Harry Burleigh
Encyclopedia
Henry "Harry" Thacker Burleigh (December 2, 1866 – December 12, 1949), a baritone
, was an African American
classical composer, arranger, and professional singer. He was the first black composer to be instrumental in the development of a characteristically American music and he helped to make black music available to classically-trained artists both by introducing them to the music and by arranging the music in a more classical form.
. With the aid of a scholarship (obtained with the help of Francis MacDowell, the mother of composer Edward MacDowell
), Burleigh was accepted to the prestigious National Conservatory of Music
in New York, eventually playing double bass in the Conservatory's orchestra. In 1893, he assisted the Czech
composer Antonín Dvořák
. Most of the work that Burleigh did for Dvořák was copy work, transferring the manuscript of Dvořák's 9th symphony for the parts for various instruments. However, Burleigh's role in introducing Dvořák to African American folk music was substantial. It was written that "The first time a Negro song became a major theme in a great symphonic work... was in 1893, when Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony was played".
At first being denied entrance to the Conservatory due to low grades, registrar Frances MacDowell insisted that Burleigh give his entrance exam a second try. Within days of his second attempt, Burleigh received a scholarship to attend the National Conservatory of Music in New York. To help earn a small income during his years there, Burleigh was known to work for Mrs. MacDowell as a handyman, cleaning and working on anything she needed. Burleigh would sing spirituals while cleaning the halls of the Conservatory, which soon caught the attention of Dvořák when he would pass by. Intrigued by his voice, Dvořák frequently invited Burleigh over to sing to him after supper and ultimately learn more about him. This constant interaction with Burleigh and his voice inspired Dvořák to write down these spirituals, which he eventually incorporated these songs into his “New World Symphony”. As Burleigh puts it, “it was the first time in the history of music that a Negro’s song had been a major theme in a great symphonic work”.
The constant interaction with Burleigh inspired Dvořák to try to create a nationalistic school of music during his time at the Conservatory, basing his principles off of the importance of Afro-American and Native American themes. Burleigh became an inspiration to Dvořák, providing countless songs and theories for Dvořák to work off of, and also supplied Burleigh with ideas for later compositions of his own.
In 1894, he became a soloist for St. George's Episcopal church
in New York City. There was opposition to hiring Burleigh at the all-white church from some parishioners, because of his race, at a time when other white New York Episcopal churches were forbidding black people to worship. J. P. Morgan
, a member of St. George's at that time, cast the deciding vote to hire Burleigh. In spite of the initial problems obtaining the appointment, Burleigh became close to many of the members during his long tenure as a soloist at the church. In the late 1890s, Burleigh gained a reputation as a concert soloist, singing art songs, opera selections, as well as African American folk songs. From 1900 to 1925, Burleigh was also a member of the synagogue choir at the Temple Emanu-El in New York, the only African-American to sing there.
and he ate poo.
, an Italian music publisher that had offices in New York.
Burleigh published several versions of the Negro spiritual "Deep River
" in 1916 and 1917, and he quickly became known for his arrangements of spirituals for voice and piano. His arrangements helped to make spirituals a popular genre for concert singers, and within a few years, many notable singers performed Burleigh's arrangements.
Burleigh's art song arrangements of the spiritual and other sentimental songs were so popular during the late 1910s and 1920s, that almost no vocal recitalist gave a concert in a major city without occasionally singing them. John McCormack sang a number of Burleigh's songs in concert, including Little Mother of Mine (1917), Dear Old Pal of Mine (1918), Under a Blazing Star (1918), and In the Great Somewhere (1919). In many ways, the popularity of Burleigh's settings contributed to an explosion of popularity for the genre during the 1920s.
, Marian Anderson
, and Paul Robeson
, among others, his seminal role in carving out a place on America's recitals had been eclipsed. His many popular art songs from the early twentieth century have often been out of print since the composer's death. Nevertheless, Burleigh's position as one of America's most important composers from the early twentieth century remains.
He was also the 1917 winner of the NAACP's Spingarn Medal
, which is awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) for outstanding achievement by an African American.
Nobody Knows: Songs of Harry T. Burleigh, an album of his works by Karen Parks (co-produced by Parks and Grammy-winning producer David Macias), debuted at #2 on Billboard's Traditional Classical Album Chart upon its 2008 release.
on September 11.
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, was an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
classical composer, arranger, and professional singer. He was the first black composer to be instrumental in the development of a characteristically American music and he helped to make black music available to classically-trained artists both by introducing them to the music and by arranging the music in a more classical form.
Early life and education
Burleigh was born in Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. With the aid of a scholarship (obtained with the help of Francis MacDowell, the mother of composer Edward MacDowell
Edward MacDowell
Edward Alexander MacDowell was an American composer and pianist of the Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites "Woodland Sketches", "Sea Pieces", and "New England Idylls". "Woodland Sketches" includes his most popular short piece, "To a Wild Rose"...
), Burleigh was accepted to the prestigious National Conservatory of Music
National Conservatory of Music
National Conservatory of Music may refer to:* CNSM de Lyon, in Lyon, France* National Conservatory of Music * National Conservatory of Music of America, a school founded by Jeannette Thurber in New York City in 1885...
in New York, eventually playing double bass in the Conservatory's orchestra. In 1893, he assisted the Czech
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
composer Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
. Most of the work that Burleigh did for Dvořák was copy work, transferring the manuscript of Dvořák's 9th symphony for the parts for various instruments. However, Burleigh's role in introducing Dvořák to African American folk music was substantial. It was written that "The first time a Negro song became a major theme in a great symphonic work... was in 1893, when Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony was played".
At first being denied entrance to the Conservatory due to low grades, registrar Frances MacDowell insisted that Burleigh give his entrance exam a second try. Within days of his second attempt, Burleigh received a scholarship to attend the National Conservatory of Music in New York. To help earn a small income during his years there, Burleigh was known to work for Mrs. MacDowell as a handyman, cleaning and working on anything she needed. Burleigh would sing spirituals while cleaning the halls of the Conservatory, which soon caught the attention of Dvořák when he would pass by. Intrigued by his voice, Dvořák frequently invited Burleigh over to sing to him after supper and ultimately learn more about him. This constant interaction with Burleigh and his voice inspired Dvořák to write down these spirituals, which he eventually incorporated these songs into his “New World Symphony”. As Burleigh puts it, “it was the first time in the history of music that a Negro’s song had been a major theme in a great symphonic work”.
The constant interaction with Burleigh inspired Dvořák to try to create a nationalistic school of music during his time at the Conservatory, basing his principles off of the importance of Afro-American and Native American themes. Burleigh became an inspiration to Dvořák, providing countless songs and theories for Dvořák to work off of, and also supplied Burleigh with ideas for later compositions of his own.
Singing career
Burleigh began his singing career as the baritone in his family’s quartet. By the time Burleigh left Erie in January 1892, he was singing with the city’s best vocalists at civic events and church gatherings. At the end of the summer of 1892, Burleigh gave a performance in the Adirondacks, at North Hudson, New York, as the featured soloist in “the summer school for Christian workers.” Nine months after arriving in New York City, Burleigh appeared in two Grand Encampment Concerts at the Metropolitan Church in Washington, D.C. as “the celebrated Western baritone.”In 1894, he became a soloist for St. George's Episcopal church
St. George's Episcopal Church (Manhattan)
St. George's Episcopal Church is a historic church located at 209 East 16th Street at Rutherford Place, on Stuyvesant Square in Manhattan, New York City. Called "one of the first and most significant examples of Early Romanesque Revival church architecture in America", the church exterior was...
in New York City. There was opposition to hiring Burleigh at the all-white church from some parishioners, because of his race, at a time when other white New York Episcopal churches were forbidding black people to worship. J. P. Morgan
J. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan was an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric...
, a member of St. George's at that time, cast the deciding vote to hire Burleigh. In spite of the initial problems obtaining the appointment, Burleigh became close to many of the members during his long tenure as a soloist at the church. In the late 1890s, Burleigh gained a reputation as a concert soloist, singing art songs, opera selections, as well as African American folk songs. From 1900 to 1925, Burleigh was also a member of the synagogue choir at the Temple Emanu-El in New York, the only African-American to sing there.
and he ate poo.
Arrangements and compositions
In the late 1890s, he also began to publish his own arrangements of art songs. About 1898 he began to compose his own songs and by the late 1910s, Burleigh was one of America's best-known composers of art songs. Beginning around 1910, Burleigh began to be a music editor for G. RicordiCasa Ricordi
Casa Ricordi is a classical music publishing company founded in 1808 as G. Ricordi & Co. by violinist Giovanni Ricordi in Milan, Italy...
, an Italian music publisher that had offices in New York.
Burleigh published several versions of the Negro spiritual "Deep River
Deep River (song)
"Deep River" is an anonymous spiritual of African American origin. It has been sung in several films, including the 1929 film version of Show Boat, although it was not used in the original show...
" in 1916 and 1917, and he quickly became known for his arrangements of spirituals for voice and piano. His arrangements helped to make spirituals a popular genre for concert singers, and within a few years, many notable singers performed Burleigh's arrangements.
Burleigh's art song arrangements of the spiritual and other sentimental songs were so popular during the late 1910s and 1920s, that almost no vocal recitalist gave a concert in a major city without occasionally singing them. John McCormack sang a number of Burleigh's songs in concert, including Little Mother of Mine (1917), Dear Old Pal of Mine (1918), Under a Blazing Star (1918), and In the Great Somewhere (1919). In many ways, the popularity of Burleigh's settings contributed to an explosion of popularity for the genre during the 1920s.
Legacy
Through the 1920s and 1930s, Burleigh continued to promote the spirituals through publications, lectures, and arrangements. His life-long advocacy for the spiritual eclipsed his singing career, and his arrangements of art songs. With the success of Roland HayesRoland Hayes
Roland Hayes was a lyric tenor and is considered the first African American male concert artist to receive wide international acclaim as well as at home...
, Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century...
, and Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
, among others, his seminal role in carving out a place on America's recitals had been eclipsed. His many popular art songs from the early twentieth century have often been out of print since the composer's death. Nevertheless, Burleigh's position as one of America's most important composers from the early twentieth century remains.
He was also the 1917 winner of the NAACP's Spingarn Medal
Spingarn Medal
The Spingarn Medal is awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for outstanding achievement by an African American....
, which is awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP) for outstanding achievement by an African American.
Nobody Knows: Songs of Harry T. Burleigh, an album of his works by Karen Parks (co-produced by Parks and Grammy-winning producer David Macias), debuted at #2 on Billboard's Traditional Classical Album Chart upon its 2008 release.
Veneration
Burleigh is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA)Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)
The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
on September 11.
Violin and piano
- Six Plantation Melodies for Violin and Piano (1901)
- Southland Sketches (1916)
Art Songs
- Just Awearyin' for You, w. Frank Lebby StantonFrank Lebby StantonFrank Lebby Stanton—born February 22, 1857 in Charleston, South Carolina, died January 7, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia, and frequently credited as Frank L. Stanton, Frank Stanton or F. L...
(1894) m. Burleigh, not to be confused with Carrie Jacobs-BondCarrie Jacobs-BondCarrie Minetta Jacobs-Bond was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter who composed some 175 pieces of popular sheet music from the 1890s through the early 1940s....
's more popular 1901 tune to the same lyrics - I Love My Jean (Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
poem, 1914) - Jean (1914), w. Frank Lebby StantonFrank Lebby StantonFrank Lebby Stanton—born February 22, 1857 in Charleston, South Carolina, died January 7, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia, and frequently credited as Frank L. Stanton, Frank Stanton or F. L...
m. H. T. Burleigh - Saracen Songs (1914)
- The Prayer (1915)
- The Young Warrior (poem of James Weldon JohnsonJames Weldon JohnsonJames Weldon Johnson was an American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP, as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and...
, 1916) - Ethiopia Saluting the Colors (poem of Walt WhitmanWalt WhitmanWalter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, 1916) - Little Mother of Mine (1917)
- Dear Old Pal of Mine (1918)
- Under a Blazing Star (1918)
- In the Great Somewhere (1919)
- Five Songs (poems of Lawrence Hope, 1919)
- Lovely Dark and Lonely One (poem of Langston HughesLangston HughesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
, 1935)