Many church-goers will recognize the name William Bradbury, a nineteenth-century American composer of popular hymns still sung at Sunday services. Bradbury's name may also bring to mind
Esther, the Beautiful Queen, his choral setting of a text based on the biblical Book of Esther. Written for amateur singers, the uncomplicated score became enormously popular almost immediately after its initial publication in 1856. In
From Biblical Book to Musical Megahit: William B. Bradbury's "Esther, the Beautiful Queen,
" Juanita Karpf traces the work's rich performance and reception history.
Bradbury emphatically stated that he intended
Esther to be sung as an unadorned religious and educational piece. Yet many music directors exploited the potential for his score, producing elaborately staged events with costumes, scenery, and acting. Although directors retained Bradbury's original music, they nonetheless facilitated
Esther's rapid entr
Cart Contents 
