Finding Aid of the Jay Watt Music Manuscripts and Other Material, PC.7053
Abstract
Jay Gilbert Watt (1929-2005) was born in Philadelphia. By the time Jay enlisted in
the Army in 1946, he had attended 14 schools. The first half of his 18-months of service
Jay assigned to the Coast Auxiliary Corps. He later played trombone in an Army band.
Jay enrolled at Yale School of Drama under the G.I. Bill. Where he met former Black
Mountain College student and member of the admissions committee, John Stix. Stix recognized
Watt's potential and recommended that he take classes at Black Mountain. He enrolled
in the fall of 1948 and during his 3-year stay he took several music classes including
harmony, style and structure in music, chorus, piano, composition, and rhythm in addition
to a half-dozen non-related courses.
This collection contains music manuscripts composed by Jay Watt, biographical information,
Joseph Fiore Exhibit catalogs, ephemera, concert programs, greeting cards, and record
albums.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Jay Watt Music Manuscripts and Other Material
- Call Number
- PC.7053
- Creator
- Watt. Jay
- Date
- 1954 - 2005
- Extent
- 0.300 cubic feet
- Repository
- Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina
Restrictions on Access & Use
Access Restrictions
Available for research
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
Available for research
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.7053, Jay Watt Music Manuscripts and Other Material, State Archives of North Carolina, Western Regional Archives, Asheville, NC, USA.
Collection Overview
SERIES - BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Folder 1- Biography
Resume
Repertoire list
ACA Information
BMI Cues
Folder 2- Death
Obituary
Death Certificate
Folder 3- Diane Judge
Funeral Program
Folder 4- Photographs
Snapshots and candid photographs of Jay Watt and Diane Judge
Folder 5- Misc. Correspondence and Clippings
Folder 6- Programs
1954- Living Theatre Studio Concerts (Jay Watt)
1958- Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association Concert (Jay Watt, Viola Farber)
1961- Composers' Forum (Jay Watt)
May 1963- Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association Concert (Jay Watt, Lou
Harrison, Stan VanDerBeek, Nicola Cernovich)
June 1963- Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association Concert (Jay Watt, Lou
Harrison, Stan VanDerBeek, Nicola Cernovich)
SERIES - MUSICAL SCORES
Folder 7- Musical Scores 1949-1950 (Black Mountain College)
The Dying Turtle, 1949
Trio In One Movement, 1950
Folder 8- Musical Scores 1951 (Black Mountain College)
The Legend of St. Valentine's by Mary Fiore and Jay Watt
Little Book of Pretty Pieces
Six Pieces for Children
Folder 9- Musical Scores 1952 (Black Mountain College)
4 Short Pieces for Prepared Piano
Dance for Prepared Piano
Flabbergasted [written in 1952 at BMC, salvaged in Ocean City 2005]
For Piano, August 1952 [To Tim Lafarge]
Folder 10- Musical Scores 1953-1954 (New York)
Untitled Piece dated 1953
A 12th Century Barrell of Monkeys
Chorale and 3 Fancies
Music for Piano, written in 1954 and premiered at Composers' Forum, 1962
Prelude and Choral for Evening
Three Fancies
Folder 11- Musical Scores 1974, 1995
Round Dance, c1974
Fil De (Sons Of), August 7, 1974 in Port Washington
Mister Cole Porter's Fabulous Begin the Beguile, November 1995
Folder 12- Musical Scores 2000-2005 (New Jersey)
Ode to Route 9
Diane's September Farewell, 2000
September Farewell, 2000 [written for Diane's father at his death]
Christmas Greetings to Nancy and her Harbor Light, 2001
Early Music Suite 1954-2002, 2002
Interlude, March 20, 2002
Laura's Lament, December 17, 2003
Ways of the Castle of Knighthood, 2005
Folder 13- Musical Scores, No Date
Piano Concerto
Prep Piano
Solo Piano
Folder 14- Musical Scores, No Date
Concerto for Piano and Percussion
Folder 15- Musical Scores, No Date
Lullaby for Alex [possibly last composition, played at his funeral]
Percussion I
Prep Piano I
Timothy Wants a Tiger [Oboe]
Triptic Dance Piece (St. Frances and the Birds)
SERIES - MUSIC
Folder 16- LPs
2 unlabeled and unknown vinyl record recordings
Biographical/Historical
Jay Gilbert Watt (1929-2005) was born in Philadelphia to William H. and Charlotte
Mitchell Watt. His parents divorced and remarried when Jay was young. For a time,
he lived with his paternal grandparents and then later with his mother in Tuscan,
Arizona for a number of years. By the time Jay enlisted in the Army in 1946 in Philadelphia,
he had attended 14 schools. The first half of his 18-months of service Jay was assigned
to the Coast Auxiliary Corps. He later played trombone in an Army band.
Following his time in the service, Jay enrolled at Yale School of Drama under the
G.I. Bill. While there he met former Black Mountain College student and member of
the admissions committee, John Stix. Stix recognized Watt's potential and recommended
that he take classes at Black Mountain. He enrolled in the fall of 1948 and during
his 3-year stay he took several music classes including harmony, style and structure
in music, chorus, piano, composition, and rhythm in addition to a half-dozen non-related
courses.
After attending Black Mountain College, Watts moved to New York where he worked as
a composer and calligrapher.
Contents of the Collection
Subject Headings
Acquisitions Information
Donated to Western Regional Archives in July 2022