Marjory
Marjory Ann Black passed away on May 8, 2024, at age 92.
As French Hornist and teacher in the Twin Cities for six decades, Marjory shared her very bright light with 10s of dozens of students, colleagues, friends and especially family. Marjory is survived by her daughters Anne Chenette and Catherine Chenette, her life partner of 30 years Craig Randal Johnson, and grandchildren Dylan Spoering and Nakayla Spoering. Marjory’s brother George Black recently passed away in California at age 96.
Born on April 19, 1932 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Marjory grew up in Mechanicsburg PA. Marjory came from a stern Scottish background, building the strong backbone that carried her through life. Her father George Black was a horticulturist and insurance salesman, who drove young Marjory long distances on windy foggy Pennsylvania roads for French Horn lessons. Marjory’s mother Gladys Willson hailed from Rock Island, Illinois. Marjory spent a year living in Rock Island; she fondly remembered crossing the Mississippi River on the ferry, and having a good piano teacher.
From a very early age Marjory knew she wanted to be, and was, a French Horn player. She gave up the chance to have horse in order to practice her instrument. Marjory would take the bus to the Harrisburg PA library, in order to listen to recordings and study music.
Already in her mid-teens Marjory played Horn with local orchestras including the Reading PA Symphony, which was primarily comprised of Philadelphia Orchestra musicians. This experience led to her admission to the Curtis Institute of Music and Horn studies with Mason Jones, the famous first horn player of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1956 Marjory Black became the female Horn graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. Up to the present Marjory played on a Ed. Kruspe French Horn which she purchased from Mason Jones. The Kruspe is a vintage deep deep-sounding instrument from the earlier part of the 20th c.
After Curtis Marjory played in the Buffalo Philharmonic, followed by the Denver Symphony. Her oldest daughter Anne was born in Buffalo, and Catherine her second daughter was born in Denver. In 1960 her then husband Steve Chenette became first trumpet of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (later the MN Orch), and the family moved to Minneapolis. Marjory’s move in 1960 led to six decades of French Horn performance and teaching in Minnesota. Marjory was a frequent sub or additional hornist with the Minnesota Orchestra. She was a staff musician at the then new Guthrie Theater, was Principal Horn of the Minneapolis Civic Orchestra, and was a member of the Mill City Brass and Lake Harriet Pops. Marjory played dozens of concert and school performances with the Minnesota Woodwind Quintet in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. She appeared as recitalist and chamber music performer at Thursday Musical events, on MacPhail faculty concerts and at Hamline University.
Marjory Black was the Horn teacher par excellence. She taught manydozens of horn players through her lifetime. Marjory was on staff at the MacPhail School of Music for over 30 years, and was at Hamline an equally long time. She was the Horn instructor for the St. Paul Philharmonic Society music camp and related activities. Marjory also taught solfeggio and ear training classes at Hamline, MacPhail and privately. She gained this additional training at the Longy School of Music in Boston, and at the Manhattan School in New York. She completed a masters degree in performance from the University of Minnesota, studying with Robert Elworthy.
Important in Marjory’s performing schedule during the 1960s and 1970s was the New Hampshire Music Festival based in Center Harbor NH, led by conductor Tom Nee. A musician whose taste crossed over stylistic boundaries, Marjory relished the contemporary and 20th c. programming the festival featured. Marjory also took a hiatus from Minnesota and played first Horn with the Honolulu Symphony.
For a number of years Marjory rented rooms at her residence in Prospect Park in Minneapolis. What primarily started out as a necessary money making scheme brought a number of highly interesting and talented residents, at different times, into the house. This stimulating environment spun numerous interesting stories. Several of these housemates became longtime friends and collaborators.
Besides musicians, friends, roommates and students were the household dogs. Four black labs have inhabited the house, beginning with Harper who occasionally slipped away to go swim in the Mississippi River. Then came Roy, perhaps the most shy of the group. Angus as a new puppy came in the early 1990s, and Brodie came as a puppy around 2006, living until spring 2021. Dogs were most important family members, who traveled the country and took thousands of walks around the block. And of course there were several cats, including the current resident Bakugo. The house was always full of life, music and at times some level of chaos.
Marjory traveled frequently, especially in her later years. First came trips to China and Japan, and the stay in Hawaii as a member of the Honolulu Symphony. Marjory and daughter Anne took trips to Alaska (including the Arctic Circle), Senegal, and Russia.
She went on an extended tour of South Africa and Swaziland. With Craig Marjory explored Finland, Iceland, Germany twice, and the Puglia region of Italy. There were also trips to Alaska and the Canadian Gaspe,. Recently Marjory together with Catherine visited her brother George and friends in California. Life was interesting everywhere; Marjory was rarely if ever bored.
In more recent years Marjory, usually with Craig, spent much special time in the Michigan Upper Peninsula. Beginning in 1996 she played several seasons with the Superior Festival Orchestra, and from 2005-2016 was a regular member of the Marquette Symphony Orchestra. She played the complex contemporary opera ‘Rockland’ at the Pine Mountain Music Festival, with the Boreal Chamber Symphony and two large FinnFest concerts in Marquette. She premiered a new work as Horn soloist with the Marquette Choral Society. Marquette became a second music home for the last 20 plus years of Marjory’s playing career. She loved the trips and drives back and forth between Minneapolis and Marquette.
Marjory was a charter member of the Minnehaha Repertory Orchestra in Minneapolis, which Craig Randal Johnson co-founded. Reading sessions and performances began in 2013. Marjory continued to play Horn in the orchestra until November 2022. Marjory was earning money playing and teaching in her 90th year.
Marjory Black was a unique individual, who had the capacity to understand and bring out the musical sensibilities of her students. She had a huge appreciation of the classical music repertoire from the Baroque to the present, and relished playing many different styles. And Marjory was never boring, there was always something going on.
This writer, speaking now for myself, misses Marjory in the deepest way. She lives on through her many students and friends and family, whose lives are richer because of Marjory’s mentorship, support and love. And folks won’t forget - out of tune playing is simply not allowed, and somebody is keeping track of nicked notes! (Marjory also acknowledged that no concert goes by without a nicked note or more - - so nobody get too uptight!). Learn your transpositions, use lots of air, and remember, it is FIXED DO, not the movable stuff!!
Craig Randal Johnson