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New
York Times - Review - March 6, 2008
The Oratorio Society of
New York was pleased that Songs of Love and War
composer, Paul Moravec, was in attendance for this evening's
performance. Also in attendance were the writers of two
of the letters in Songs of Love and War, Marjorie Gaunt
and George Robinson.
Marjorie Gaunt's trip
from her home in Rhode Island to Carnegie Hall created much
excitement, both for the society, and in the press.
"Her
WWII love letter inspires a cantata"
(The Providence Journal, March 3, 2008)
"Love
letter from WWII to be incorporated into Carnegie Hall
show"
(The
New York Daily News, March 3, 2008)
"WWII
Widow's Love Letter Turned Into Song"
(The
New York Post, March 4, 2008)
"First
the letters, and then came poems"
(The Providence Journal, March 4, 2008)
"Marjorie
Gaunt had a grand time at Carnegie Hall"
(The Providence Journal, March 8, 2008)
Members of the society
were thrilled to meet Marjorie, who graciously posed for
pictures and signed autographs.
(Thanks to Tim Dwight, Ellen Davidson, Nancy Cline, Betsy
Means and Liz Simpson for
these photos.)
Click on an image
for a larger view:
Kent Tritle, Marjorie Gaunt, Paul Moravec |
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Kent Tritle, Marjorie Gaunt, Paul Moravec |
Kent Tritle, Marjorie Gaunt, Paul Moravec |
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Marjorie shows us
Rowland's Wings |
Kent Tritle, Marjorie Gaunt, Paul Moravec |
Kent Tritle, Marjorie Gaunt, Paul Moravec |
Marjorie shares a
photo of Rowland |
Marjorie Gaunt, Richard Pace |
Richard Pace, Kent Tritle, Marjorie Gaunt, Paul Moravec |
Richard Pace, Kent Tritle, Marjorie Gaunt, Paul Moravec |
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Rowland & Marjorie Gaunt |
Rowland & Marjorie Gaunt |
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Marjorie
and her fans |
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Music Director Kent Tritle (left) with composer Paul
Moravec.
Rehearsal, February 23, 2008
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Movement
# 2 - Dearest Rowland
World War II, March 7, 1944, home
Dearest Rowland,
No letter again today. I hope I get one this afternoon. The poor postman, he hates to come without a letter. He never looks my way when he hasn’t got one. And I can tell by the way he says “hello” whether he has one or not.
I love you so, darling. I get all tongue-tied when I try to tell you. When I go to church these noontimes, I kneel and I start to pray and I can’t describe the feeling that comes over me. You and God and love are all mixed up, and my heart and mind are thinking of you and God! It’s such a strong feeling. It just surges out of me and wraps itself around you wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
My mind usually sees you in a plane, and I can feel myself putting my arms around you, standing beside you while you’re seated, and cradling your head against my breast and protecting your body with mine—my spirit really, I guess. And it’s so real to me. I love you so, and miss you so.
Be strong and have faith. It will be such a thrilling day! I hope it comes soon. God bless you darling. I love you.
Your Marjorie
| From OS Alto Marjorie Crandell: |
| Dear Oratorio Society Members:
As Richard mentioned in his e-mail, Marjorie Gaunt
will be coming to our concert from Rhode Island with a
neighbor. She is thrilled to be hearing Paul
Moravec's piece live for the first time and to meet him
and Kent in person. (I believe this is also her first
visit to Carnegie Hall.) Marjorie has been very
touched by our group's interest in her and the story of
the letter.
Below are some notes from my call with Marjorie last
Saturday which we thought you might find of interest,
especially as we push to sell more tickets in these
final days.
This past week we've been in touch with several New
York area media folks about the story. And we've
heard from Channing Gray of the Providence Journal who
is now working on a story about Marjorie, her adventure
with the Oratorio Society, and Paul's music and text.
Channing tells us the author of the Civil War letter,
Sullivan Ballou, also happens to be from Rhode Island.
Here, too is a quote from OSNY alto Rogene Fisher who
captures beautifully the essence of what makes
Marjorie's letter so meaningful today:
"The story, to me, is how one woman's letter to
her husband is as sacred and emotionally resonant as any
of the religious texts that are typically the foundation
for oratorios. At a time when the closest contact most
of the country has with the young servicemen and women
in Iraq and Afghanistan are cheerful snippets of troops
having Christmas dinner or even announcing Oscar
nominees, I think this concert will be a powerful
reminder to people of the personal loss and longing that
so many military families must be enduring right
now."
Marjorie Crandell's Notes from call to Marjorie
Gaunt:
I can say she is a vibrant and fascinating person
with many wonderful stories about her life related to
the letter. In her current life she is an amateur
poet following years of hiking around the world with the
Appalachian Mountain Club, raising 3 children in Rhode
Island, and 14 "life changing" years as a
docent at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) art
museum despite not being an art historian.
Here are some highlights of our call (I apologize
-some of the dates and details are a bit squishy):
1. After Rowland died, Marjorie married his brother
Arthur who was a Marine (and who was her 1st boyfriend);
sadly he died in his 40's from a heart attack, so she
was widowed twice at a fairly young age. And --
Rowland died on Feb. 22nd, Arthur Feb. 23 (14 years
later...)!
2. Rowland was MIA, so about 30 letters she'd
written him almost daily were returned to her by the
military. This is the only reason she has these
intimate letters, and she almost threw them away when
moving from Providence where she was born and lived for
many years before moving to Wickford Cove on
Narragansett Bay, a village of North Kingstown RI.
3. Marjorie had responded to an ad (?) in the
1980's to an author publishing a book about war letters?
women's letters?. Paul mentioned in rehearsal that
he found her letter in a book while researching texts
for the piece, so this must be the book. Marjorie
says the book was excerpted in YANKEE magazine in 1990,
much to her embarrassment given the letters' intimacy,
and surprised when she started hearing about the letters
from friends all over the world. [Rogene found this
reference in a quick google search: YANKEE MAGAZINE,
"Sealed with a Kiss: The Love Letters of Marjorie
Gaunt," September 1990, pp. 67 - 71, 126 - 129]
4. Several months after Rowland died Marjorie
says she'd received a music box from an antiques dealer
in London. Apparently Rowland and some buddies had
gone into the shop and he didn't have enough money to
buy her the music box; the owner promised to hold it for
him until he could come back. Rowland went MIA and
never made it back (I'm not clear about timeframe), but
his buddies went in and paid for it and sent it to
Marjorie.
5. Paul mentioned at rehearsal that the PBS series
The American Experience did a piece on a group of
letters (perhaps from the book?); Marjorie remembers
being interviewed for a TV show but couldn't remember
which one (perhaps this one?) She was very nervous
about being on TV: she was picked up by a limo and
brought to NYC for the taping, praying for "peace
and poise" the whole time. I told her we
would be doing the same thing at our concert.
6. Marjorie wistfully told me that music and
the letters continue to be connected to her life. The
day we spoke she hoped to be going that night to the RI
Philharmonic performance as a subscriber, if some of the
ice and snow storm melted...
Yours,
Marjorie (Crandell, OSNY Alto)
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SHOW: CBS THIS MORNING (7:00 AM PM ET)
June 06, 1994, Monday |
HEADLINE:
CATHERINE PIKE AND MARJORIE GAUNT DISCUSS
THEIR EXPERIENCES AS WORLD WAR II WIVES
ANCHOR: PAULA ZAHN
PAULA ZAHN, co-host: World War II was a vast panorama of tragedy, turmoil and triumph; history on an epic scale. But mothers still cherished their children and young Americans still fell in love, and all clung to their hopes and dreams though they were oceans apart. Those hopes and dreams were voiced in poignant, powerful letters from women at home to men on the front lines.
And joining us this morning to share their personal memories and letters are Marjorie
Gaunt and Catherine Pike. Good morning.
Ms. CATHERINE PIKE (World War II Wife): Good morning.
Ms. MARJORIE GAUNT (World War II Wife): Good morning.
ZAHN: Thank you very much for being with us.
Marjorie, you married Rowland in 1943. That is the same week he received his
navigator's wings.
Ms. GAUNT: Yes.
ZAHN: Three months later you found out he had to go to war.
Ms. GAUNT: Yes.
ZAHN: What went through your mind at that point?
Ms. GAUNT: Well, I think it was a time of great patriotism, and everyone around you was
involved. So I really wasn't afraid. I felt very patriotic. I remember that Rowland was so
excited. He couldn't wait to get in to help.
ZAHN: How afraid were you at that time?
Ms. GAUNT: I really wasn't afraid. I think--I don't remember being afraid. I was just
wrapped up in being in love, and the--the beautiful uniform and--you know.
ZAHN: You brought along a letter with you from February 22nd, 1944. Would you read part
of that for us this morning?
Ms. GAUNT: I'll--yes, I will. In this letter, which is written on February 22nd, the very day that
he died, I say, 'Tonight's paper tells of a big raid, 1,500 planes with only 15 lost. I think of
you and pray, darling, but I know you're fine.' I wasn't afraid for him at that time. And towards the end of the letter. I'm--these are really--it was just really a love letter. And I'm saying, 'Golly, I miss you, physically. I miss being able to hold your hand and feel the roughness of your clothing and the warmth of your lips. Oh, I better not dwell on that so long. Sometimes I'm content to love you spiritually, but other times my mind screams with loneliness for your presence. I adore you so.
I love you with every atom of me. Do a good job, quick and hurry home to my arms.'
ZAHN: Isn't that beautiful. Well, at the time you wrote that, of course, you had no idea...
Ms. GAUNT: No.
ZAHN: ...that your husband had been killed.
I understand it took the war department a year and a half after that date to--to actually
officially declare his death?
Ms. GAUNT: Yes. Well, they waited to declare that he was dead until the war was over
actually.
ZAHN: During that period of time, were you given any hope that he was alive?
Ms. GAUNT: Well, I followed every clue that I could find in the newspaper and actually
found out who he was flying with, and he had been sent as a replacement navigator on
another ship. I had felt so content with the men he was with, but he was on another ship when he was shot down. And I found that all myself. I even contacted the Danish underground trying to find him--find
him.
ZAHN: You brought with you this morning a music box...
Ms. GAUNT: Mm-hmm.
ZAHN: ...that has a very important story attached to it.
Ms. GAUNT: Yes. It has a little story, yes. Rowland--I had a little collection of music boxes,
and he had gone to London and he'd seen this in the window of an antique shop. So he
thought he'd buy it for me, but he didn't have enough money. He put a deposit on it and
told the man he'd be back the next week, and it was during that week he was killed. And
this--when I contacted the antique dealer to discover how I had happened to get it, he said
his crew had come in and paid for it and sent it to me.
ZAHN: Catherine, we only have time for a couple of quick reflections from you. Share with you--if you would the most poignant part of the letter that you wrote to your husband on June 6th, 1944.
Ms. PIKE: Well, I don't know which one to read here. 'June 6th, 6:45 AM, the phone just rang about 10 minutes ago. It was your mother. She told me that the invasion had started. I just put on the radio, and this time it's real. I don't quite know what to say, sweetheart. It goes without saying that if I--that I feel very nervous and very afraid. I do feel, though, that you weren't in the first wave. I hope and pray, darling, that if I am right, that you will never have to go in. I suppose I want too much.'
ZAHN: Catherine Pike and Marjorie, thank you both for joining us.
ZAHN: We are back at 25 minutes after the hour to continue our conversation with Marjorie
Gaunt and Catherine Pike who have been nice enough to share with us this this morning
excerpts from some of the letters they--they wrote to their husbands, who landed in
Normandy at--at different times.
Catherine, I want to give you the opportunity now to read another part of this letter that...
Ms. CATHERINE PIKE (World War II Wife): Oh, this one...
ZAHN: ...we have all been very moved by because I had the opportunity to peek
at it.
Ms. PIKE: OK. This one--this one is actually June 9th, this second letter here. It's--it's a
different letter. And the invasion had started, so I--you
know, I assumed, well maybe he'll get this and maybe he won't because he heard
about all the casualties. 'I just got through hanging out the baby's washing
and as I stand in the yard looking up at the sky to the distant horizon, I am
wondering where my darling is and if he is all right. Three big four
motored bombers roared overhead and you'd never know to look at this quiet, calm little
village that there was a terrible bloody conflict going on over there. You'd
never know to look at this little village that there is a sad, heavy-hearted
girl living in it, namely, me.'
ZAHN: It's really beautiful. Now you were two months or three months pregnant when...
Ms. PIKE: Pregnant when he went away.
ZAHN: ...your husband went off to war.
Ms. PIKE: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
ZAHN: So how long was it before he--he knew that he had a son and...
Ms. PIKE: Well, he came home for two days. They had sent him to OCS, and he
had come home for two days. And during that two-day period our son was born.
And when he was eight weeks old, I flew with him to Florida to be with my
husband for one year. Otherwise, I--as I said, I wouldn't have seen him on our
first, second, third or fourth anniversary.
ZAHN: You brought with us a patch this morning that you wanted to share with
us.
Ms. PIKE: Yes, if I may.
ZAHN: Please do.
Ms. PIKE: My husband was in the 38th Infantry, and he was in the 2nd Infantry Division.
And I feel a comradery with all the men of this division
because during the war I had a map on my bedroom wall, and I followed the whole
division every--you know, every place that they went, every city they went
into. And I would like to mention if I could the name of
two radio commentators of those da--those--that particular period.
ZAHN: Sure.
Ms. PIKE: Cedric Foster and H.V. Caltenborne. And those were the two I
listened to constantly, every day so that I could hear where my husband's
division was and where the bloody fighting was. And when he'd write me back
saying everything was all right, I knew it wasn't.
ZAHN: Where did the two of you go for reassurance during this time as you're
listened to these horrendous reports of thousands and thousands of casualties?
Ms. MARJORIE GAUNT (World War II Wife): Well, actually, you see, Rowland was killed in
February, and that was about three months before D-Day. So I
found a great deal of comfort. There was an Episcopal Church that was right
near where I worked. I went there every noontime. They had a prayer shrine
there. And it sort of kept me going. And that was where I went when my--the
first word we heard--when the war was over. I went right back to that place.
ZAHN: And, Catherine, where did you go to--for support and love.
Ms. PIKE: Yeah. I--I had support and love from--from the Methodist Church--the little
church we were married in in Graystone--a little--little town
called Graystone. And every evening my mother would put the coffee pot on and
all the wives in the area would come over to my mother's house and we would all
discuss and--and give each other, you know, pep talks, 'Oh, he'll be all
right.' And stuff like that. You know?
ZAHN: Catherine and Marjorie, thanks for sharing your memories with us this morning, still fresh after 50 years.
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