Alfred John Neumann’s portrait

Alfred John Neumann

  • 79 years old
  • Born Dec 15, 1928
  • Died Oct 13, 2008
  • Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
UPDATE......Al's Ashes will be interred at 2:00 pm on Monday, November 3, 2008. For more information, please email sc20910@gmail.com.
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About

Al's Bio

ALFRED JOHN NEUMANN

 

Born: Brooklyn, N.Y. Dec. 15, 1928, son of Else Kleiber and

Alfred Kellerman, and later stepson, of Erich Neumann.

B.S. degree from Davidson College, Davidson, N.C. and M.M. from Univ. of Michigan,

Ann Arbor, MI. College honors included President of Phi Mu Alpha

(honorary Music Fraternity), President of Delta Phi Alpha (honorary

German Fraternity), member of the Football and Concert Bands, and

the Queens-Davidson Symphony, producer and accompanist for many

performances of "THE TELEPHONE" by Gian Carlo Menotti.

 

Served a one year substitute position on the faculty of Furman

Univ., Greenville, S.C. (1951-52) as conductor of the Football and

Concert Bands during which time the bands recorded An album for

RCA Victor, broadcast a weekly radio show, and toured over 2000

miles.

 

While at the University of Michigan (1952-54), served as student

conductor of the University Choirs, accompanist for the Univ. of Michigan Vocal Quartet,

the Univ. of Michigan Opera Department, was Assistant Instructor in Music Literature,

tour Manager for the Michigan Singers, conductor of the Allan Rumsey Howe Glee Club,

and accompanist for W. C. Handy, "Father of the Blues" in recital

at the university.

 

During the summers, served as Assistant to the Director of the Brevard Music Center, Brevard, N.C.

MUSIC JOURNAL MAGAZINE published several articles on Sacred Music by Mr. Neumann

and listed him in its "Gallery of Living American Composers", having had works published

by C. Schirmer, Carl Fischer, Plymouth Music and Hinshaw Music Publishers.

 

Served in the U.S. Army. While stationed at Ft. Belvoir, received several letters of commendation from the

Commanding General for work on Special Services Staff project. Later, became a member of the U.S. Army Chorus,

singing for WHITE HOUSE and STATE DEPARTMENT functions.

 

In Washington, D.C. he played piano for many years at several restaurants, including the famous

TIVOLI OPERA RESTAURANT in Georgetown. He was accompanist for THE MOZART TRIOS touring the U.S. and

Europe numerous times. He was a chorister of the Washington

Opera for 15 years (1957-1972), a member of the Washington Chamber

Chorus which sang the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera,

 

THE UNICORN, GORGON, AND MANTICORE, in the Library of Congress (1957),

organist for the Washington Hebrew Congregation (1077-1982),

accompanist for summer productions at Wolf Trap, accompanist for the Washington Performing

Arts Society's Concerts in the Schools program, and accompanist for Todd Duncan's voice studio.

 

From 1958-1994 he served as organist and choir director of Christ Congregational Church in

Silver Spring, MD, during' which time he took the Christ Church Choir on 20 singing tours in the U.S., Canada,

Hawaii, and Europe. Under his leadership the church's choir and orchestra premiered two of

his sacred operas, AN OPERA FOR CHRISTMAS, and AN OPERA FOR EASTER, on NBC-TV in Washington, D.C.,

appeared at the New York World's Fair of 1964 and 1965, and at EXPO '74 in

Montreal, Canada. The choir sang in the Riverside! Church, N.Y. City; First Congregational, San Francisco, CA;

St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Honolulu, HI, The Bermuda Cathedral, Hamilton, Bermuda;

Washington National Cathedral, National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Kennedy Center

Concert Hall, and for President Nixon and the Eisenhower family in THE WHITE HOUSE (1969). He took the choir on 4 tours in

Europe (1966, 1972, 1978, 1983), singing in England, France, Germany,

Austria and Italy. In Rome, they sang for a mass in St. Peter's

Basilica and for an audience with Pope Paul VI.

 

During his tenure at Christ Congregational Church, the choir

and orchestra recorded two commercial LP's For the CREST RECORD

label: CHRISTMAS ORATORIO by Saint-Sans (CRS-4433) and GREAT

CHORALWORKS (CRDG-4203), and he produced and directed many works,

including AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, Menotti; THE TELEPHONE,

Menotti: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Webber;

GUYS AND DOLLS, Loesser; L'ENFANT PRODIGUE, Debussy;, BARBAR, THE

ELEPHANT, Prokofiev; THE UNICORN, GORGON, AND MANTIOORE, Menotti;

MESSIAH, Handel; REQUIEMS by Brahms, Duruflee, Faure and Rutter;

AN OPERA FOR CHRISTMAS, AN OPERA FOR EASTER, AND OPERA FOR EVERYMAN,

THE RITES OF MAN, Neumann; and numerous children's Musicals with the youth choirs of the church.

 

He organized and conducted two concerts by the combined choirs and orchestra of the

area United Churches of Christ in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall to benefit the six colleges of the American

Missionary Association of the denomination (1974,1975). In 1976,

he was coordinator and music director for the National Convention of the United Church of

Christ in the Washington Hilton Hotel and the Washington National Cathedral.

He has been a member of ASCAP (AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHERS)

since 1975, served on the Montgomery County Arts Council, was a volunteer at Holy Cross Hospital, and was with

associated with Dale Music Company of Silver Spring, Maryland, for over 30 years.

He is listed in WHO'S WHO IN AMERICA 2000 and INTERNATIONAL WHO'S WHO IN MUSIC.

See All Memories »

Memories

Youth Orchestra Retreats

Robert Winslow (Nov 03, 2008)

Al took the time and energy to meet young people where they were and advance and challenge them to be better. At retreats there would be not just great music, but church and music history. I was in Takoma Park Junior High when he asked me to play a clarinet obligatto for a choir anthem. I believe that memories of him during that time have served to shape my life, for I am now a church organist and community college instructor. There has always been one piece that has haunted me since being at Christ Congregational; The Chichester Psalms mvt II. I remember Al rehearsing that beautiful melody, and I never heard it again until this semester when the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay started rehearsals. Every time I would play it by ear I would think back to my musical beginnings and how kind and patient he was. Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with your saints,where sorrow and pain are no more,neither sighing, but life everlasting. Alleluia ~ Thank you Al. Robert Winslow

My Memory

Al at the beach (Oct 21, 2008)

How do you sum a life into a few words? I can't remember when or where I met Al, but I am sure he would know the day and probably the place. So if it was Secrets in NE, that has gone with him. :-) That was one of many qualities I loved about him, his keen powers of observation and attention to detail. Oh, and as anyone could attest to, his punctuality. That was tops. You would think in your golden years you would be more casual about appointments, but Al was making up for lost time I guess or he respected people's time and expected the same from others. You live that golden rule Al! I can hear him say something like "Don't dilly dally." If you were late to meet him, you had better called ahead or have a really good excuse and don't try "traffic" cause he would be ready for that one and say "well, that's why I left early." I wouldn't recommend standing him up either. He would hunt you down or leave a voice mail that would make you feel like dirt. That's what I've heard anyway. I wonder if that was his point. And movies, he took his movies seriously or was it the actors in the movies that he took seriously... from the neck down? The plot might have been a close second. If there was eye candy exposing flesh of any sorts, Al knew when the opening day was and the times when it started, and already had cross checked some local reviews. Things I learned from Al: don't take things for granite; appreciate the finer things in life; know how fortunate you are to live in these times, even though the economy sucks big time. His stories of when he was coming of age are like night a day compared to today's young people. "You can do so much nowadays" he would say. "It's wonderful!" I learned to get outdoors, but my sunscreen might be a little more potent that Al's. He was a sun worshiper, beach is a +. He was always reading to stay abreast of current events from Who's Who's in Hollywood to Opera World, always cordial, paid attention to details, because the subtlest of detail can make a big difference. He always made time for fun and laughter. All that and he still made room for a super size of wit. What a guy.

My Memory of forty years of friendship

Jack Dudley (Oct 19, 2008)

To Al,
As a friend of forty years, I cannot express the loss I feel. I talked to you a couple weeks ago & never realized that would be the last.
I fell a deep void and cannot believe our conversations will be no more.
Al has been a most ultimate friend, I must judge them on their comments & actions.
Al has never in my forty years of knowing him has never said anything negative
about anyone. That is very commemorative.
I will miss you my dear friend. Jack Dudley

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