Leroy Anderson
and Woodbury
Woodbury CT Connecticut Cambridge MA
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
|
Woodbury, Connecticut Woodbury Connecticut The centennial of the birth of American composer Leroy Anderson, who wrote Sleigh Ride, The Typewriter, Syncopated Clock, and Blue Tango, was celebrated the weekend of June 28-29, 2008 in Woodbury, CT where he lived full-time for 26 years. Woodbury Composer Anderson was born June 29, 1908 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was educated at local schools and graduated from Harvard College. After serving in World War II, he began visiting Woodbury in 1946 when he spent the summer at a cottage on Painter Hill Road. Here, he started to compose Sleigh Ride, Fiddle Faddle and Serenata. In 1953, he and his family moved to a new house on Grassy Hill Road where he lived until his death from cancer in 1975. Anderson Celebration in Woodbury To commemorate his centennial, a special postal cancellation was made available June 28 at the U.S. Post Office in Woodbury, a free concert was given June 29 at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, and an exhibit is on display at the Southbury Public Library in Southbury, Connecticut. Special Postal Cancellation
The special commemorative cancellation is being made available by the Woodbury Post Office through July 27. The public may also obtain the commemorative postcard and a special Woodbury edition biographical booklet about Leroy Anderson free of charge through July 27.
Waterbury Symphony Brass Quintet At 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Woodbury Post Office, the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra brass quintet played several compostions by Anderson including Bugler's Holiday, Trumpeter's Lullaby, Serenata, Sleigh Ride and Woodbury Fanfare, which Anderson composed for the town's Tercentennial in 1959. Woodbury First Selectman Paul Hinckley presented a proclamation regarding Anderson's contribution to American music to Mrs. Leroy Anderson. The proclamation read in part:
Anderson Tribute Concert On June 29th the U.S. Military Academy Band from West Point, New York featured Anderson's music in a concert at Nonnewaug High School at 3 p.m. Anderson compositons included Bugler's Holiday, Trumpeter's Lullaby, Serenata, Clarinet Candy, The Typewriter and Woodbury Fanfare. Woodbury First Selectman Paul Hinckley read a proclamation from Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell recognizing Leroy Anderson's significant contribution to American music and declaring June 29, 2008 Leroy Anderson Day in Connecticut. The proclamation read in part:
Mike Carlo presented from Congressman Christopher Murphy a Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition that acknowledged "Leroy Anderson's invaluable contribution to America's music heritage." Woodbury Lion's Club President read a letter of congratulations from President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush. Jane Anderson Vercelli and Rolf Anderson accepted the honors for their father Leroy Anderson on behalf of the Anderson family. Members of the family who were in the audience included the composer's widow Mrs. Leroy Anderson and son Kurt Anderson. Admission to the "sold-out" concert was free, thanks to the generosity of the Woodbury Lions Club, which sponsored the event.
Leroy Anderson Exhibit at the Southbury Library
A Special Exhibit about Leroy Anderson and his music, created by the composer's sons, Rolf Anderson and Kurt Anderson was on display at the Woodbury Public Library through June 30, 2008. The exhibit is on display at the Southbury Public Library through July 31, 2008.
The Opening Reception for the Southbury Library display of the Leroy Anderson exhibit included a performance of Leroy Anderson's music for an audience of 85 people. Violinist Alyce Cognetta Bertz, concertmaster of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, and Pianist Susan Theodos performed ten of Mr. Anderson's pieces which the composer arranged himself for violin and piano. The musicians received enthusiastic applause from the appreciative audience.
The Southbury Library's celebration of Leroy Anderson's Centennary included a special display of:
Members of the Anderson family who were present at the weekend's celebrations included the composer's widow, Mrs. Eleanor Anderson, who still lives at the Woodbury home where her husband wrote many of the compositions that have become part of this country's musical heritage; and the composer's children Jane Anderson Vercelli, Rolf Anderson and Kurt Anderson. Special thanks to: United States Military Academy Concert Band, Lt. Col. Timothy J. Holtan, Conductor Woodbury Lions Club, Don Heavens Woodbury Post Office, Kathryn Moore, Postmaster Woodbury Library, Patricia Lunn, Director Southbury Library, Shirley Thorson, Director Town of Woodbury, Paul Hinckley, First Selectman Leroy Anderson Centennial Celebration
The U.S. Military Academy Band presented a concert on Sunday, June 29, 2008 in Woodbury in honor of composer Leroy Anderson, who lived in Woodbury from 1949 until his death in 1975. The concert took place at Nonnewaug Regional High School in Woodbury. The Anderson tribute concert was led by Lt. Col. Timothy J. Holtan. Conductor Holtan chose several well known compositions by Leroy Anderson to perform. These included "A Trumpeter's Lullaby," "Sandpaper Ballet," "The Syncopated Clock," "The Typewriter," "Blue Tango," "Serenata," and "Bugler's Holiday." Leroy Anderson composed his "Irish Suite" in 1949 for Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Fiedler premiered many of Anderson's compositions prior to 1950 after which Anderson gave his works their first performances in his own recordings for Decca Records. The USMA Band presented three of the six movements of the "Irish Suite": "The Irish Washerwoman," "The Minstrel Boy," and "The Rakes of Mallow." The Band also performed several lesser known Anderson pieces including "Clarinet Candy," and "Woodbury Fanfare," which Anderson composed for Woodbury Connecticut's Tercentennial in 1959. The program was rounded out with additional works including John Philip Sousa's "Salvation Army March" and "Stars and Stripes Forever;" Douglas Richard's "Celebration for a New Era," two selections from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess: "Overture" and "Summertime." Soprano SFC Mary Kay Messenger was featured in "Summertime" as well as Anderson's "Blue Tango" and Gene Scheer's "American Anthem." U.S. Military Academy Band
The United States Military Academy Band, the U.S. Army's oldest active band and the oldest unit at West Point, traces its roots to the Revolutionary War. At that time, fifers and drummers were stationed with companies of minutemen on Constitution Island, across the river from West Point. In 1778, General Samuel Holden Parsons' 1st Connecticut Brigade crossed the Hudson River and established West Point as a permanent military post. After the American Revolution, Congress disbanded most of the Continental Army, but "the 55 men at West Point," members of the 2nd Continental Artillery, remained. Among their ranks stood at least one drummer and one fifer, who alone maintained the tradition of military music at West Point. Today's band consists of four components: the Concert Band, Hellcats (the drum and bugle field music unit), the Jazz Knights, and the Support Staff. They combine to form the Marching Band. The unit fulfills all of the official musical requirements of the academy, including military and patriotic ceremonies, public concerts, sporting events and radio and television broadcasts, as well as social activities for the Corps of Cadets and the West Point community. The Soldier-musicians of this organization are recruited by the Army and selected through a competitive audition process especially for service with the United States Military Academy Band. They represent a cross-section of the nation's finest music schools and conservatories. The Anderson Tribute Concert in Woodbury will feature the USMA Concert Band which has visited Woodbury in the recent years for other concerts with the generous support of Woodbury's Lions Club which is making the June 29th concert possible. Anderson was Harvard Band Leader
Leroy Anderson is widely recognized by band leaders across the U.S. for his tightly crafted arrangements for bands. He was given the American Bandmaster's Association's prestigious "Goldman Award" in 1963 in recognition for his "enormous contribution to the American band repertoire." Leroy Anderson was a band musician as an undergraduate student at Harvard where he majored in music and played trombone in the Harvard University Band. He directed the Harvard Band from 1929 to 1936 while pursuing a doctorate in German and Scandinavian languages. He wrote many arrangements of Harvard and other college's songs which are still performed today, some 70 years after he wrote them. More more information, visit Leroy Anderson's official website: www.leroyanderson.com. Woodbury, Connecticut
Leroy Anderson Exhibit An extensive and authoritative exhibit depicting the life and music of Leroy Anderson, created specially for the Leroy Anderson Centennial. Leroy Anderson Commemoration
United States Military Academy Band Special thanks to the following for providing free publicity of the Leroy Anderson Centennial Celebration in Connecticut: Voices Newspaper, Woodbury The Heritage Villager, Southbury The Waterbury Republican-American Newspaper, Chris Gardner and Rick Harrison Litchfield County Times Newspaper, Daniela Forte Danbury News Times, Tricia Carr Middlebury Bee Intelligencer Newspaper, Middlebury WFSB Channel 3 Television, Hartford WTNH Channel 8 Television, New Haven Top of Page |
On June 28th at the U.S. Post Office in Woodbury, a commemorative postal cancellation was made available beginning at 8 a.m. Anderson's son-in-law, architect Peter Vercelli, designed the postal cancellation to depict themes Anderson expressed in his pieces: a clock, a cat, a typewriter, a bugle and a trumpet, all going for a ride inside a sleigh. The text for a commemorative card was written by Anderson's daughter, Jane Anderson Vercelli.
Over 250 people obtained a "First Day issue" of the cancellation on June 28, 2008 as well as a free commemorative postcard designed and written by the composer's daughter Jane Anderson Vercelli.
Biography | Hear the Music | Website Store | Newsletter | Published Music | Guestbook | Contact | Site Map | Home
© 2001 – 2008 Woodbury Music Company LLC 06798