HR1366 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1366 LRB097 23840 GRL 73083 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Edna Williams, who passed away on December 31, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a native of Chicago and attended Chicago public schools; while in elementary school, she began her vocal studies with the distinguished vocal teacher, Stella Sanger, at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and piano with Anna Maitland and Ida B. Davis; after graduating from Parker High School, she furthered her studies by enrolling for 2 years at the former Wilson Junior College (now Kennedy-King College), where she served as President of the Music Club, and one year at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, where she studied voice with professor LeRoy Hamp; and

WHEREAS, In 1954, Edna Williams enrolled at the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University, studying piano with Dr. Felix Ganz and voice with the eminent Dr. Harvey Rignel; she subsequently earned her bachelor's degree in music in 1957 and her master's degree in music in 1959; while attending Roosevelt, she was the recipient of the Sue Cowan Hintz Voice Award, the Oliver Ditson Voice Scholarship, and the coveted John Hay Whitney Fellowship, which afforded her 15 months of study in Vienna, Austria, with such fine teachers as Baron Hans Karg-Bebenburg and Professor Erik Werba; while in Austria, she was presented in 2 recitals and was critically acclaimed; upon her return to the United States in 1960, she toured Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio in recital and sang many times on Chicago radio and television; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, Edna Williams joined the faculty of Northern Illinois University, where she retired in 1994 as a Professor of Music; she also presented faculty recitals, appeared as a soloist with the choral ensembles and the NIU Philharmonic, and sang at many of the leading churches of all denominations in the community; and

WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a former professional member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus and appeared on several occasions as a soprano soloist with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra; for over 20 years, she was the soprano soloist in the annual presentation of Handel's "Messiah"; in 1977, she appeared a guest soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Stavanger, Norway, performing repertoire in Norwegian and English; in 1983, she was presented in concert in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc., where she served as a board member, chairperson of the Artists Directory, and national and regional scholarship chairperson; she also served as second vice-president and scholarship chairperson of the Chicago Music Association; and

WHEREAS, Edna Williams was a life-long member of Monumental Baptist Church and was appointed to serve as the church's Minister of Music in 1992; she also served on the Monumental Credit Union Scholarship Committee and served as the organization's treasurer and first president; and

WHEREAS, In 1989, Edna Williams was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the Chicago Baptist Institute in recognition of her achievements and contributions to the Christian ministry; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Edna Williams; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Edna Williams as an expression of our sympathy.