Nicholas England, composer, ethnomusicologist
Hyfler/Rosner
BYLINE: From an LA Times Staff Writer
Nicholas M. England, a composer, performer and ethnomusicologist who served
as an interim president of California Institute of the Arts during the
1980s, died Tuesday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center after a brief
illness. He was 79.
England, who was dean of CalArts' School of Music and founding director of
the institute's World Music Program, was an internationally recognized
authority on the music of Africa.
He was the author of books on the music of Namibia, Botswana and Angola as
well as articles for the journal Ethnomusicology, Grove's Dictionary of
Music, and American Anthropologist. With filmmaker John Marshall, he made
noted movies in the genre of musical ethnology, including "N/um Tschai"
(1966) and "Bitter Melons" (1971). Most recently, England composed the score
for Marshall's documentary "A Kalahari Family" (2002).
"Nick's thoroughly international approach to music has played an essential
role in shaping not only the School of Music but the entire CalArts artistic
and educational approach," said CalArts President Steven D. Lavine. "Equally
important, he was a steadying influence through all the ups and downs of
CalArts' early years and a beloved colleague."
England was born in Greenville, Texas, in 1923. He served in the Pacific
theater as a signalman in the Army Signal Corps during World War II. After
returning home, he earned degrees from Baylor University, Yale University
and Harvard University, where he received his PhD in ethnomusicology in
1968. He was a composition student of Walter Piston, Paul Hindemith and
Randall Thompson.
Before his appointment as associate dean of music at CalArts in 1970,
England was an associate professor of music at Columbia University. He was
dean of CalArts' School of Music from 1972 to 1983 and was the institute's
acting president from 1987 to 1988. In 1999, he was the first appointee of
the Nicholas England Chair in the School of Music.
England made his first research trip to Africa in 1961, doing field work
with the sixth Peabody-Harvard Kalahari expedition. He returned to Africa
throughout his life, doing field work in Senegal, Angola, Nigeria, Ghana and
Togo, and developed a specialized knowledge of the music of the Khoisan
peoples, and of Ewe music and the musicians of Ghana.
He served as a consultant in folk music to the Juilliard Repertory Project
and lectured frequently at colleges and institutions throughout the United
States.
England is survived by his wife, Margaret; children Alison and Timothy; and
four grandchildren. Services will be held at 2 p.m. today at St. Mary of the
Angels Church, 4510 Finley Ave., Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, the family
has requested that donations be made to the Nicholas M. England Scholarship
Fund, California Institute of the Arts, 24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia, CA
91355.
GRAPHIC: PHOTO: NICHOLAS M. ENGLAND: He made many trips to Africa to
research the continent's varied music styles.