Songwriter, Composer. He spent a life in music, beginning as a boy cantor in his native Ukraine. He came to the United States in 1907 and in 1914 began studying at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School) in New York City, New York, where he received extensive classical training. His output was prodigious, and included liturgical music, oratorios, music for string quartets, as well as scores and songs for the Yiddish theatre, with which he is strongly identified. Among the latter was a song he and lyricist Jacob Jacobs wrote in 1932 for a musical called "M'Ken Lebn Nor M'lazt Nit" (I would if I Could). The song, "Bei Mir Bist Du Sheyn", (To Me You Are Beautiful) was given English lyrics and later in the decade became a huge hit for the Andrews Sisters as well as being recorded by countless performers the world over. Unfortunately, Secunda and Jacobs had sold their rights to the song for $30 shortly before the release of the Andrews' version, depriving them of large sums of money during the song's commercial peak. For his part, Secunda remained without bitterness, and in addition to his writing, conducting, and arranging, he worked in Yiddish radio, was the music critic for the "Jewish Daily Forward", and served for many years as the musical director of the Concord Hotel, which in its day was one of the major hotels of New York's Catskill region, also known as the Borscht belt. In 1961, when "Bei Mir"'s initial copyright expired, Secunda and Jacobs were able to claim second renewal rights and thus their names were appended to the copyright, allowing them once and for all to benefit from the success of their composition.
Songwriter, Composer. He spent a life in music, beginning as a boy cantor in his native Ukraine. He came to the United States in 1907 and in 1914 began studying at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School) in New York City, New York, where he received extensive classical training. His output was prodigious, and included liturgical music, oratorios, music for string quartets, as well as scores and songs for the Yiddish theatre, with which he is strongly identified. Among the latter was a song he and lyricist Jacob Jacobs wrote in 1932 for a musical called "M'Ken Lebn Nor M'lazt Nit" (I would if I Could). The song, "Bei Mir Bist Du Sheyn", (To Me You Are Beautiful) was given English lyrics and later in the decade became a huge hit for the Andrews Sisters as well as being recorded by countless performers the world over. Unfortunately, Secunda and Jacobs had sold their rights to the song for $30 shortly before the release of the Andrews' version, depriving them of large sums of money during the song's commercial peak. For his part, Secunda remained without bitterness, and in addition to his writing, conducting, and arranging, he worked in Yiddish radio, was the music critic for the "Jewish Daily Forward", and served for many years as the musical director of the Concord Hotel, which in its day was one of the major hotels of New York's Catskill region, also known as the Borscht belt. In 1961, when "Bei Mir"'s initial copyright expired, Secunda and Jacobs were able to claim second renewal rights and thus their names were appended to the copyright, allowing them once and for all to benefit from the success of their composition.
Bio by: ronzoni
Inscription
SECUNDA
BETTY SHOLOM
MAY 27, 1902 AUG. 23, 1894
JULY 30, 1984 JUNE 13, 1974
THE SWEET SINGER OF ISRAEL
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