Composer Of The Day

21 December

December 21st

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, England, Europe 1. Prelude and Hornpipe (17th century), 2. Pavane and Tambourin (18th century), 3. Valse (19th century), 4. Rhythm (20th century), Coates, December, Four Centuries (Suite), From Meadow to Mayfair

Eric Coates 27 August 1886 – 21 December 1957

From Meadow to Mayfair

Four Centuries (Suite) 1. Prelude and Hornpipe (17th century)

Four Centuries (Suite) 2. Pavane and Tambourin (18th century)

Four Centuries (Suite) 3. Valse (19th century)

Four Centuries (Suite) 4. Rhythm (20th century)

Eric Coates
By Faber Music, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58615150

Eric Francis Harrison Coates was born on 27 August 1886 in Hucknall Torkard, Nottinghamshire. From a young age, it was clear he had a musical talent, though his parents were hesitant to support his dream of becoming a musician. He attended the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied viola and composition. Coates played in various orchestras before deciding to focus entirely on composing music.

His notable works include the “London Suite,” which features the famous “Knightsbridge March,” and the lovely waltz “By the Sleepy Lagoon.” Coates’s music is characterised by strong melodies and catchy rhythms, often influenced by the light music styles of his time, including elements of jazz. Although he initially played the viola, he transitioned into a full-time composer in 1919. Over his career, Coates created a large number of orchestral pieces and songs, becoming a well-known figure in English music.

20 December

December 20th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, Europe, France Aubry, December, La Grande Cascade, The Mouse Theme from "The Gruffalo"

René Aubry Born 20 December 1956

The Mouse Theme from "The Gruffalo"

La Grande Cascade

René Aubry
By manaidb.com – http://www.maniadb.com/artist/129376?o=d, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94059868

René Aubry is a remarkable composer known for his ability to intertwine classical music with modern sounds. As a multi-instrumentalist, Aubry creates unique musical pieces that appeal to a wide audience. He has collaborated with renowned choreographers, including Carolyn Carlson and Pina Bausch, composing music that enhances their dance performances.

Aubry is perhaps best known for his soundtracks for children’s films, especially those adapted from the beloved books of Julia Donaldson. His scores for films such as “The Gruffalo,” “Room on the Broom,” and “The Highway Rat” have enchanted both children and adults alike.

Over the years, Aubry has released numerous albums, each showcasing his diverse musical talents. His works include “Chrysalide,” “Signes,” and “Forget Me Not.” This blending of classical and contemporary styles has made René Aubry a significant figure in the world of music, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.

19 December

December 19th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America Bristow, December, Symphony in F sharp minor

George Frederick Bristow 19 December 1825 – 13 December 1898

Symphony in F sharp minor Op 26. I, Allegro

George Frederick Bristow
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10550894

George Frederick Bristow was an American composer, violinist, conductor, and teacher from Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a very musical family and learned music from his father. By the age of seventeen he was skilled enough to join the New York Philharmonic as a violinist, where he played for more than thirty years.

Bristow wanted American music to be taken seriously at a time when most concerts focused on European composers. He wrote five symphonies, two operas, and many choral pieces and church works. His most famous piece is his Fifth Symphony, “Niagara”, inspired by Niagara Falls and first performed at Carnegie Hall in 1898.

He also spoke out when he felt American composers were being ignored, arguing that the New York Philharmonic should support local musicians. Alongside composing and performing, Bristow worked as a school music teacher for more than forty years, helping thousands of children learn about music.

18 December

December 18th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America Anthracite Fields, December, IV. Flowers, Tell Me Everything, Wolfe

Julia Wolfe Born 18 December 1958

Anthracite Fields IV. Flowers

Tell Me Everything

Julia Wolfe
By Louisa Dedalus – Took the picture. Previously published: NA, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=170301336

Julia Wolfe is an American composer and university professor who writes modern classical music with strong rhythms and repeating patterns. Her style mixes ideas from minimalism and the energy of rock music. She teaches composition at New York University and is one of the founders of Bang on a Can, a group that supports new music through concerts, festivals, and recordings.

Wolfe grew up in Philadelphia and studied music after discovering it seriously at the University of Michigan. Later she trained at Yale, where she met and worked with composers Michael Gordon and David Lang. Together they started Bang on a Can in 1987, and later set up a music publisher and record label. She also earned a PhD from Princeton.

Her music includes many pieces for strings, from quartets to orchestras, often described as powerful, driving, and vivid. She has written large works based on real people and history, especially about labour and community. Her oratorio Anthracite Fields, about coal miners in Pennsylvania, won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

17 December

December 17th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, England, Europe Bethlehem Down For String Orchestra, Capriol Suite, December, Partitura, Warlock

Peter Warlock 30 October 1894 – 17 December 1930

Capriol Suite Partitura

Bethlehem Down For String Orchestra

Peter Warlock
By Not known – Scanned and cropped from frontispiece in Cyril Gray et al: Peter Warlock: A Memoir of Philip Heseltine. Jonathan Cape, London 1934, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37358936

Philip Heseltine was a British composer and music writer. He used the pen name Peter Warlock for his music, partly because he was interested in old stories and the supernatural. Today he is best known for writing beautiful songs for singers.

As a boy at Eton College, Heseltine became friends with the composer Frederick Delius, who inspired him to write music. He tried studying at Oxford and in London, but he did not enjoy university life. Instead, he became a music critic, writing strong opinions in newspapers and magazines. He also loved folk songs and very old English music, and he helped bring this early music back into fashion.

After living in Ireland, Wales, and Kent, he wrote most of his best work in the 1920s, including song cycles such as The Curlew and the Capriol Suite. People admired his talent, but his lifestyle was wild and sometimes shocking.

Near the end of his life, he felt deeply unhappy and stopped composing. In 1930, he died from coal gas poisoning.

Reutlinger / Charles / 1816-1880? / 0530. Camille Saint-Saëns /

16 December

December 16th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, Europe, France December, Le carnaval des animaux, Saint-Saëns, XIII: Le cygne

Camille Saint-Saëns 9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921

Le carnaval des animaux XIII: Le cygne

Camille Saint-Saëns
By Charles Reutlinger (1816–81) – Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Musique, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61676485

Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French composer born on 9 October 1835 in Paris. He was a talented musician known for his incredible skills as an organist, pianist, and conductor during the Romantic era. Saint-Saëns composed many famous works, including “The Carnival of the Animals” and “Danse macabre.” Remarkably, he made his concert debut at just ten years old. Educated at the Paris Conservatoire, he became a church organist, first at Saint-Merri and later at La Madeleine.

Throughout his life, Saint-Saëns embraced new ideas in music but often composed within classical traditions. He taught briefly at the École Niedermeyer, influencing notable students like Gabriel Fauré. His operas, such as “Samson and Delilah,” remain celebrated today. Despite being respected, his music was sometimes seen as conservative. Saint-Saëns continued to compose and perform until his death on 16 December 1921, leaving behind a legacy that serves as a bridge between classical music and future composers. His works are still performed in concert halls around the world.

15 December

December 15th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America December, In The Mood, Miller, Moonlight Serenade

Glenn Miller 1 March 1904 – 15 December 1944

Moonlight Serenade

In The Mood

Glenn Miller
By Unknown author – Ad on page 27 of May 16, 1942 Billboard magazine, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43240691

Glenn Miller (1904–1944) was an American trombone player, composer, and leader of a famous big band. From 1939 to 1942 his group, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, was the most popular recording band in the United States. They had a smooth sound, with clarinet leading the saxophones. Their biggest hits included “Moonlight Serenade”, “In the Mood”, and “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, the first gold record.

Miller played trombone in school bands, left university to follow music, and spent years touring and arranging for other groups. He then formed his own orchestra, became a radio star, and appeared in Hollywood films.

In 1942, at the height of his fame, Miller joined the US Army Air Forces to entertain troops during the Second World War. He created a military orchestra that helped shape modern US service bands.

On 15 December 1944, flying from England to France, Miller’s plane disappeared over the English Channel. He was declared dead a year later, but his tunes still make people want to dance and smile today

14 December

December 14th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, Europe, Germany Bach, December, Solfeggio in C minor, Sonata in G minor

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach 8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788

Solfeggio in C minor H 220

Sonata in G minor H.542.5 (BWV 1020)

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
By Franz Conrad Löhr / After Johann Philipp Bach – http://www.bpk-images.de/?18671877727020631900&MEDIANUMBER=00092233, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44147555

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, born on 8 March 1714, was a German composer whose music helped bridge the Baroque and Classical eras. He was the second surviving son of the famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach. C. P. E. Bach became known for his sensitive style, which showcased emotional expression that contrasted with the rigid forms of Baroque music. His contributions to keyboard music were particularly influential, inspiring composers like Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

After studying law at university, Bach turned to music, working initially in Berlin under Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia. Bach spent many significant years there, composing numerous sonatas and concertos. He later moved to Hamburg, where he became the Kapellmeister and focused on choral works. His music for the keyboard remains popular, with compositions such as “Solfeggietto” capturing listeners’ hearts.

Harry_Gregson-Williams_in_March_22,_2025

13 December

December 13th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, England, Europe December, Gregson-Williams, Only The Beginning Of The Adventure, Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time "Suite"

Harry Gregson-Williams Born 13 December 1961

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time "Suite"

Only The Beginning Of The Adventure

Greatest Hits (Filmography 1996 - 2018)

Harry Gregson-Williams
By Raph_PH – https://www.flickr.com/photos/raph_ph/54406459085/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=168525380

Harry Gregson-Williams, born on 13 December 1961, is an acclaimed English composer, conductor, orchestrator, and record producer. He is best known for his music in various video games, films, and television shows. Among his notable works are the scores for the Metal Gear series, the films Spy Game, Phone Booth, and Man on Fire. He also contributed to the soundtracks of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and its sequel, Prince Caspian, as well as acclaimed movies like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Gladiator II.

Harry’s musical journey began early in life. At just seven, he received a musical scholarship to St John’s College School in Cambridge, where he was a child chorister. He later attended Stowe School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with renowned directors such as Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, showcasing his versatility and talent. As the older brother of composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, Harry continues to influence the world of music in film and beyond.

12 December

December 12th

Thomas Pitts Africa, Composer Of The Day, Ethiopia December, Guèbrou, Homeless Wanderer

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou 12 December 1923 – 26 March 2023

Homeless Wanderer

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou
By https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/04/17/jerusalem-emahoy-tsegue-maryam-guebrou-music-review, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77599666

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou was an Ethiopian composer, pianist, and nun. She was born in Addis Ababa in 1923, into a wealthy family. Her father was a mayor and diplomat. As a child, Emahoy travelled to Switzerland to study music, learning both piano and violin. During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, she and her family were taken prisoner by the Italians. After the war, she continued her music studies and performed for Emperor Haile Selassie. Emahoy became the first female secretary in Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She wanted to study at the Royal Academy of Music, but was not allowed to leave Ethiopia. In 1944, she became a nun and lived in a monastery for ten years. Later, she composed music for piano, violin, and organ. Her music blends Ethiopian traditional scales, called pentatonic scales, with European classical styles. Emahoy’s compositions have been compared to famous musicians like Chopin and Beethoven. She composed over 150 pieces and supported children’s music education through a foundation. Emahoy’s music has appeared in films and documentaries. She spent her final years in Jerusalem and died in 2023, aged 99. Her legacy continues to inspire musicians around the world.