Louise E. Stairs

Louise E. Simpson Stairs (March 24, 1892 - November 1975) was an American composer, organist, and pianist, who sometimes published under the pseudonym Sidney Forrest. She composed several cantatas, as well as piano and vocal works for children.

Stairs was born in Troupsburg, New York, to Alice Clare Stephens and Colonel Ellsworth Simpson. She married Alpheus Wade Stairs on September 3, 1912, and they had a daughter (Ruth). Little is known about Stairs’ education. Her music was published by Carl Fischer Music, Hall-Mack Co., Oliver Ditson, and Theodore Presser Co. Her compositions include:

Cantatas

• Choral Cantata
• Infant Holy: Christmas Cantata
• Light O’er Bethlehem: Christmas Cantata

Organ

• Advent Prayer
• Arietta
• Bright and Morning Star
• He Shall Be Their Shepherd
• Manger’s Gift
• Master Call
• Sabbath Morning
• White Lillies

Piano

• Clocks in the Hall (with E. B. Marks)
• Floating Clouds
• Peach Blooms
• Soldiers at Play
• Sunday Morning
• To Whit, To Whoo
• Uncle Ben

Vocal

• “His Loving Call”
• “Hush-a-bye Dolly”
• “Finding Fairies”
• “Lazy Frog”
• “Lift Up Your Heads”
• “Lord, Speak to Me” (text by Frances Ridley Havergal)
• “Nest of Baby Bunnies”
• “Robin Redbreast’s Song”
• “Robin’s Song”
• “Sailboats”
• “So Longeth My Soul for Thee”
• “There is an Eye that Never Sleeps”
• “When the Robin Sings”
• “Woodland Concert”

• Hear works for organ by Louise E. Stairs

References