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Guide to the Victor Young Collection

Contents

1. Descriptive Summary

2. Biographical Note

3. Scope and Content

4. Arrangement

5. Series Descriptions

6. Container List

7. Access Points

8. Related Materials

9. Administrative Information

Descriptive Summary

• Creator: Victor Young, 1889-1968

• Title: Victor Young Collection

• Dates: 1927-1962  (bulk 1930-1950)

• Size: 2 linear ft. (5 boxes)

Biographical Note

Victor Young, pianist, composer, and conductor, was born in Bristol, Tennessee on April 9, 1889.  He attended the Cincinnati School of Music and New York University.  He debuted as a pianist with the Russian Symphony Orchestra,  and toured Europe and the United States as a pianist, arranger and conductor.   From 1919 to 1927 Young  was associated with the Thomas Edison Laboratory in Orange, New Jersey, where he worked as Edison's personal pianist and musical director.  In the late 1920s Young worked in California in the film industry and wrote the score for an early sound movie, In Old California.  Young composed orchestral works as well as numerous songs, particularly in the mountaineer idiom.  Later in his career Young directed radio programs and served as director of music at the Miami Military Institute and Sweetbriar College.  Young was married to the soprano Helen Davis, who was an Edison recording artist.  He died in Ossining, New York on September 2, 1968.

The collection consists of printed materials, including correspondence, brochures, articles, and news clippings, sheet music,  and  manuscripts of songs and other musical works by Victor Young (1889-1968).  Printed materials primarily relate to Young's career as a musician, composer, and arranger, including his employment at the Edison Research Laboratory.  Music materials document Young's prolific output of popular songs as well as several orchestral works.

Arrangement

The papers, which are contained in  manuscript boxes, are arranged into three series: 

• A.   Non-Music Materials

• B.   Published Music

• C.   Music and other Manuscripts

A. Non-Music Materials.   Boxes 1-2

This series consists of business and personal correspondence, brochures, pamphlets, articles and article drafts, news clippings, photographs, and a scrapbook.  Material related to Victor Young's relationship with Thomas Edison is included in this series.

B. Published Music Materials.  Box 2.

This series consists primarily of printed sheet music of songs written or co-written by Victor Young. Music by other composers from Young's personal collection is included.   

C.  Music and other Manuscripts   Boxes 3-5.

This series includes a paste-up version of an unpublished textbook by Schlieder and Young, Fundamentals of Musical Interpretation for Piano,  and manuscripts of songs, many of which are also represented by sheet music.  In addition, there are multiple copies of orchestral works composed by Young copies of music for Young's works Charm Assembly Line and Jeep.

Container List

Box 1 (cleaned)

• Folder 1:  Correspondence 1927 - 1939.

• Folder 2:  Correspondence 1940 - 1964.

• Folder 3:  Correspondence and notes 1927 - 1949, specifically  relating to Young's participation in Edison commemorative activities.  Includes Edison's 1927 letter of introduction for Young to movie producer Jesse Lasky, later reused for a later commemorative event.

• Folder 4:  Materials related to Edison commemoration:

1. Pamphlet: Voices of Yesterday

2. Poem: A Tribute to to the Master Pioneer by Chester Merrill Withinton

3. Booklet: The Life of Thomas A. Edison in Word and Picture

4. Booklet: America Marches Forward with Edison

5. Booklet: Edison Institute Museum and Village

• Folder 5:  Materials related to Victor Young's career, including a resume, concert program, press compilation and pamphets.

• Folder 6:  Typewritten copies and handwritten drafts of articles by Young, including Edison as I Knew Him, Your Attitude Establishes Your Altitude, Edison's Funny Bone, and others.

• Folder 6A: Two published articles on Thomas Edison by Victor Young

• Folder 7:   Undated photograph of Edison at his Orange, NJ laboratory.
  

Box 2  (Folders 8-16 not cleaned; Folders 17, 17A, 17B, 17C cleaned)

• Folder  8:  Helen Davis and Victor Young personal and professional scrapbook. Includes clippings, programs, brochures, invitations.  Approximate dates 1924-1940.  

• Folder 8A: Three b/w photos and one ink drawing

• Folder 9: Sheet Music

1. The Best of Things are Free.  Words by John Martin. Music by Victor Young. 1934.

2. My Crown for Thee.  1914.

3. Alaska: song.  Words by Elizabeth Evelyn Moore. Music by Victor Young.   1924.

4. A Winter Rose.  A Song by Albert Victor Young.  1910.

5. Daisy Time.  Words by Sara Teasdale. Music by Albert Victor Young. 1913.

6. Eyes (Until You Looked at Me). Lyric by Dan Wheeler. Music by Art Walsh and Vic Young.  1921.

•   Folder 10: Sheet Music

1. Mountain Girl's Lament (East Tennessee Mountains).  Obtained from Natives by Robert de Armond.  Recorded and arranged by Victor Young.  1947.

2. April Fool and Little Pig Nose.  Two Humorous Songs by George H. Gartlan, Victor Young and  Dixie Wilson.   1940.

3. A What-You-May-Call Encore Song.  Lyric and Music by Victor Young. 1920.

4. Jedgement Day: A Tennessee Mountain Song.  Obtained from Natives by Robert de Armond.  Recorded and Arranged by Victor Young. 1921.

5. Mamma You're Killing Papa. [Professional copy]. By Al. Young.  1920.

6. Little Patch o' Land.  [Professional Copy]. Words by Bissell Palmer.  Music by Victor Young.  1946.  3 copies.

7. Little Patch o' Land.  Music by Victor Young.  Words by Bissell Palmer. 1946.  3 copies.

• Folder 11: Sheet Music

  1. Organ Compositions No. 27728.  A Fragment.  Victor Young.  Transcribed by Alexander Schreiner.  1946.

  2. Help Yourself to Happiness.  Lyric by Victor Young.  Music by Thomas Griselle and Victor Young.  1930. 2 copies.

  3. When Mother Wields the Shingle (Tennessee Mountain Song).  Collected from the Natives by William R. Barbour.  Musical Setting by Victor Young.  1924. 3 copies.

  4. Land of Evangeline.  Lyric by Maude Hanaford.  Music by Victor Young.  1920.

  5. Under a Spanish Moon.  By Victor Young. 1926. 

• Folder 12: Sheet Music

1. The Greatest Story Ever Told.  Words and Music by Zoel Parenteau and Victor Young.  1951.

2. Down through the Valley.  Words and Music by Victor Young.   1948. 

3. The Sleepy House.  By Victor Young.  New York, G. Schirmer, 1939.

4. Three Encore Songs: Old Stuff, Billy Goat  and A Meadow Scandal.  By Victor Young.  1920.  

5. Don't Talk to Me of Spring.  Poem by Flora Williams Dakin.  Music by Victor Young. 1927. 

6. Why Did I Leave my Home? [Old Irish Song collected by D.E. Wheeler].  By Victor Young.  1947.

7. Red Rosey Bush: Appalachian Folk-song with Piano Accompaniment. By Victor Young. 1940.




• Folder 13: Sheet Music

1. Rudy Vallee Sings Caribbean Sea. By Victor Young and Raymond McKee. 1930.

2. Gossip. Words by Frances Frost. Music by Victor Young. 1945.

3. Flowers and You: Song with Piano Accompaniment.  By Victor Young.  1920.  2 copies.

4. Persia.  By Dan wheeler, Art Walsh, Vic Young.  1921.

5. Uncle Don's Songbook.  Words and Music by Uncle Don, Mabel Livingstone and Victor Young.  1934.  

6. I Met You.  Words and Music by Victor Young.  1920.

7. When Love Comes Calling. Sara Teasdale and Albert Victor Young.  1914.  2 copies. 

8. The Teakettle Song.  Words by Mabel Livingstone.  Music by Victor Young.  1944.

• Folder 14: Sheet Music

1. Mike's Took Bad Song.  Words by Merrick  Fifield McCarthy.  Music by Victor Young.  1945.

2. Break-Break-Break.  Words by Tennyson.  Music by Albert Victor Young.  1911.

3. Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel.  Worlds and Music by Victor Young.  1940. 2 copies.

4. Rid'n Song.   Words by Charles Badger Clark, Jr.  Music by Victor Young.  1937.  4 copies.

5. The Cuckoo Clock.  Song by Thomas Griselle and Victor Young.  1932.

6. A Dream Voyage.  Lyric and Music by Victor Young. 1920.

7. A Happy Week. Juvenile Operetta in One Act.  Words by John Martin.  Music by Victor Young.

• Folder 15.   Choral Music:

1. When Mother Wields the Shingle (Tennessee Mountain Song).  Collected from the Natives by William R. Barbour.  Musical Setting by Victor Young.  Arranged for Male Chorus.  1925.

2. A Fragment by Victor Young for Three Part Women's Voices and Piano.  1946. 3 copies. 

3. Red Rosey Bush.  Folk-song from the Appalchian Mountains. Chorus for Men's Voices with Piano Accompaniment.  Victor Young.  Arranged by Stuart Ross. 1940.  4 copies. 

4. The Sleepy House.  Mabel Livingstone and Victor Young.  For Four-Part Chorus of Mixed Voices with Piano Accompaniment.  Arranged by Jeffrey Marlowe.  1939.  2 copies.

5. Red Rosey Bush.  Folk-song from the Appalchian Mountains. For Chorus of Mixed Voices with Piano.  Victor Young.  Arranged by Bill Simon. 1940.

6. Rid'n.  Part Song for Male Voices. Words by Charles Badger Clark, Jr.  Music by Victor Young. Arranged by  Arvid Samuelson. [Miniature edition.]  1937.

7. Group Voice: A Systematic Course in Singing for Use in Group Instruction.  By Bernard U. Taylor.  Musical Examples by Victor Young.

• Folder 16: Sheet Music

1. Edison March. Composed for the Edison Centennial by Victor Young. 1947. 2 copies.

• Folder 17: Other published materials.

1. Reproducing piano pamphlet: The Complete Supremacy of the Ampico in the Number and Distinction of the Pianists & Composers Whose Playing It Offers.  [no date]

2. Du musst ein bisschen frohlich sein (Help Yourself to Happiness). Lied und Foxtrot. English Lyric by Victor Young. German Lyric by Gunther Bibo. Music by Thomas Griselle and Victor Young. 1940.

3. Sheet music of song Bon Jour, Ma Belle!  Lyric by Guy Eden.  Set to Music by A.H. Behrend.  1916.

4. Sheet music of song Little Flower of Love [Flor de mis amores]. Lyric by Tom Alvic.  Music by Charles Maduro.

• Folder 17A: Published score of Hungarian Farewell for String Orchestra by Menotti Salta and Nocturne and Danse for Orchestra Opus 8 by John Hausserman

• Folder 17B: Published score of American Symphonic Suite from W.C. Handy's St. Louis Blues transcribed by James P. Johnson

• Folder 17C: Published score of Rudy Vallee Sings Caribbean Sea: Waltz  Music by Victor Young and Raymond McKee.  Orchestration by Andre Koste.  Published score of Help Yourself to Happiness: Waltz.  Lyrics by Victor Young.   Music by Thomas Griselle and Victor Young.  Orchestration by Albert Ellwood.

 Box 3 (not cleaned)

• Folder 18:  Manuscript of Fundamentals of Musical Interpretation for Piano, and several loose pages of notes.

• Folder 19:  Charm Assembly Line ballet.  Viola.  5 copies.

• Folder 20:  Charm Assembly Line [ballet].  Second violin.  7 copies.

• Folder 21:  Charm Assembly Line.  First violin.  8 copies.

• Folder 22:  Charm Assembly Line.  Bass.  4 copies.

• Folder 23:  Charm Assembly Line.  Cello.  5 copies.

• Folder 24:  Charm Assembly Line.  Percussion.  2 copies.

• Folder 25:  Charm Assembly Line.  First trumpet.  4 copies.

• Folder 26:  Charm Assembly Line.  Bassoon.  1 copy.  First horn.  1 copy.  Second horn.  1 copy.

• Folder 27:  Charm Assembly Line.  Flute.  1 copy.  Oboe.  1 copy.  First clarinet.  1 copy.

• Folder 28:  Charm Assembly Line.  Narrative and stage directions.

• Folder 29: Typescript of words and music for All on a Summer's Day: an Operetta for Boys and Girls.  Words by D.E. Wheeler.  Music by Victor Young.

• Folder 30: MSS in pencil and sheet music of song Gossip. 

• Folder 31:  MSS in ink of songs The Cheery Chilly Polar Bear and The Seashell.  Words by Florence H. Aitken.  Music by Victor Young.

• Folder 32: MSS in pencil and sheet music of The Teakettle's Song.

• Folder 33: 2 MSS, in pencil and ink, and sheet music of song Don't Talk to Me of Spring.

• Folder 34: Pencil and ink MSS of songs In the Spring, When Bluebirds Sing, Step Lightly, A What-You-May-Call, Gossip, High on a Hilltop, Tale of a Privateer, Cat Tails, and unidentified pages.

• Folder 35: Pencil MSS of songs written or co-written by Young: Wash Day in the Sky, The Rose, Zoology, Investigation, Play in Summertime, The Giraffe that Wanted to Laugh, Friends are Very Dear  (fragment) and The Little Tin Rat (words and music by Helen Davis).

Box 4 (cleaned)

• Folder 36: MSS in ink of songs Moon Drenched Nights by  Zoel Parentou and Victor Young;  Lonesome as an Owl by  Victor Young;  Every Rose Has a Thorn, words and music by Victor Young.

• Folder 36A: MSS in ink and pencil of songs:

  1. Some Other Night. Words by Eileen Herbert Jordan. Music by Zoel Parentou and Victor Young.

  2. Things I Don't Like on Saturday. Words D.E. Wheeler. Music Victor Young.

  3. Clothespins. Words D.E. Wheeler. Music Victor Young.

  4. The Glow-worms Light. Words Thomas Grant Springer. Music Victor Young.

  5. If Only I Could. Words D.E. Wheeler. Music Victor Young.

  6. Take A Little Sunshine. Words Victor Young. Music Victor Young.

  7. Wash Day in the Sky. Words Thomas Grant Springer. Music Victor Young

  8. Punch and Judy. Words D.E. Wheeler. Music Victor Young.

  9. song fragments. 

• Folder 36B:  MSS in ink and pencil of songs:
  

  1. Your Lips

  2. Wonderful Words of Life

  3. Old Log Cabin o' Mine
     

• Folder 37: Diazo process copies of In the Great Smokies, for various instruments

• Folder 38: Ink and pencil MSS for American Bagatelles for Piano.  Based on native melodies by Victor Young.

• Folder 39: Typescript for book of Thank Your Lucky Stars: A Musical.  Lyrics by Paul Gerard Smith.  Music by Zoel Parenteau and Victor Young.  Book by Victor Young.

• Folder 40: Pencil and typewritten MSS of Color Song Cycle.  Words by Thomas Grant Springer.  Music by Victor Young and Thos. Griselle

• Folder 41: Jeep.  Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Piano Conductor, 1st and 2nd violins.

• Folder 42:  Jeep.  Viola, Cello, Bass. 

• Folder 43:  Jeep.   Piccolo, Flute, Oboes, Clarinets, Basson, Horns, Percussion.

• Folder 44:  Jeep. 1st and 2nd violins.

• Folder 45:  Jeep. Viola, Cello, Bass.

• Folder 46:  Jeep.  Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Horns, Percussion.

• Folder 47:  Jeep.  Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra.  Violins.

• Folder 48:  Jeep.  Viola, Cello, Bass.

• Folder 49:  Jeep.  Piccolo, Oboes, Clarinets, Horns.

Box 5  (cleaned)

• Folder 50:  Jeep.  Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra.  Piano Conductor. Violins, Viola, Piccolo, Oboe, Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horns, Percussion.

• Folder 51:  Jeep.  Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra.  Piano Conductor. Various instruments as above.

• Folder 52:  Jeep.  Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Various instruments as above.  

• Folder 53:  Jeep. Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Various instruments as above.  

• Folder 54:   Jeep. Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Various instruments as above. 

• Folder 55.  Jeep. Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Various instruments as above.  

• Folder 56:  Jeep. Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Various instruments as above.   

• Folder 57:  Jeep. Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Various instruments as above. 

• Folder 58:  Jeep.  Full Orchestra Cued for Concert Orchestra. Various instruments as above.  

Box 6 (uncleaned)

• Folder 59: Scherzetto.  MSS in ink.

• Folder 60: Scherzetto.  Full Score.  Set 1.  Diazo process copies.

• Folder 61: Scherzeto.   Full Score.  [Marked: Set 3]  Diazo process copies.

• Folder 62: Scherzetto.  Extra Parts.  Diazo process copies.