Wind Band Composers and Literature Quiz

Answer: Percy Grainger

Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961) was born in Australia and lived in many places in the British Empire. He came to the United States in 1915 and soon became a naturalized citizen. He was a U.S. Army bandsman during World War I. Grainger was a folk song collector and showed remarkable innovation in scoring and rhythmic usage.

He held the position of head of the music department at New York University for quite some time.

Answer: John Barnes Chance

John Barnes Chance was born in Beaumont, Texas, in 1932 and died from an accidental electrocution in August 1972 in Lexington, Kentucky. At the time of his death he was head of theory and composition at the University of Kentucky. He was awarded the ABA (American Bandmasters Association) Ostwald award for composition in 1966 for his "Variations on a Korean Folk Song".

Answer: Vincent Persichetti

Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987) was born in Philadelphia, PA. Before his death he was the head of the composition department at Julliard School of Music. He wrote in all forms and all media, but he loved writing for band as well.

Answer: Frank Erickson

Frank Erickson (1923-1996) was born in Spokane, Washington. He composed nearly 100 works for band, many of which that were within the capabilities of the younger, less experienced musicians.

Answer: Claude T. Smith

Claude T. Smith (1932-1987) was born in Monroe City, Missouri. He was an active clinician as well as a composer and did much to advance the cause of band music. "Emperata Overture" (1964) was his first published work.

Answer: William Francis McBeth

William Francis McBeth was born in 1933 near Lubbock, Texas. He was chairman of the department of theory and composition at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas as well as resident composer. His music has enjoyed great popularity all over the world and especially in Japan.

He is still an active guest conductor and clinician. (interesting to note that in 1962, McBeth was guest conductor for the Arkansas All State (high school) Band and that one young player in the tenor sax section was a future President of the United States--Bill Clinton).

Answer: Vaclav Nelhybel

Vaclav Nelhybel (1919-1996) was born in Czechoslovakia and came to America in 1957. He became a citizen in 1962. At the time of his death at age 76 he was composer-in-residence at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. Although he composed for all media, composing music for wind band was his primary interest.

Answer: Norman Dello Joio

Norman Dello Joio ((1913-2008) was born in New York City to Italian immigrants. His name was really Nicodemo DeGioio but it was soon Anglicized. His father and grandfather were concert organists and soon he followed along on that path. His music was influenced by 19th Century Italian opera.

He composed in all forms, but his first love was for choir. Luckily he took up composing for band at the urging of many of his music colleagues. In 1965 he received the Emmy Award for outstanding achievement in scoring for television.

This was for an NBC special about the Louvre Museum in France. He also adapted music from that score and fashioned it into a suite for band, "Scenes From the Louvre".

Answer: James Clifton Williams

James Clifton Williams (1923-1976) was born in Arkansas and is one of the most widely acclaimed composers of wind literature. "Fanfare and Allegro" won the ABA Ostwald Award in 1956 and was recorded by the acclaimed Eastman Wind Ensemble with Frederick Fennell conducting.

He won the award again the following year with "Symphonic Suite" and that piece has been recorded by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra also under Fennell. (A personal note here if I may--for my wedding in 1984, I tried to have "The Sinfonians" played as the processional tune, but the church organist said she was unable to adapt it for organ. I don't know if that was the real truth or because my most dearest wife wasn't going to go for it. Anyway we have been married for 25 years now and she has promised to have it played at my funeral, though hopefully it will not be soon).

Answer: Alfred Reed

Albert Reed (1921-2005) was born in New York and began his formal music training at age ten. One of the most prolific of all wind band composers, he had well over 200 compositions to his credit. His works were played and recorded worldwide. It was said that at the time of his death he had had enough composing commissions to carry him through at least to 115 years of age.