Centenary Celebration: Leroy Anderson
By Jim Linz
Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) was an American composer best remembered for his novelty "miniature" tunes such as the Syncopated Clock and The Typewriter, but also the composer of such standards as Sleigh Ride and Blue Tango. Here’s a sample of Blue Tango: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6bXjKC5fxc
Anderson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, June 29, 1908. He attended Harvard, studying music but working toward a career as a language teacher. He accepted a position as a language teacher at a private school in Pennsylvania only to change his mind and decide to try a career in music.
Boston Pops Director Arthur Fiedler became acquainted with Anderson’s compositions for the Harvard Band and asked him to arrange a medley for the Pops. Anderson’s first arrangement for the Boston Pops, a medley of Harvard songs—Harvard Fantasy—was so successful that Anderson began a long collaboration with Fiedler. The Boston Pops continued to premier Anderson’s works until 1950.
The Syncopated Clock was used as the theme music for CBS’ The Late Show in the early 1950s. Another of Anderson’s compositions, Plink, Plank, Plunk, was used as the theme song for I’ve Got a Secret.
This article originally appeared in Trans-Lux volume 26, number 1, Winter 2008.
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Created Thursday, November 27, 2008; Modified Thursday, November 27, 2008.
