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SHAWNEE PRESS, INC. -
A HISTORY OF
EXCELLENCE
Today, Shawnee Press, Inc. is one of the
largest publishers of choral and instrumental music in the world. Since
1939, the company has led the way in providing music of the highest quality
to schools, churches, bands and orchestras. From a small shipping room in
New York City to a worldwide network of dealers, the company has grown with
one goal in mind-a commitment to excellence.
Shawnee Press has become famous throughout
the industry for both the quality and variety of choral music it produces
for schools and churches. In addition, the firm has also published many fine
works for instrumentalists.
The corporation also consists of HAROLD
FLAMMER MUSIC, publishers of mainstream or liturgical church music and
GLORYSOUND, which provides contemporary church music. CONCERT WORKS
UNLIMITED was created in 1987 to produce a full spectrum of high quality
instrumental music-concert band, orchestra and ensembles-provided by top
writers in the industry. WIDE WORLD MUSIC, SANDSOUNDS, and
GILPIN MUSIC PUBLISHING have been acquired to supplement the fine
publications in the SHAWNEE PRESS catalogs. STEVENSONG PUBLICATIONS
was acquired to supplement the publications in the HAROLD FLAMMER MUSIC
catalog. In 1999 Shawnee Press, Inc. acquired MARK FOSTER MUSIC COMPANY,
which is dedicated to serving choral conductors by providing them with
distinctive original repertoire, as well as auxiliary materials and services
to facilitate their conducting and teaching endeavors, to augment both the
educational and sacred divisions. Also acquired in 1999 was MARGUN MUSIC,
which is known for supporting many composers at the earliest stages of their
careers, including Ellen Zwilich, David Lang, Steve Mackey, Nicholas Thorne,
Olly Wilson and others, while also publishing the concerts works of Alec
Wilder and Nikos Skalkottas, as well as jazz, vernacular music, and early
music.
In addition, Music Sales Corporation, the
parent company of Shawnee Press, Inc., is the
exclusive distributor in North America of BOSWORTH PUBLICATIONS; CHESTER
MUSIC; EDITION WILHELM HANSEN; G & M BRAND PUBLICATIONS; GOLDEN APPLE
PRODUCTIONS; NOVELLO; and UNIÓN MUSICAL EDICIONES, S.L.
It all began in the late 1930s. Mr. Fred
Waring, renowned bandleader and choral master, and some of his friends
formed a music publishing company called WORDS AND MUSIC, INC. As he and his
famous singing group, "The Pennsylvanians" grew in stature and popularity,
school choral and church choir directors began requesting copies of his
unique arrangements.
In 1939, the first choral arrangement
became available - The Night Is Young. In 1947 Mr. Waring changed the name of
the company to Shawnee Press and moved the headquarters to Pennsylvania-an
obvious site and name since his home was located in Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA.
And so, Shawnee Press grew to become the publisher of a universal catalog of
sacred and secular music, ranging from delightful children's songs to
serious symphonic works.
Apart from its substantial listing of
instrumental, piano, organ and handbell scores, Shawnee Press has remained a
leader in the field of choral music. The HAROLD FLAMMER MUSIC catalog was
added in 1970 to establish the church music division, and in 1976 a second
sacred publishing division called GLORYSOUND was formed with a focus on
contemporary Christian music.
Fred Waring succumbed to a massive stroke
on July 29, 1984 but his philosophy and choral techniques continue today.
Mrs. Waring directed the company until October of 1989 at which time she
sold it to Music Sales Corporation, a London based firm with offices in New
York City and in various countries abroad.
Currently, Shawnee Press, Inc. operates as
an independent subsidiary of Music Sales Corporation and continues to
demonstrate a unique diversity of musical materials.
Divisions of Shawnee Press Wide World Music
Novello Bosworth Music
Publishers Unión Musical Ediciones,
S.L. Golden Apple
Productions Chester Music Edition Wilhelm Hansen G & M Brand
Publications Concert Works Unlimited GlorySound Harold Flammer Music SandSoundS Margun Music Mark Foster Music
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- 1939 Original Company Name - "Words and
Music, Inc." - New York City
- 1947 Renamed "Shawnee Press, Inc." -
Moved to East Stroudsburg, PA
- 1952 Shawnee Press, Inc. relocated to
Delaware Water Gap, PA to the Castle Inn Property
- 1955 Paull-Pioneer Catalog added
- 1967 Stock room addition built on the
ground floor
- 1970 Harold Flammer, Inc. catalog added
(sacred music)
- 1976 GlorySound (contemporary sacred
music) division started
- 1987 Concert Works Unlimited division
started
- 1989 Music Sales Corporation purchased
Shawnee Press, Inc.
- 1994 Wide World Music catalog acquired.
Became distributor in North America for Novello catalog. Became
distributor in North America for Golden Apple Productions catalog. Became
distributor in North America for G & M Brand catalog (formerly R. Smith &
Co. Limited)
- 1995 Became distributor in North America
for Chester Music and the Edition Wilhelm Hansen catalogs
- 1996 SandSoundS catalog acquired by
Shawnee Press, Inc.
- 1998 Became distributor in North America
for Bosworth Publications and the Unión Musical Ediciones, S.L. catalogs
- 1999 Became distributor for Rainwater
Music Company
- 1999 Gilpin Music Publishing, StevenSong
Publications, Mark Foster Music, and Margun Music catalogs acquired by
Shawnee Press, Inc.
- 2003 Shawnee Press, Inc. shipping &
warehouse and sales/customer service operations relocated to Chester, NY
to the Music Sales Corporation / G. Schirmer, Inc. Distribution Center
- 2004 Shawnee Press, Inc. administrative
offices relocated to Marshalls Creek, PA to the Jay Park Plaza location
- October 28, 2005 Shawnee Press, Inc. administrative
offices relocated to Nashville, TN
- March 2008 Shawnee Press, Inc. administrative
offices relocated to
1107 17th
Avenue South Nashville, TN
From 1952 until 2004,
Shawnee Press, Inc. was housed in a
building that was part of a complex known as Castle Inn. This U-shaped
structure of glazed tile and brick was originally designed as a military
school, but plans did not materialize and it was never used for that
purpose.
The building was constructed in 1905 by
Dimmick Drake, a native of Delaware Water Gap, PA. He went out to Kansas as
a young man, and after making his fortune in the Midwest, returned to his
hometown in the role of a philanthropist, putting in both electric lights
and a water system for the town.
Castle Inn's architect and chief workman
was Robert Brueckner, a young German whom Mr. Drake brought over to this
country. It soon became one of the most famous hotels in the Delaware Water
Gap area. The rich and famous came for vacations and weekend visits; among
them were members of the New York and Philadelphia society and celebrities
such as Fanny Brice, Enrico Caruso and John Philip Sousa. The resort was the
only in the area to have a bowling alley as one of its amenities. It was
located on the ground floor of our main building, and up until 2004, was primarily utilized as
the warehouse for Shawnee Press, Inc.
The Music Hall, with rooms on the second
and third floors, featured concerts and plays every night during the season,
as well as movies in later years. However, the Inn changed hands a number of
times and was finally closed entirely. The trees and weeds ran wild, and the
famous view of the Gap from atop the rock was obscured. Another building in
the complex is the Power House, originally used as the power plant for the
trolley line that operated between Delaware Water Gap and the Stroudsburgs.
The space is now used for music storage.
Fred Waring purchased the property in 1952
for use of his music publishing company that he had moved to East
Stroudsburg, PA from New York City some years earlier.
Mr. Waring also utilized the complex for
other purposes. His famous Music Workshop sessions were held in the Music
Hall during the summers of 1953-1973. From June through August, a staff of
30 to 1000 participants (students and choral directors) used the housing,
dining and rehearsal facilities each year.
Recording sessions were held in the Music
Hall by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians from 1953 to 1959 for Decca (MCA)
Records and Capitol Records. The Shawnee Choir (comprised of local singers)
used the Music Hall for rehearsal and recording sessions for Shawnee Press,
Inc. Also, choral reading sessions were held in the Music Hall from 1960 to
1983.
Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians used the
facilities each fall from 1953 through 1983 for rehearsal and preparation
for their annual nationwide concert tours.
The Music Hall was destroyed by fire on
March 28, 1985.
In 1987, the Delaware Water Gap Celebration
of the Arts Festival started to use the site. The event, held annually in
September, has attracted thousands of persons from all over the country.
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