Omer Westendorf

WESTENDORF, Omer Evers. b. Cincinnati, Ohio, 24 February1916; d. Cincinnati, 22 October 1997. Educated at the College of Music of Cincinnati (Certificate in Piano, 1947; BM, 1948, MM, 1950), Westendorf served for forty years as organist and choirmaster of St Bonaventure [Roman Catholic] Church in the South Fairmount neighborhood (1936-76). His tenure was interrupted by military service during the Second World War in Europe, where in the Netherlands he heard and obtained copies of a wide range of sacred and choral music. In the post-war years he performed this music at St Bonaventure, and began importing and selling scores. This led to his founding the World Library of Sacred Music in 1950,...