Sowerby Leo Sowerby

Leo Salkeld Sowerby (May 1, 1895 – July 7, 1968), American composer and church musician, was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1946, and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid 20th century.

Biography

Leo Sowerby, son of Florence Gertrude Salkeld and John Sowerby, was born on May 1, 1895, in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Anon. 1900), where he began to compose at the age of ten. His interest in the organ began at the age of 15, he was self-taught at the instrument. He studied composition with Arthur Olaf Andersen at the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago (Gleason n.d.). Early recognition came when his Violin Concerto was premiered in 1913 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Stalford & Meckna 2001). He spent time in France during World War I in the role of bandmaster (Gleason n.d.). In 1921 he was awarded the Rome Prize (from the American Academy in Rome), the first composer to receive this. He joined the American Conservatory of Music as faculty in 1924 (Gleason n.d.). In addition he received the 1946 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his cantata, the Canticle of the Sun, written in 1944 (Stalford & Meckna 2001; Anon. n.d.)

In 1927 he became organist-choirmaster at St James’s Episcopal Church, Chicago, which was consecrated as a cathedral while he was there (1955). Previously, Sowerby was associate organist at Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago (1919).

In 1962, after his retirement from St James’s, he was called to Washington National Cathedral to become the founding director of the College of Church Musicians, a position he held until his death in 1968 (Stalford & Meckna 2001). He died in Port Clinton, Ohio, while at Camp Wa-Li-Ro, in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, the summer choir camp where he had taught for many years. He is buried in the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., United States (Tipton 2012).

His substantial output includes over 500 works in every genre but opera and ballet (Stalford & Meckna 2001). His later works, done at St James's, Chicago, and Washington Cathedral, are primarily church music for choir and organ. For Sowerby's notable pupils See: List of music students by teacher: R to S#Leo Sowerby.

Selected works

Choral

• Cantatas
  • A Liturgy of Hope (selections from the Psalms) (1917)
  • The Vision of Sir Launfal (poem of James Russell Lowell (1925)
  • Forsaken of Man (Passion setting, adapted from the Gospels by Edward Borgers) (1939)
  • The Canticle of the Sun (St Francis of Assisi) (1944)
  • Christ Reborn, for voices and organ (1950)
  • The Throne of God (Book of Revelation), for voices and orchestra (1956)
  • The Ark of the Covenant, for voices and organ (1961)
• Anthems
  • "Ad te levavi animam meam"
  • "Behold, O God our Defender"
  • "Christians, to the Paschal Victim"
  • "Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire"
  • "I was glad when they said unto me" (Psalm 122)
  • "I will lift up mine eyes" (Psalm 121)
  • "Love Came Down at Christmas"
  • "Now There Lightens Upon Us"
  • "Thy Word is a lantern" (in memory of President John F. Kennedy)
  • "Seeing We Also Are Compassed About" (Hebrews 12:1-2, commissioned by the Illinois Wesleyan University Collegiate Choir in the fall of 1957)

Solo voice with accompaniment

Originally published by H. W. Gray, reprinted by the Leo Sowerby Foundation, Bryn Mawr, Pa., Theodore Presser, sole selling agent, 1996.

• The Edge of Dreams, song cycle, with piano (Mark Turbyfill), H. 154 (1920)

1. "The Adventurer"
2. "After-thought"
3. "Sorrow"
4. "Pulse of Spring"
5. "The Forest of Dead Trees"
6. "O Love that has Come at All"

• "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes", with organ (Psalm 121), H. 147
• "O God of Light" (Matthew 5:13–16) (1934)
• "O Jesus, Lord of Mercy" (1934)
• " Perfect Love" (D. F. Gurney), H. 237 (1939)
• "Thou Art My Strength", with organ (Psalm 30)
• Three Psalms for bass and organ, H 189 (1949)

1. "Hear My Cry, O God" (Psalm 61)
2. "The Lord Is My Shepherd" (Psalm 23)
3. "How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me?"

• Three Psalms for baritone or contralto and organ, H. 228

1. "Whoso Dwelleth" (Psalm 91)
2. "O Be Joyful in the Lord" (Psalm 100)
3. "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes" (Psalm 121)

Organ solo

• Comes Autumn Time (1916)
• Carillon (1917)
• Requiescat in Pace (1920)
• Symphony in G (1930)
• Pageant (1931)
• Prelude on "The King's Majesty" (1945)
• Canon, Chacony, & Fugue (1948)
• Ten Hymn Preludes (published separately; 1950s)
• Sinfonia Brevis (1965)
• Passacaglia (1967)

Organ with other instruments

• Elevation, for violin and organ (1912)
• Ballade, for English horn and organ (1949)
• Festival Musick for organ, brass and timpani (1953)
  • Toccata on 'A.G.O.' (third movement of Festival Musick)
• Fantasy, for trumpet and organ (1962)

Orchestra

• Five symphonies
  • No. 1 (1921)
  • No. 2 (1927)
  • No. 3 (1939–40)
  • No. 4 (1944–47)
  • No. 5 (1964)
• Comes Autumn Time, "program overture" (organ version 1916; orchestrated 1917)
• From the Northland, suite for orchestra (1923)
• Prairie, symphonic poem for orchestra (1929)
• A Set of Four: A Suite of Ironics, published in 1931

Orchestra with solo instruments

• Violin Concerto in G major (1913, revised 1924)
• Cello Concerto in A major (1914–16)
• Piano Concerto no. 1 (1916, revised 1919)
• Ballad of King Estmere, for two pianos and orchestra (1922)
• Medieval Poem, for organ and orchestra (1926)
• Cello Concerto [no. 2] in E minor (1929–34)
• Piano Concerto no. 2 (1932)
• Organ Concerto no. 1 (1937)
• Classic Concerto, for organ and string orchestra (1944)
• Concerto in C, for organ and orchestra
• Harp Concerto
• Concert Piece, for organ and orchestra (1951)

Chamber music

• Three Violin Sonatas
  • No. 1 in A major
  • No. 2 in B-flat major (1922)
  • No. 3 in D major
• Sonata for Cello and Piano (1920)
• Sonata for Viola and Piano (also playable on clarinet)
• Piano Trio in C-sharp minor
• Serenade for string quartet in G major published 1921
• Wind Quintet (1916, published in 1931)
• Piano Sonata in D Major (1948, rev. 1964)
• Passacaglia for piano
• Sonata for trumpet and piano (1958)
• Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (1944)