Seymour Swets Collection, 1919-1973 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: Seymour Swets Collection, 1919-1973

ID: COLL/252

Primary Creator: Swets, Seymour (1900-1982)

Extent: 6.5 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Professor of music at Calvin College. The collection includes lectures, correspondence, the manuscript of "Fifty Years of Music Making," programs, publicity, soloist information, articles, plus information on performances of the Messiah, other oratorios, musical groups, choirs, and tours.

Biographical Note

Seymour Swets was born in South Holland, Illinois, in the year 1900, the beginning of a new century. His parents moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in order to make use of the greater Christian education opportunities for their large family. Swets received his BA degree from Calvin in 1922, and a master's degree in history from the University of Michigan the following year. That year, 1923, he has appointed to teach music and speech at his alma mater.

In 1923 there was no music department, nor were any music courses offered for credit. As former President William Spoelhof said, "He was at the beginning." The next forty-four years were dedicated to serving Calvin, the church, and the community through teaching music, directing the A Cappella Choir, and administering the music affairs of the school. In addition, he directed the musical programs of the Oratorio Society from 1924 until his retirement in 1967. Upon his retirement he spent some five years in research for his book, published in 1973, Fifty Years of Music at Calvin College.

He served as an elder at LaGrave Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, as well as their choirmaster for many years.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal and Music Department Papers, 1928-1965],
[Series 2: Music Department Affairs, 1919-1967],
[Series 3: Programs and Festivals],
[Series 4: Music Conferences and Miscellaneous, 1953-1962],
[Series 5: Music Conferences and Programs, 1926-1968],
[Series 6: Oratorios, 1938-1966],
[Series 7: Miscellaneous Items Related to the Oratorio Society, 1930-1968],
[Series 8: Pageant Materials and Music],
[Series 9: Miscellaneous materials],
[Series 10: Books and pamphlets],
[Series 11: Soloists' Correspondence and Photographs, 1932-1966],
[Series 12: LP33's],
[All]

Series 1: Personal and Music Department Papers --- 1928-1965

Box 1

Folder 1: Correspondence --- 1928-1940
Folder 2: Correspondence --- 1948-1965
Folder 3: Guild of Calvinist Scholars Newsletters --- 1955-1958
Folder 4: Press clippings; "To Our Chief Musician --- 1967
Folder 5: First chapter draft of 50 Years of Music at Calvin College
Folder 6: First draft of entire book --- 1973
Folder 7: Minutes and papers of the music department --- 1954-1955
Folder 8: Minutes and papers --- 1956-1959
Folder 9: Minutes and papers --- 1960-1961
Folder 10: Minutes and papers --- 1962

Series 2: Music Department Affairs --- 1919-1967

Box 2

Folder 1: Minutes and papers --- 1963
Folder 2: Minutes and papers --- 1964
Folder 3: Minutes and papers --- 1965
Folder 4: Minutes only --- 1966
Folder 5: Papers --- 1966
Folder 6: Minutes and papers --- 1967
Folder 7: Staff personnel --- 1951-1963
Folder 8: Music curriculum --- 1962
Folder 9: Department budget --- 1951-1965
Folder 10: Projected needs --- 1946-1963
Folder 11: College expansion --- 1952-1963
Folder 12: Division of Language, Literature and Arts --- 1955-1956

Box 3

Folder 1: Music - speech building --- 1966

Folder 2: Music in a Christian college: a statement of objectives --- 1961-1962

Folder 3: College pipe organ (1) - on Franklin campus, Eerdmans' gift --- 1930

Folder 4: College pipe organ (2) - on Knollcrest campus, Zondervan's gift --- 1967

Folder 5: Cayvan gift of 78 RPM and LP records --- 1951-1965

Folder 6: Department publicity --- 1953

Folder 7: First Men's Glee Club --- 1919-1922

Folder 8: Programs of Men's Glee Clubs --- 1925-1933

Folder 9: Ladies' Glee Club Programs --- 1927-1931

Folder 10: Michigan State College Glee Club Festival --- 1929-1930

Folder 11: Combined Glee Clubs --- 1928-1933

Folder 12: Quartets, with diary --- 1920-1961

Folder 13: Seminary choirs --- 1941-1948

Folder 14: Seminary choir music

Folder 15: Swets - Van Andel pupil recitals --- 1935-1943

Folder 16: Faculty recitals --- 1951-1967

Folder 17: College-sponsored student recitals --- 1935-1967

Folder 18: College-sponsored programs --- 1950-1967

Folder 19: FAC dedication program --- 1966

Folder 20: College band programs --- 1948-1967

Folder 21: College band festivals --- 1957-1964

Folder 22

Item 1: College orchestra and string concert programs --- 1948-1967
Item 2: A Cappella Choir --- 1935-1966

Box 4

Folder 1: First choir --- 1935
Folder 2: Choirs --- 1936, 1937, 1938
Folder 3: Choirs --- 1938, 1939, 1940
Folder 4: Choirs --- 1940, 1941, 1942
Folder 5: Choirs --- 1942, 1943, 1944
Folder 6: Choirs --- 1944, 1945, 1946
Folder 7: Choirs --- 1946, 1947, 1948
Folder 8: Choirs --- 1948, 1949, 1950
Folder 9: Choir recording --- 1949
Folder 10: Choirs --- 1950-51
Folder 11: Choirs --- 1951-52
Folder 12: Choirs --- 1952, 1953
Folder 13: Choirs --- 1953, 1954, 1955
Folder 14: Choirs --- 1955, 1956, 1957
Folder 15: Choirs --- 1957, 1958, 1959
Folder 16: Choirs --- 1959, 1960
Folder 17: Choirs --- 1960, 1961
Folder 18: Choirs --- 1961, 1962
Folder 19: Beethoven chorus for the 25th anniversary celebration --- 1962
Folder 20: Choirs --- 1962, 1963, 1964
Folder 21: Choirs --- 1964, 1965
Folder 22: Final A Cappella Choir of S. Swets --- 1965-1966

Series 3: Programs and Festivals

Box 5

Folder 1-2: Programs of other choral organizations

Folder 3: Fall Music Festival programs --- 1949-1960

Folder 4: First MIAA Choir Festival in Kalamazoo --- 1952

Folder 5

Item 1: Second MIAA Festival --- 1954
Item 2: Third MIAA Festival --- 1956

Folder 6: Fourth MIAA Festival --- 1958

Folder 7

Item 1: Sixth MIAA Festival (fifth is missing) --- 1962
Item 2: Seventh MIAA Festival --- 1964
Item 3: Eighth MIAA Festival --- 1966

Folder 8: MIAA Directors' Conferences --- 1939-1964

Folder 9: Mid-West Choir Festivals

Item 1: 1st --- 1943
Item 2: 2nd --- 1944
Item 3: 3rd --- 1945

Folder 10: Mid-West Choir Festivals

Item 1: 4th --- 1946
Item 2: 5th --- 1947
Item 3: 6th --- 1948

Folder 11: Mid-West Choir Festivals

Item 1: 7th --- 1949
Item 2: 8th --- 1950
Item 3: 9th --- 1951

Folder 12: Mid-West Choir Festivals

Item 1: 10th --- 1952
Item 2: 11th --- 1953
Item 3: 12th --- 1954

Folder 13: Mid-West Choir Festivals

Item 1: 13th --- 1955
Item 2: 14th --- 1956
Item 3: 15th --- 1957

Folder 14: Mid-West Choir Festivals

Item 1: 16th --- 1959
Item 2: 17th --- 1961
Item 3: 18th --- 1963

Folder 15: Mid-West Choir Festivals

Item 1: 19th --- 1966
Item 2: 20th --- 1967

Folder 16: Music department choral workshop --- 1966

Folder 17: College Fine Arts Festivals --- 1965-1966

Folder 18: Choral adjudication forms

Series 4: Music Conferences and Miscellaneous --- 1953-1962

Box 6

Folder 1: 400th anniversary of the Genevan Psalter --- 1962
Folder 2-3: Anthems based upon that Genevan Psalter
Folder 4: Community-singing materials
Folder 5: Hymn Society of America materials
Folder 6: First Church Music Conference, sponsored by the music department --- 1953
Folder 7: Appendix to the 1st Conference
Folder 8: 2nd Church Music Conference --- 1954
Folder 9: 3rd Church Music Conference --- 1956
Folder 10: 3rd Conference promotion --- 1956
Folder 11: 3rd Conference correspondence
Folder 12: 3rd Conference evaluation
Folder 13: 4th Church Music Conference --- 1958

Series 5: Music Conferences and Programs --- 1926-1968

Box 7

Folder 1: 5th Church Music Conference --- 1960

Folder 2: 6th Church Music Conference --- 1962

Folder 3: 7th Church Music Conference --- 1968

Folder 4: Veteran organists

Folder 5: Central Avenue CRC Holland Conference on Church Music --- 1966

Folder 6: History and Constitution of the Oratorio Society

Folder 7: Messiah (8th is missing)

Item 1: 7th --- 1926
Item 2: 9th --- 1928
Item 3: 10th --- 1929
Item 4: 11th --- 1930

Folder 8: Messiah

Item 1: 12th --- 1931
Item 2: 13th --- 1932
Item 3: 14th (1st in Civic Auditorium) --- 1933

Folder 9: Messiah

Item 1: 15th --- 1934
Item 2: 16th --- 1935
Item 3: 17th --- 1936

Folder 10: Messiah

Item 1: 18th --- 1937
Item 2: 19th --- 1938
Item 3: 20th --- 1939

Folder 11: Messiah

Item 1: 21st --- 1940
Item 2: 22nd --- 1941
Item 3: 23rd --- 1942

Folder 12: Messiah

Item 1: 24th --- 1943
Item 2: 25th --- 1944

Folder 13: Messiah

Item 1: 26th --- 1945
Item 2: 27th --- 1946
Item 3: 28th (Swets' 25th) --- 1947

Folder 14: Messiah

Item 1: 29th --- 1948
Item 2: 30th --- 1949

Folder 15: Messiah

Item 1: 31st --- 1950
Item 2: 32nd --- 1951
Item 3: 33rd --- 1952

Folder 16: Messiah

Item 1: 34th --- 1953
Item 2: 35th --- 1954

Folder 17: Messiah

Item 1: 36th --- 1955
Item 2: 37th --- 1956

Folder 18: Messiah

Item 1: 38th --- 1957
Item 2: 39th --- 1958

Series 6: Oratorios --- 1938-1966

Box 8

Folder 1: Messiah

Item 1: 40th --- 1959
Item 2: 41st --- 1960

Folder 2: Messiah

Item 1: 42nd --- 1961
Item 2: 43rd --- 1962

Folder 3: Messiah

Item 1: 44th --- 1963
Item 2: 45th --- 1964

Folder 4: Messiah

Item 1: 46th --- 1965
Item 2: 47th (last one for Swets) --- 1966

Folder 5: Elijah: First one --- 1938

Folder 6: Elijah

Item 1: 2nd --- 1939
Item 2: 3rd --- 1940
Item 3: 4th --- 1941

Folder 7: Elijah

Item 1: 5th --- 1942
Item 2: 6th --- 1943

Folder 8: Elijah

Item 1: 7th --- 1944
Item 2: 8th --- 1945
Item 3: 9th --- 1946
Item 4: 10th --- 1947

Folder 9: Elijah

Item 1: 11th --- 1948
Item 2: 12th --- 1949
Item 3: 13th --- 1950
Item 4: 14th --- 1951

Folder 10: Elijah

Item 1: 15th --- 1952
Item 2: 16th --- 1956

Folder 11: Elijah

Item 1: 17th --- 1960
Item 2: 18th --- 1963
Item 3: 19th --- 1967

Folder 12: Elijah promotion and dramatization

Folder 13: Creation: First one --- 1953

Folder 14: Creation

Item 1: 2nd-1954
Item 2: 3rd-1957

Folder 15: Creation

Item 1: 4th-1961
Item 2: 5th-1965

Folder 16: St. Matthew's Passion: first program --- 1955

Folder 17: St. Matthew's Passion: 2nd --- 1958

Folder 18: St. Matthew's Passion: 3rd --- 1962

Folder 19: Solomon --- 1959

Folder 20: St. Paul: first program --- 1964

Folder 21: St. Paul: 2nd (Swets' final) --- 1966

Series 7: Miscellaneous Items Related to the Oratorio Society --- 1930-1968

Box 9

Folder 1: Tributes to Professor Swets by soloists and others on his 25th anniversary of conducting oratorios
Folder 2-3: Oratorio programs of other organizations
Folder 4: Financial reports re: oratorio society --- 1930-1957
Folder 5: Gifts of the society to the music department --- 1941-1966
Folder 6: Oratorio Scholarship and Tuition Awards --- 1949-1968
Folder 7: Press reviews of oratorio performances
Folder 8: "Handel's Messiah, a Hallowed Tradition," by S. Swets
Folder 9: Oratorion, edited by Fred Baker; plus other press copy --- 1945-1949
Folder 10: Contracts with soloists and agents --- 1933-1961
Folder 11: Business letters --- 1933-1952
Folder 13: Form letters sent to members and patrons
Folder 14: Intra-board letters --- 1933-1950

Series 8: Pageant Materials and Music

Box 11

Folder 1-3: Centennial of the CRC pageant materials --- 1857-1957

Folder 4: Dutch choral music

Folder 5: Nationalism in Dutch Music - an unidentified essay

Folder 6

Item 1: Ethnic music
Item 2: Packet of SATB sacred anthems

Series 9: Miscellaneous materials

Box 12

Folder 1-2: American sacred anthems based on Dutch Psalm tunes

Series 10: Books and pamphlets

Item 1: "A System of Harmony," P. Goetchius (used in the thirties)
Item 2: "First Theory Book," A. Diller (used in the thirties)
Item 3: English translation of selected Schubert songs, H. Drinker --- 1954
Item 4: Christus' Geboorte, an oratorio, R. Beintema. Published in Friesland, texts in Dutch and Friesian --- undated
Item 5: Pamphlet on the care of the violin, including photos of famous violinists
Item 6: Pamphlet: Music Skills and Competencies for use in colleges, re credit transfer
Item 7: Four copies of Donemus, a Dutch music magazine

Series 11: Soloists' Correspondence and Photographs --- 1932-1966

Box 10

Folder 1: Evelyn Ames, Contralto (only photocopies of photo) --- 1942-1952

Folder 2: Else Harthan Arendt, Soprano --- 1933-1938

Folder 3

Item 1: Virginia Auyers, Contralto --- 1941-1942
Item 2: Helen Bickerton, Soprano
Item 3: Grace Ravesloot Buckley, Soprano --- 1959

Folder 4: Nancy Carr, Soprano --- 1952

Folder 5: Sidney Smith Cooley, Contralto --- 1935

Folder 6

Item 1: Ada Belle Files, Contralto
Item 2: Esther Goodwin, Contralto --- 1935-1936

Folder 7

Item 1: Helene Hekman, Contralto --- 1951
Item 2: Ahleen Dekker Heynen, Soprano

Folder 8

Item 1: Mary Ann Kaufman, Contralto
Item 2: Lillian Knowles, Contralto --- 1933-1937

Folder 9

Item 1: Margit Kormedy, Contralto
Item 2: Muriel Kyle, Soprano
Item 3: Frances James, Soprano
Item 4: Beatrice Brody Larsen, Contralto

Folder 10

Item 1: Eileen Law, Contralto
Item 2: Marjory Mc Clung, Soprano

Folder 11

Item 1: Esther Muenstermann, Contralto --- 1933-1934
Item 2: Maud Nosler, Soprano --- 1947

Folder 12

Item 1: Maurine Parzybok, Contralto --- 1933
Item 2: Ruth Slater, Contralto

Folder 13

Item 1: Virginia Strouse Speaker, Soprano --- 1947
Item 2: Marjorie Squires, Contralto --- 1934
Item 3: Edna Swanson Ver Haar, Contralto
Item 4: Thelma von Eisenhauer, Soprano --- 1939-1940

Folder 14

Item 1: David Austin, Baritone
Item 2: James De Jonge, Tenor --- 1945
Item 3: Carlton Eldridge, Tenor --- 1940-1944
Item 4: Roy Glahn, Tenor
Item 5: Bruce Foote, Baritone --- 1947

Folder 15

Item 1: Leroy Hamp, Tenor --- 1933
Item 2: Harold Haugh, Tenor --- 1942
Item 3: Barre Hill, Baritone; Russell Horton, Tenor --- 1942
Item 4: Frederick Jenks, Baritone --- 1935-1939

Folder 16

Item 1: Edwin Kemp, Tenor --- 1935
Item 2: Raymond Koch, Baritone --- 1943
Item 3: Frederic Kreuger, Tenor --- 1940-1941
Item 4: Joseph V. Laderoute, Tenor --- 1944-1949
Item 5: Mark Love, Bass (only photocopies of photos) --- 1933

Folder 17

Item 1: John Mac Donald, Baritone --- 1937-1955
Item 2: Michael Marsman, Bass-Baritone --- 1939
Item 3: Ray Mc Afee, Baritone --- 1951-1966
Item 4: Cameron Mc Lean, Baritone
Item 5: James Miller, Tenor (Helen Stob's husband)
Item 6: William Miller,Tenor --- 1932-1936

Folder 18

Item 1: Carl Nelson, Baritone --- 1946
Item 2: Howard Nelson, Baritone
Item 3: Ralph Nielsen, Tenor --- 1949-1952
Item 4: Reinhold Schmidt, Bass-Baritone --- 1936
Item 5: Robert Speaker, Baritone --- 1943
Item 6: John Toms, Tenor --- 1941
Item 7: Hardin Van Deursen, Baritone --- 1940

Folder 19: Muskegon Michigan Messiah --- 1944-1953

Folder 20: Diamond Jubilee, musical material --- 1951

Series 12: LP33's

Box 13

Folder 1: The Maestro Sings: LP33
Folder 2: Calvin College, "Pops" Concert: LP33
Folder 3: An Album of Choral Music by the Calvin College Choir --- ca. 1948: Four 10 inch vinyl discs