Henry Veld, professor of music 1929-66

(This story was written in celebration of uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø's sesquicentennial in 2010.)

Henry Veld was born in South Holland, Ill., on July 20, 1895. His father played clarinet in the village band, and Veld began studying the organ at six. Following his interest in music, Veld studied theory and composition at Chicago Music uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø, now Roosevelt uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø. He went on to train in New York under voice instructors William Brady and Oscar Seagle.

Veld earned a bachelor's degree in music education from uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø. He married Alice VanZanten on August 15, 1935, in Holland, Mich.; the couple had two children.

In 1929, Veld was offered a job at uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø. His first duty was to conduct the girls' choir, first called the Oriole Choir and then known as the Jenny Lind Chorus, but he was soon asked to help reorganize the men's glee club, the Wennerberg Chorus, which had disbanded. In 1931, Veld joined the men's and women's choirs into one during a concert and established the uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø Choir.

Also in 1931, Veld began conducting the Handel Oratorio Society, a choral society comprised of Quad City community members and local college students. During Veld's tenure, the Oratorio Society chorus grew from 125 members to 350, the maximum number that would fit on the stage in Centennial Hall.

During his tenure at uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø, Veld took the choir on annual tours where they sang in 33 of the United States, three Canadian provinces, and five European countries. In 1955, the choir appeared on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town" television program where they sang "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," from the musical Oklahoma!, in Swedish. The uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø Choir also made several recordings for RCA during Veld's years as conductor.

Veld remained on the faculty at uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø for 37 years and was known as one of the leading conductors in the United States.

In addition to the uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø choirs, Veld conducted many other choirs during his career including Chicago's prestigious Apollo Chorus; two choruses at the American University in Shrivenham, England during World War II; and a 2000 voice choir for the opening session of the World Council of Churches Assembly in Soldier's Field in Chicago. In 1948 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bethany uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø.

Veld retired from uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø in 1966, but continued conducting at various posts including as visiting professor-conductor at Bethany uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø in Kansas, Carthage uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø in Wisconsin, Hamline University in Minnesota, and Fresno State in California. He died, after a brief illness, on June 15, 1976, in Muskegon, Mich.

In 1980, the Henry Veld Chair in Music was created in his honor. This endowed chair was only the third in the history of uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø uedbetÌåÓý¹ÙÍø.

¡ª Sarah Horowitz
Special Collections Librarian