Beard, Maud Nosler

Dates

• Existence: 1912 - 2002

Biography

Maud Nosler Beard, a long-time Barrington resident, passed away on May 20 in Good Shepherd Hospital. She would have celebrated her 90th birthday on June 30. Mrs. Beard and her husband, Henry, both had careers in music. She was a professional soprano soloist and he a performer and designer of pipe organs. Their Barrington Hills home was built to optimize the acoustics of Maudie's voice, two grand pianos and their 16 rank pipe organ. The home was designed by Edward Dart, the architect of Water Tower Place and Northwestern University's Pick Staiger Concert Hall. Mrs. Beard came from San Benito, Texas to Chicago in the 1940s to attend Northwestern University where she received a master's degree in voice in 1944. She sang on a weekly program on radio station WGN, was the soprano soloist at the Sunday Evening Club (Orchestra Hall) and the soloist at the Buena Memorial Presbyterian Church and Kenwood Presbyterian Church. She specialized in oratorio repertoire and appeared as a soloist with the Apollo and Swedish Choral Societies. She also appeared as a soloist with the Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee Symphonies and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The Beards settled in Barrington in the 1950s. After she married Mr. Beard, they performed together frequently, he as her accompanist at the piano or organ. She often advised her students of what a good idea it was to marry your accompanist. For the past thirty years, Mrs. Beard taught students privately in their home which was also the setting of frequent recitals and master classes. Although she chose not to perform publicly once she began teaching, she continued to perform at home well into her 70s. Those who were fortunate to have performed or heard music performed in the Beard home will long treasure the memory. They had no children. Mrs. Beard is the sister of Betty Murray (Mrs. Menton). A memorial service and reception was held at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington, 6 South Brinker Rd., Barrington Hills, on Sunday, June 30, 2002 at 3 p.m.

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