Meet Roy Harris, musician

Title

Language

English

Source

Panorama X (10) October 1958

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

Wleet iZoy Harris, Musician The rhythm of a free land . . . ON HIS FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY, Leroy Ellsworth Harris, distinguished composer of impressionistic music in the Un ited States, received this cita tion : “As a composer, you have given our schools, churches, and concert halls American music which characterizes our people and our time; as a teacher, you have spoken to students of the worth and dignity of American culture, and you have by your example given encouragement to them to create and play the vital, new music of this free and democratic land.” The praise came from the Governor of the State of Colo rado, but it reiterated the feel ings of people all over the country who had benefited from the musician’s genius. Roy Harris, who is proud to remind everyone that he was born in an Oklahoma log cabin on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1898, began to compose music rather late in life. He was al most 30 years old when he wrote his first concerto, yet he has succeeded in creating a stagger ing quantity of music of all des criptions, distinctly American in subject matter. In 1933, Harris met the late Serge Koussevitsky, the ardent champion of so many American composers. He asked the strug gling composer to write a work for him—a “big symphony of the West.” When completed, Harris called it “Symphony: 1933.” The reaction of the cri tics was mixed, but there was no mistaking the impression that it made on young Amer ican musicians. It was the first real modern American symph ony. There was no jazz rhythm nor folksong quality in it, but 70 Panorama there was a melodic sweep, a harmonic freedom and perhaps a certain awkwardness in hand ling the materials that suggest ed an original utterance, au thentically native. The brilliant composer reach ed a peak of symphonic popu larity with his "Third Symph ony” brought out by Koussevitsky in the spring of 1939. It was called an "extraordinary” work. 2Jis childhood and adolescence, spent among sim ple people, made Harris a gre garious person, capable of easy communication with all types of people. He had spent a frugal early life, became a soldier in World War I, and for four years after the war, he drove a delivery truck. When he be gan to study music seriously, Harris was 20 years old. In the years that followed, his enthu siasm and originality brought him the patronage of some of the United States’ and Europe’s outstanding musician-teachers. Harris received a private sti pend to study in Europe under Nadia Boulanger, the musical nurse of a whole generatio'n of American composers. For his first lesson, she asked Roy to write 20 melodies. He brought her 107. Roy Harris thoroughly enjoys people, and loves to teach. He has had numerous positions in schools throughout the country. But he is never content to be just a professor. Invariably, his program has expanded; he has organized festivals, invited fa mous musicians to be guest teachers, and in numerous ways has encouraged young Amer ican musicians to record the rhythm of a free and democra tic land. — Free World. * * * Timely A well-known but improvident author was toiling over a new novel when there came a ring on his door bell. His caller proved to be a comely young woman who announced, “I represent the Federated Commu nity Charity Fund.” “You’v arrived in the nick of time” enthused the author. “I’m starving.” ¥ October 1958 71

pages

70-71

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