Miriam Barndt-Webb

MIRIAM BARNDT-WEBB OF BRUNSWICK, ME Miriam Barndt-Webb died April 17, 2013 in Brunswick, ME. She was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, on May 25, 1937, the daughter of Charles Leonard and Miriam Wagoner Barndt. Miriam always held great respect for the honesty and work ethic of the people of Bucks and Chester counties where she grew up. She had a close relationship with her maternal grandmother, Lilly Brower Wagoner, whom she admired greatly, not the least for their frequent trips together to Philadelphia to enjoy pastries at Wanamaker's Crystal Tea Room. Miriam also fondly remembered Alice Dickenson who passed on the love and appreciation of music that became so much a part of Miriam's life. Miriam did her undergraduate work at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire and the University of Michigan where she received a Bachelor of Music and Science Degree. She went on to earn a Master's Degree in Art History and Musicology at Boston University and a PhD in Musicology and Art from the University Of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She also attended the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria. Miriam guest-conducted the New England Women's Symphony in Boston at Jordan Hall, as well as the Philadelphia Orchestra. She appeared at the Illinois Contemporary Music Festival and sang with the Avant-garde Vocal Group in Canada and the U.S., making recordings on Nonesuch and CRI. Miriam enjoyed opera, frequently attending performances in Western and Eastern Europe, and was an ardent fan of the Santa Fe Opera that she visited annually. After six years on the music faculty of Bowdoin College, Miriam made her home permanently in Brunswick, Maine, where she was a respected teacher of piano, voice and violin. She also played viola with the Mid-Coast Chamber Orchestra and English Country Dance Orchestra. Food was another great passion for Miriam, and she loved to entertain, preparing many old-country recipes like cassoulet and other ethnic favorites. She partnered with Greg Anderson to operate Traci Catering. Her home in Brunswick was always open to all. She loved her four-legged pets dearly and was an avid gardener and collector of Native American Pottery. Miriam became a friend of Bill W., and through that relationship found a sense of serenity and community. Miriam is survived by her sister, Barbara Miller of Leicester, New York, and her two brothers, Charles Barndt of Sunnyvale, California and Harry Steven Barndt of Naples, Florida. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, 39 Bonnie Brae Road, Spring City, PA, with Pastor Paul Townsend officiating. A memorial service will be planned in the fall of 2013 in Brunswick and will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction and care of Brackett Funeral Home, Brunswick.