Newell Jenkins, a conductor and musicologist whose discoveries helped expand contemporary perceptions of the Baroque, Classical and early Romantic repertories and whose enterprising Clarion Concerts introduced listeners to hundreds of fascinating rarities, died on Saturday at his home in Hillsdale, N.Y. He was 81. Starting in the 1950’s, Mr. Jenkins visited Europe regularly to pore over manuscripts and early printed editions in palace and monastery archives. Returning with reels of microfilm, which he developed himself, Mr. Jenkins prepared his own performing editions — conductor’s scores and individual parts for the players — and conducted his discoveries at his Clarion Concerts, a series he started in 1958.
Newell was a beloved friend, as well as an enduring director of the erstwhile Abode Choir…how we made him suffer! He had a sly sense of humor, a great love of music , as well as food. One lunch he made and served me spaghetti carbonera…full of butter, bacon and other forms of cholesterol! And we loved it! I miss him, and his loving companion Jack Hurley who has also passed.
In my family of origin, the arts were sadly devalued. Fortunately, Newell came along as the eloquent spokesperson for the Arts and replaced those erroneous tapes that were playing in my head. He used to say, with so much courage and conviction, that a “Life without the Arts is not worth living!!!”
And to this, I say, Amen!
Thank you, Newell.
Elizabeth “Elsa” Weber
Newell ended every rehearsal with the prayer Khatum, and then he said:
“Let us always remember that the arts are the only tangible proof we have that humanity was not made for destruction.”