchestra Tuba Scholarship

The University of North Texas College of Music has established the
Everett M. Gilmore Orchestra Tuba Scholarship in honor of Everett Gilmore
who played principal tuba with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for 30
years and served as an adjunct professor in the College of Music. Mr.
Gilmore’s devotion to fine musical performance and to the teaching of young
musicians had made a significant impact on many lives throughout the
university and beyond. For further information about the scholarship
contact:

Elida Tamez, Director of Development
University of North Texas College of Music
PO Box 311367
Denton, TX 76203
940-565-2243

Discography of Everett Gilmore and the Dallas Symphony (1965-1995)
Compiled by Lee Hipp

During his tenure with the Dallas Symphony Ev made approximately 50
recordings on the Turnabout, RCA, Angel, Telarc, ProArte and Dorian
labels. The majority of these were conducted by the late Eduardo Mata who was
Music Director for the DSO from 1977-1993. The dates listed are
generally the date of release of the recording.

1967 - conducted by Donald Johanos
Copland, Aaron - Fanfare for the Common Man (one of the best “unknownâ€

[David Spies]

It is a very sad day. Ev was a great human being and a terrific musician with an incredible amount of soul. I remember when he performed with the UNT Tuba-Euphonium Jazz All-Stars at the Minnesota ITEC conference in 1998. We were performing Georgia
(the Matteson-Phillips arrangement), and we were really digging in. When Ev opened up on his chorus, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was captivated by his soulful musicianship. When we finished, the room erupted in applause. He captured the audience right at that particular moment in the program. It was amazing.

His spirit enveloped everything he played. He will be greatly missed.

Dave Spies

[mbeastep]

This is sad news. I have many musical memories of performances by that great low brass section of Sweeney, Kitzman, Rascher and Gilmore during my studies at NTSU 1970-73. In particular, I think of a Sibelius 2, a concert performance of Boris Gudunov, a Mathis Der Mahler, and a Vaughan Williams 6th. Also, though I never heard in in concert, Ev knocked my socks off playing Bydlo on that BBb Mirafone in a master class. I'm grateful.

Michael Eastep

[leehipp]

Just one of the many memories I will carry of Ev...

Ev was always involved, not just the tuba in a symphony orchestra but in nearly any kind of situation you could imagine from a country band, polkas with an accordian player to just making up music in a tuba quartet (Ev and Don always referred to it as space music). He had NO FEAR of bringing his tuba into any situation and making it work.

I have to admit, at that time in my carreer I thought it was a little crazy; but now that I am older and (hopefully) wiser I amire this aspect of Ev's love of music. The more I look back upon it in comparison to what most of us "symphony" guys get involved with the more inspired I get.

I hope others will post their thoughts of Ev, he will be missed.

[Alex C]

Ev was a kind, generous man. He avoided judging people and always thought about the potential for good that people had, even when he was treated poorly.

His musicianship was natural and well crafted. The Dallas Symphony recordings always displayed tuba playing at its best. Go listen to one and hear for yourself.

I had problems in performing, he did as much as anyone could have to point me back in the right direction. I never felt anything but encouragement and support.

What a rare man he was. How lucky we were to have him in Dallas.

[Stephen Shoop]

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area Ev was known as "The Dean of Dallas Tubists." Everett and Don Little began organizing Merry Tubachristmas concerts here some 27 years ago. (Dallas was the fifth city to hold these annual events). In the early years those organizing and/or conducting were Ev, Don, Harvey Phillips, and Frederick Fennell! Probably my most vivid memory of Ev was a performance of an improvised solo on his arrangement of "Blue Monk" for tuba-euphonium ensemble. Ev was a great guy and will be greatly missed. Steve Shoop

[Ed Jones]

Ev was a teacher colleague and a friend. I will miss him.

I first met Ev at a DSO run out concert in Greenville, TX. I went to the lobby at intermission and there was Ev, standing around watching the people go by. I stuck out my hand and refered to him as Mr. Gilmore. He said "I'm not Mr. Gilmore, I'm Ev". That's just the way he was.

Ev once told me that he used to dislike playing the Dvorak New World Symphony but he learned to enjoy the wait for the fourteen notes.
"Where else can you get paid to enjoy great music" he would say. Tonight, we played the New World in Ft. Worth and I enjoyed the wait. Afterward, Dennis Bubert (FWSO bass trombonist) and I had a beer and toasted the lives of Ev and Daral Rauscher, former DSO bass trombonist and Ev's "good partner" for 29 years who passed away a month ago. We swapped stories, shared some memories and had a few laughes. It is what both Ev and Daral would have wanted.

Here's to you Ev.

[CJ Krause]

***

[Toad Away]

For Ev --- (author unknown):

You left us peaceful memories.
Your love is still our guide.
And though we cannot see you,
You are always at our side.

________________________________

Tim Loehr