North America

24 February

Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah

Thomas Pitts Bonus Content, Books That Became Music, Canada, North America Books That Became Music, Cohen, Hallelujah

Leonard Cohen 21 September 1934 – 7 November 2016

Hallelujah

Leonard Cohen
By Gorupdebesanez – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31038363

Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” is rich with biblical references and emotional depth. The song features stories from the Bible, such as Samson and Delilah, and King David and Bathsheba. These stories illustrate themes of love, loss, and faith. Cohen believed that “Hallelujah” expresses a mix of joy and sorrow, reflecting the complexities of human experience. He described the word “Hallelujah” as a way to praise God, but also as a broader expression of life’s ups and downs. The song has been covered by many artists, each bringing their own interpretation. For example, Jeff Buckley’s version is more sorrowful, while John Cale’s rendition focuses on sincerity. This variety shows how different emotions can be conveyed through the same lyrics. The term “Hallelujah” itself comes from Hebrew, meaning “praise God.” This highlights its cultural significance and long history. Through “Hallelujah,” listeners can explore deep themes of spirituality, desire, and the human condition, making it a powerful piece of music that resonates across generations.

Leonard Cohen was a Canadian songwriter, poet, and novelist, born on September 21, 1934. His work often explored themes of faith, love, loss, and social justice. Cohen began his career as a poet in the 1950s before transitioning to music in 1966. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, was released in 1967, followed by many others, including the famous song “Hallelujah” from his 1984 album, Various Positions. Throughout his life, Cohen received numerous awards, including induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His lyrics are known for their depth and emotional resonance, often reflecting on personal and societal struggles. Cohen’s Jewish heritage and experiences influenced his writing, as seen in his exploration of identity and spirituality. He continued to create music until his death on November 7, 2016. His legacy endures through his songs and poetry, inspiring generations with his profound insights into the human condition and the complexities of life.

31 December

December 31st

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America December, Higdon, Viola Concerto

Jennifer Higdon Born 31 December 1962

Viola Concerto

Jennifer Higdon
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124575620

Jennifer Higdon is a famous American composer known for her contemporary classical music. She was born in 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, and spent her childhood in Atlanta and Tennessee. As a child, she enjoyed art, photography, and writing, but did not hear much classical music at home. Instead, she listened to rock and folk music. Jennifer began learning the flute and percussion in high school, teaching herself with a book. She studied flute at university, where her teacher encouraged her to try composing. Although she found music theory difficult at first, she worked hard and became a successful composer. Higdon has written many pieces for orchestras and soloists, including her famous Violin Concerto, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. She has also won three Grammy Awards for her compositions. Jennifer’s music is known for its lively rhythms and beautiful melodies, often inspired by nature and her early love of popular music. She has taught at the Curtis Institute of Music and worked with many famous musicians. Today, Jennifer Higdon is celebrated for her creativity, resilience, and for inspiring others to enjoy and appreciate classical music from different backgrounds.

28 December

December 28th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America December, Simpson, Trio for Oboe Viola & Pianoforte in Eb

Daniel Léo Simpson Born 28 December 1959

Trio for Oboe, Viola & Pianoforte in Eb

Daniel Léo Simpson
By Scoreperfect – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77727788

Daniel Léo Simpson is a well-known American composer, born in 1959. He began learning music at Buena High School in Arizona, where he studied music theory and even wrote the school’s Alma Mater. Simpson later attended the University of Arizona, where he continued his studies and earned a master’s degree in composition. A composer is someone who writes music, and Simpson has created many pieces that have been performed around the world. One of his famous works, “Tuscaloosa Tango,” won a competition and was first performed at the University of Alabama. This piece has also been played by orchestras in Iraq and Brazil. Simpson’s “Ave Maria” was first performed in Germany, showing that his music is enjoyed internationally. He has also written music for new instruments, such as the Viola Profonda, which was invented by Gerardo Yañez. In 2012, all twenty-four of Simpson’s piano inventions were performed and recorded in Berlin. Simpson’s achievements show how music can connect people from different countries and cultures. His work helps us understand the importance of composers and the impact they can have on the world of music.

27 December

December 27th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America Beach, December, Dreaming

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach 5 September 1867 - 27 December 1944

Op. 15, No. 3: Dreaming

Amy Beach
By George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress) – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs divisionunder the digital ID cph.3b12657.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6517425

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, born on September 5, 1867, in Henniker, New Hampshire, was a pioneering American composer and pianist. Notably, she became the first successful female composer of large-scale art music in America. Her “Gaelic” Symphony premiered in 1896, marking it as the first symphony composed by a woman in the United States. Beach’s remarkable talent was evident from a young age; she began composing at four and gave public recitals by the age of sixteen. Despite societal constraints, she thrived in a male-dominated field, gaining acclaim for her compositions and performances.

Married to a surgeon in 1885, she faced limitations on her career, agreeing to perform only a few concerts a year. Nevertheless, she continued to compose significant works, including the Mass in E-flat major. Beach’s legacy as a musician and mentor remains influential, inspiring generations of women composers. She passed away on December 27, 1944, leaving behind a rich catalogue of music that celebrated the spirit of her era.

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.

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

7 December

December 7th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, Mexico, North America December, Manzanero

Armando Manzanero 7 December 1934 – 28 December 2020

Adoro

Armando Manzanero
By Gobierno CDMX – Flickr, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98168996

Armando Manzanero Canché was a renowned Mexican musician and composer, born on 7 December 1934 in Mérida, Yucatán. His father, Santiago Manzanero, was also a singer and composer, introducing Armando to music at an early age. By fifteen, he had already composed his first song, “Nunca en el Mundo,” which has since seen numerous versions globally. His talent led him to work with famous Latin American artists and record his first album, “Mi Primera Grabación,” in 1959.

Throughout his career, which spanned over fifty years, Manzanero created more than four hundred songs, many of which became iconic. His work has been performed by well-known singers such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. His music often evokes deep emotions, and songs like “Contigo Aprendí” and “Somos Novios” are cherished classics.

Manzanero sadly passed away on 28 December 2020, but his legacy continues. He received numerous awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, highlighting his significant contributions to music in Latin America.

6 December

December 6th

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America Brubeck, December, Koto Song, Take Five

Dave Brubeck 6 December 1920 – 5 December 2012

Take Five

Koto Song

Dave Brubeck
By Jack de Nijs for Anefo / Anefo – Derived from Nationaal Archief, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45559137

David Warren Brubeck was an influential American jazz pianist and composer, born on December 6, 1920, in Concord, California. Best known for popularising cool jazz, Brubeck’s music was distinctive due to its unusual time signatures and the blending of various styles, including classical and jazz. During World War II, he served in the US Army, where he formed one of the first racially integrated bands. In 1951, he created the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which featured talented musicians like saxophonist Paul Desmond.

The quartet gained immense popularity with the release of their 1959 album, Time Out, which included the hit single “Take Five”. This song’s unique 5/4 time signature made it one of the most famous jazz pieces of all time. Brubeck continued to innovate in music, blending different genres, and received numerous accolades, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

3 December

December 3rd

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America Afro-American Symphony, December, Still

William Grant Still 11 May 1895 – 3 December 1978

Afro-American Symphony

William Grant Still
By Maud Cuney-Hare, 1874-1936 – Negro musicians and their music by Maud Cuney-Hare. Washington, D.C.: The Associated Publishers, Inc., 1936, p. 336. Copyright not renewed., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41851604

William Grant Still Jr. was a prominent American composer, born on 11 May 1895, in Mississippi. He created nearly two hundred works, including five symphonies and nine operas. Still grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he developed a passion for music. His mother taught high school English, and she encouraged his musical interests. By age 15, he was taking violin lessons and taught himself several other instruments, including the clarinet and saxophone.

Still attended Wilberforce University, where he followed his mother’s wish for him to pursue medicine. However, his love for music led him to study composition at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He later moved to New York City and became involved with influential figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Remarkably, he was the first African American to have an opera performed by the New York City Opera, and his “Afro-American Symphony” remains one of his most celebrated works. Still’s legacy in American classical music continues to inspire many today.