Crys Armbrust

Crys Armbrust, Canterbury

Crys Armbrust, Choristers of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross (Tryon, North Carolina, USA) at St. George's Chapel, Windsor

Caroline Rollins (Tryon, NC) receives America's 1st RSCM Bronze Medal Award, 2005

Armbrust accepts the State of North Carolina's 2012 Economic Restructuring Award

Accepting Tryon NC's 2013 NC STMS Promotions Award

Accepting, with colleagues, Tryon, NC's 2014 STMS Economic Restructuring Award

Life

Born: 12 April 1957

Biography

Crys Armbrust holds a Ph.D. in 17th- and 19th-century British literatures from the University of South Carolina, where he also taught and served as the founding Assistant Principal of USC’s arts- and humanities-based residential program, Preston College, in addition to teaching in USC's #1 ranked International MBA program at the Darla Moore School of Business.

His literary research focuses on Spenser, Shakespeare, the 17th-century Metaphysical poets, 19th-century poetry, the book trade, and women devotional poets. Published work appears in “The Huntington Library Quarterly,” “Renaissance Papers,” “The George Herbert Quarterly,” “English Language Notes,” and the “The Dictionary of Literary Biography.”

Armbrust has strong collateral interests, too, in music composition, organ performance, choral conducting and art history. He has served as Music Director for numerous Carolina churches, directing choral performances and residencies at the Washington National Cathedral, St. Albans Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral and St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, with additional ensemble choral performances at Notre Dame in Paris, Karlskirche in Vienna, the Salzburger Dom and Carnegie Hall. He holds the further distinction, too, of having produced the 1st Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) bronze medal winner in America, Ms. Caroline Rollins, who went on to receive the RSCM's silver and gold medal awards as well.

His published work in art history focuses on the civic iconography of German humanist Albrecht Durer. Further, he is currently researching the use of Masonic iconography by 18th-century English caricaturist William Hogarth.

Armbrust serves as the Founder and Executive Director of the Eunice Waymon-Nina Simone Memorial Project (www.ninasimoneproject.org). He served as Economic Development Director for the Town of Tryon, North Carolina (www.exploretryon.com) from October 2008 to June 2015. His most recent Tryon, NC economic development projects culminated with the State of North Carolina's singular 2012 Small Town Main Street Award of Merit for Economic Restructuring, 2013 Small Town Main Street Award of Merit for Promotions and 2014 Small Town Main Street Award of Merit for Economic Restructuring.

In July of 2015, Armbrust declared as a candidate for Town Council Commissioner in the Town of Tryon, NC municipal elections. He assumed office on December 15, 2015 for a four-year term. On December 12, 2016, Armbrust assumed the chair as Mayor Pro Tempore of the Town of Tryon, North Carolina.

See also: Crys Armbrust's editor page.

List of choral works

• All that I ask (Beauty and the Beast, V. Giannini)
• Alleluia
• Amid the silence (from Three Choral Nativity Carols)
• The angel's carol
• Ave Maria
• Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
• Behold that splendour (from Three Choral Nativity Carols)
• Beulahland
• Black is the color (from Five for Nina Simone)
• Bless, O Lord, us thy servants
• Brightest and best
• The Chambered Nautilus (Build thee more stately mansions)
• Come, ye blessed of my Father
• Corpus Christi Antiphon (Animarum cibus)
• De Poeta (Of the Creator)
• Drop, drop, slow tears
• Easter Wings
• Ego sum ostium
• Evening Service in G Major
• Extreme Unction
• Fairest Lord
• Give peace, O Lord
• God be in my head
• God of the prophets (Toulon)
• I am all
• In Principio erat Verbum (In the beginning was the Word)
• Keep watch, dear Lord
• Lilac wine (Nina Simone)
• The Lord's Prayer
• Lord, make me an instrument (Prayer of St. Francis)
• May angels lead you (In Paradisum)
• A minor bird
• Missa in Duobus Vocibus
• Most glorious Lord of life
• Nativity
• Once to every man and nation
• The Parting Glass (Come, Gracious Spirit)
• Pass me not, O gentle Saviour
• Precious Lord
• Psalm 67
• Rise up, my love
• Sanctum est verum lumen (Holy is the true light)
• Saviour, like a shepherd
• Self-Lament (Ibycus)
• Sleep, Sweet Babe! (Dormi, Jesu!)
• Stranger, where is your home?
• Tantum ergo
• The Gift of gifts
• Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels
• Three Biblical Songs
• Three Choral Nativity Carols (Full Score)
• Tribus miraculis
• Twas in the moon of wintertime (Huron Carol)
• Were you there?
• When all falls silent

Arrangements by Crys Armbrust

• Abide with me (William Henry Monk)

 
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Publications

• “Anna Letitia Waring.” Dictionary of Literary Biography 240: Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century British Women Poets. Ed. William B. Thesing. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 305-307.
• “Sarah Fuller Flowers.” Dictionary of Literary Biography 240: Victorian Women Poets. Ed. William B. Thesing. Detroit: Gale, 1999. 3-7.
• “Tennyson’s Political Readers: W.J. Linton’s The National and the Chartist Literary Canon.” Victorian Periodicals Review 26.4 (1993): 199-202.
• “Tennyson, Grosart, and Spenser: A Victorian Connection.” English Language Notes 29.3 (1992): 47-49.
• “David Nutt.” Dictionary of Literary Biography 106: British Literary Publishing Houses, 1820-1880. Ed. Patricia Anderson. Detroit: Gale, 1991. 228-29.
• “Robert Herrick and Nineteenth-Century Periodical Publication: The Gentleman’s Magazine and The National: A Library for the People.” George Herbert Journal 14.1&2 (Fall 1990-Spring 1991); 113-127.
• “Humanist Re-Presentations of ‘Glory’ and ‘Magnificence’ in Spenser’s Faerie Queene.” Renaissance Papers (1990): 27-44.
• “Nineteenth-Century Re-Presentations of George Herbert: Publishing History as Critical Embodiment.” Huntington Library Quarterly 53.2 (1990): 131-51.

Presentations (selected)

• “Popular Music as Cultural Embodiment.” North Carolina Museum of History. Raleigh, NC. 26 January 2008.
• “The Making of a Diva: Nina Simone and Music as Social Protest.” American Association of University Women. Tryon, NC. 22 October 2007.
• “Eunice Waymon & Nina Simone: ‘Caught in a World Few People Understand.’” Polk County Historical Association. Columbus, NC. 6 February 2007.
• “‘Holy Peter’s Feast’: A Re-reading of the Sexual, Religious, and Historical Allusions in Faustus.” [with Thomas Dabbs]. Third International Marlowe Conference. Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England. 1 July 1993.

Citations

• "Nina's Voice Is a Voice for the Ages, Speaking Boldly." http://www.ninasimone.com/2012/02/illuminating-private-and-beautiful/. February 2012.
• "My Town: Tryon." Our State. http://www.ourstate.com/my-town-tryon/.
• “Nina Simone Sculpture to be Erected in NC.” JazzTimes. http://jazztimes.com/articles/25730-nina-simone-sculpture-to-be-erected-in-n-c.
• “Simone in Bronze.” Jazzizz. http://www.jazziz.com/jazziz-weekly/2009/11/04/simone-in-stone/.
• “Nina Simone Memorialized in North Carolina Hometown.” Downbeat. August 2009: 15.
• “Nina Simone Sculpture Preview.” Jet. March 2-9: 22.
• “Nina Simone Put A Spell on Us.” Making Notes: Music of the Carolinas. Charlotte: Novello Festival Press, 2008. 71-73.
• “Nina Simone: Tryon Celebrates a Timeless Talent.” Mountain Traditions. Fall/Winter 2007: 66-80.
• “Carolina Chanteuse.” Our State. September 2007: 92-98.

Performances (selected)

• Voices for Hospices 2007. Benefit for WNCAP (Western North Carolina AIDS Project). Tryon Fine Arts Center. 6 October 2007.
• St. Albans Cathedral; St. Albans, England. Choir-in-Residence. 1-3 August 2006.
• Canterbury Cathedral; Canterbury, England. Formal concert. 4 August 2006.
• St. George’s Chapel, Windsor; Windsor, England. Choir-in-Residence. 7-8 August 2006.
• Carnegie Hall; New York, New York. Handel’s Messiah. 27 November 2005.
• Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC. Formal concert. 6 February 2005
• Voices for Hospices 2005. Benefit for Hospice of the Carolina Foothills. Holy Cross. Tryon, NC. 8 October 2005.

External links

• http://youtu.be/TDnetoA4XkY. Piazzolla's "Ave Maria". Crys Armbrust, organ with Joseph Pullara IV, trumpet.
• http://youtu.be/DixDAFo-eu8. "Nobody's Fault But Mine". Simone (daughter of Nina), vocals with Crys Armbrust, piano. Introduction by Pam Stone.
• http://youtu.be/bpK00_vy2EI. "Fanfare for Nina" by Crys Armbrust.
• http://youtu.be/TY3Csg30MsE. "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" from SOLOMON by GF Handel. The Chancel Players, conducted by Crys Armbrust.
• http://youtu.be/aNUlENWMjZc. "Everything Must Change". Nina Simone. Pictorial essay with especial reference to Tryon, NC, birthplace of Simone.
• http://youtu.be/MfZ730864iU. "Toccata in b minor". Eugene Gigout. Crys Armbrust, organ.
• http://youtu.be/WRzYq2D0ffY. Marcus Aurelius's "On the Nature of Change", set to JC Bach's 'Adagio' from the Concerto in C minor.
• http://youtu.be/NafkNatvwU0. St. Luke's Plaza. "Flourish for an Occasion" by WH Harris. Crys Armbrust, organ. Still photography retrospective of Tryon, NC public plaza development project.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKr_yHUXDTU. Excerpt from "Tu est Petra" by Henri Mulet. Crys Armbrust, organ.