The Elinor Remick Warren Society was founded in 1996 to perpetuate the musical legacy of Elinor Remick Warren and the tonal romantic idiom in serious music, through the contribution of scholarship, performances and recordings of the vocal repertoire, both solo and choral, of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In March of 2000, the Society assisted with the Warren Centenary Celebration in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with its presentation to the Library of Congress of the Elinor Remick Warren Collection of manuscripts and memorabilia from the composer’s 75-year career.

Among events presented during the Centenary Celebration was the Cathedral Choral Society’s performance at Washington National Cathedral of Warren’s choral symphony, The Legend of King Arthur, conducted by J. Reilly Lewis, Music Director, and featuring baritone Thomas Hampson. A recital of songs and piano works by the composer was presented at Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress on Saturday, March 18, 2000, featuring Thomas Hampson, soprano Christine Goerke, mezzo- soprano Margaret Lattimore, tenor Stanford Olsen, and pianist Craig Rutenberg. Also on March 18 a symposium on the composer’s life and career was held at the Library of Congress.

As part of the Centenary Celebration, on Friday, March 17, the Society sponsored a Master Class in accompanying by pianist Craig Rutenberg at the University of Maryland.

Also as part of the Celebration, on April 14, 2000, at the Los Angeles Music Center, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, conducted by Music Director Paul Salamunovich, presented a performance of the Sanctus and Benedictus from Warren’s Requiem. The Chorale and Orchestra also featured Christmas Candle  by Warren at its holiday concert on December 19, 1999.

In January, 2000, Masters Music, Inc., published a Centenary Album of Warren’s songs as part of a continuing project to publish music by Warren not currently available, including out-of-print songs, unpublished songs, chamber music and piano works.

In 2001, the Elinor Remick Warren Society funded two important projects in collaboration with The Library of Congress.

On January 22, at Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress, the Society sponsored a master class with students from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, given by Thomas Hampson. The entire three-hour session was filmed by two crews, directed by Jackson Frost, Senior Producer at WETA, Washington. It is planned that the completed video will be made available to educational institutions and will be cybercast by the Library of Congress.

On March 16, at the Library’s Coolidge Auditorium, the distinguished American soprano Florence Quivar presented the world premiere of the Society-sponsored song cycle From the Diary of Sally Hemmings, with music by William Bolcom and text by Sandra Seaton. A cycle of 18 songs, From the Diary of Sally Hemmings chronicles the relationship between the slave, Sally Hemmings, and her master, Thomas Jefferson.