Leroy Anderson ( ) (June 29, 1908 – May 18, 1975) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

of short, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the

Boston Pops Orchestra The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symp ...

under the direction of

Arthur Fiedler Arthur Fiedler (December 17, 1894 – July 10, 1979) was an American conductor known for his association with both the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one o ...

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

described him as "one of the great American masters of light orchestral music."

Early life

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Swedish parents, Anderson was given his first piano lessons by his mother, who was a church organist. He continued studying piano at the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music Music school, conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The ...

. In 1925, Anderson entered

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

, where he studied musical harmony with Walter Spalding, counterpoint with

Edward Ballantine Edward Ballantine (August 6, 1886 – July 2, 1971), was an American composer and professor of music. Biography Edward Ballantine was born in Oberlin, Ohio, on August 6, 1886, the son of William Gay Ballantine, the fourth president of Oberlin Col ...

, canon and fugue with William C. Heilman, orchestration with Edward B. Hill and

Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter Ha ...

, composition, also with Piston, and double bass with Gaston Dufresne. He also studied organ with Henry Gideon. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts,

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

in 1929 and was elected to

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

."Syncopated Clock, Indeed"; Janet Frank, The American Scholar, Summer 2008, Phi Beta Kappa Society At Harvard University Graduate School, he studied composition with Walter Piston and

George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei. Biog ...

and received a Master of Arts in Music in 1930. He and his brother played in dance orchestras on Scandinavian cruise ships in the summers of 1930 and 1931.

Career

Anderson continued studying at Harvard, working towards a PhD in German and Scandinavian languages; Anderson spoke English and Swedish during his youth, and eventually became fluent in Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese. At the time, he was working as organist and choir director at the East Milton

Congregational Church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

, leading the

Harvard University Band The Harvard University Band (HUB) is the official student band of Harvard University. The Harvard Wind Ensemble, the Harvard Summer Pops Band, and the Harvard Jazz Bands also fall under the umbrella organization of HUB. Currently, the band plays f ...

, and conducting and arranging for dance bands around Boston. In 1936 his arrangements came to the attention of

, who asked to see any original compositions that he could use in his concerts as the 18th conductor of the

at Symphony Hall. Anderson's first work was the 1938 "Jazz Pizzicato", but at just over ninety seconds, the piece was too short for a three-minute 78 rpm single of the period. Fiedler suggested writing a companion piece, and Anderson wrote '"Jazz Legato" later that same year. The combined recording went on to become one of Anderson's signature compositions. In 1942, Anderson joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, and was assigned in Iceland with the U.S. Counterintelligence Corps as a translator and interpreter, writing as well as monitoring local news media; in 1945 he was reassigned to

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

as Chief of the Scandinavian Desk of Military Intelligence. His duties did not, however, prevent him from composing, and in 1945 he wrote "

The Syncopated Clock "The Syncopated Clock" is a piece of light music by American composer Leroy Anderson, which has become a feature of the pops orchestra repertoire. Composition Anderson wrote "The Syncopated Clock" in 1945 while serving with the U.S. Army and a ...

" and "Promenade". Anderson became a reserve officer and was recalled to active duty for the Korean War. He wrote his first hit, "

Blue Tango "Blue Tango" is an instrumental composition by Leroy Anderson, written for orchestra in 1951 and published in 1952. It was later turned into a popular song with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Numerous artists have since covered "Blue Tango". Song his ...

", in 1951, earning a Golden Disc and the No. 1 spot on the ''Billboard'' charts. His pieces and his recordings during the 1950s conducting a studio orchestra were immense commercial successes. "Blue Tango" was the first instrumental recording ever to sell one million copies. His most famous pieces are probably "

Sleigh Ride "Sleigh Ride" is a light orchestra standard composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had formed the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946, and he finished the work in February 1948. The original recordings were instrument ...

" and "The Syncopated Clock". In February 1951,

WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–licensed independent station WL ...

in New York City selected "The Syncopated Clock" as the theme song for ''The Late Show'', the WCBS late-night movie, using

Percy Faith Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizing the "easy listenin ...

's recording.

Mitchell Parish Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 190 ...

added words to "The Syncopated Clock", and later wrote lyrics for other Anderson tunes, including "Sleigh Ride", which was not written as a Christmas piece, but as a work that describes a winter event. Anderson started the work during a heat wave in August 1946. The Boston Pops' recording of it was the first pure orchestral piece to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Music chart. From 1952 to 1961, Anderson's composition "Plink, Plank, Plunk!" was used as the theme for the CBS panel show ''

I've Got a Secret ''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Line ...

''. Anderson's musical style employs creative instrumental effects and occasionally makes use of sound-generating items such as typewriters and sandpaper. Anderson wrote his Piano Concerto in C in 1953 but withdrew it, feeling that it had weak spots. The Anderson family decided to publish the work in 1988.

Erich Kunzel Erich Kunzel, Jr. (March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the ''Chicago Tribune'', he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati ...

and the

Cincinnati Pops Orchestra The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same ...

released the first recording of this work; four other recordings, including one for piano and organ, have since been released. In 1958, Anderson composed the music for the Broadway show ''

Goldilocks "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...

'' with orchestrations by

Philip J. Lang Philip J. Lang (17 April 1911, in New York – 22 February 1986, in Branford, Connecticut) was an American musical arranger, orchestrator and composer of band music, as well as a musical educator. He is credited for writing the orchestral arrangeme ...

. Even though it earned two Tony awards, ''Goldilocks'' did not achieve commercial success. Anderson never wrote another musical, preferring instead to continue writing orchestral miniatures. His pieces, including "

The Typewriter "The Typewriter" is a short composition of light music by American composer Leroy Anderson, which features an actual typewriter as a percussion instrument. Composition Anderson completed "The Typewriter" on October 9, 1950 in Woodbury, Connect ...

", "Bugler's Holiday", and " A Trumpeter's Lullaby" are performed by orchestras and bands ranging from school groups to professional organizations. Anderson appeared with the Boston Pops on May 18, 1972 which was broadcast by PBS and conducted "The Typewriter" as an encore while Fiedler played the carriage return percussive part. The Boston Pops used the audio of that performance along with some video in a tribute film to Fiedler. American film comedian

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

recorded a sketch in black and white using the stage name Pietro Del Canto using a real typewriter and an even cleverer sketch in colour miming with an imaginary typewriter, both to the sound of this tune. Anderson was initiated as an honorary member of the Gamma Omega chapter of

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...

Indiana State University Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...

in 1969.

Personal life

Anderson married Eleanor Jane Firke in 1942. They raised two sons and a daughter, while living in a custom-designed house in Woodbury, Connecticut.

Death

In 1975, Anderson died of cancer in

Woodbury, Connecticut Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,723 at the 2020 census. The town center, comprising the adjacent villages of Woodbury and North Woodbury, is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Woo ...

and was buried there. He was 66.

In popular culture

For his contribution to the recording industry, Leroy Anderson has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

at 1620 Vine Street. He was posthumously inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

in 1988, and his music continues to be a staple of "pops" orchestra repertoire. In 1995 the new headquarters of the Harvard University Band was named the Anderson Band Center in honor of Leroy Anderson. The Leroy Anderson House in Woodbury, Connecticut has been placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. In 2006, one of his piano works, "Forgotten Dreams", written in 1954, became the background for a British TV advertisement for mobile phone company 3. Previously, Los Angeles station

KABC-TV KABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast of the United States, West Coast Flagship (broadcasting), flagship of the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network. ...

used the song as its sign-off theme at the end of broadcast days in the 1980s, and

Mantovani Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (; 15 November 1905 – 29 March 1980) was an Anglo-Italian conductor, composer and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. The book ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' stat ...

's recording of the song had been the closing theme for

WABC-TV WABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios in the Lincoln Square neighbor ...

's '' Eyewitness News'' for much of the 1970s. "Forgotten Dreams" was used as a recurring theme in the French film '' Populaire'' (2012). ''The Typewriter'' was used as the theme song for ''Esto no tiene nombre'', a Puerto Rican television comedy program – loosely based on the TV series ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

'' – produced by

Tommy Muñiz Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez (4 February 1922 – 15 January 2009), better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner. He is considered to be one of the pioneerin ...

between the late 1960s and late 1970s. It is also the signature tune for the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

series ''

The News Quiz ''The News Quiz'' is a British topical panel game broadcast on BBC Radio 4. History ''The News Quiz'' was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently, it was chaired by Barry Took from 1979 to 1981, Simon Hoggart f ...

'', which has been running since 1977.

Works

;Orchestral compositions * ''Alma Mater'' (1954) *# ''Chapel Bells'' *# ''Freshman on Main Street'' *# ''Library Reading Room'' *# ''Class Reunion'' *''Arietta'' (1962) *''Balladette'' (1962) *''Belle of the Ball'' (1951) *''

'' (1951) *''Brunoniana: Songs of Brown'' (1947), a medley of Brown University songs *''Bugler's Holiday'' (1954) *''The Captains and the Kings'' (1962) *''Concerto in C Major for Piano and Orchestra'' (1953) (withdrawn by the composer, and released posthumously) *''China Doll'' (1951) *''Clarinet Candy'' (1962) *'' Fiddle-Faddle'' (1947) *''The First Day of Spring'' (1954) *''Forgotten Dreams'' (1954) *''The Girl in Satin'' (1953) *''The Golden Years'' (1962) *''Governor Bradford March'' (1948) (published posthumously) * ''Harvard Sketches'' (1938) (later renamed ''Alma Mater'') *# ''Lowell House Bells'' *# ''Freshman in Harvard Square'' *# ''Widener Reading Room'' *# ''Class Day Confetti Battle'' *''Home Stretch'' (1962) *''Horse and Buggy'' (1951) *''Jazz Legato'' (1938) *''Jazz Pizzicato'' (1938) *''Lullaby of the Drums'' (1970) (published posthumously) *''March of the Two Left Feet'' (1970) *''Mother's Whistler'' (1940) (published posthumously) *''The Penny Whistle Song'' (1951) *''The Phantom Regiment'' (1951) *''Pirate Dance'' (1962) (optional SATB chorus) *''Plink, Plank, Plunk!'' (1951) *''Promenade'' (1945) *''The Pussy Foot Ballet Music'' (1962) *''Pyramid Dance'' (1962) (optional SATB chorus) *''

Sandpaper Ballet ''Sandpaper Ballet'' is a ballet choreographed by Mark Morris (choreographer), Mark Morris to music by Leroy Anderson. It was created for the San Francisco Ballet, and premiered on April 27, 1999, at the War Memorial Opera House. Production Cho ...

'' (1954) *''Saraband'' (1948) *''Serenata'' (1947) *''

'' (1948) *''Song of the Bells'' (1953) *''Summer Skies'' (1953) *''

'' (1945) *''Ticonderoga March'' (1939) (Anderson's only work written for concert band) *'' A Trumpeter's Lullaby'' (1949) *''

'' (1950) *''Waltz Around the Scale'' (1970) *''The Waltzing Cat'' (1950) ;Orchestral arrangements *''Birthday Party'' (1970) *'' Chicken Reel'' (1946) *''A Christmas Festival'' (1950) (original version was 9:00, later shortened in 1952 to 5:45) *''Classical Jukebox'' (1950) *''Harvard Fantasy'' (1936) *''A Harvard Festival'' (1969) * ''Irish Suite'' (1947 and 1949) *# ''

The Irish Washerwoman "The Irish Washerwoman" is a traditional jig known to have been played throughout Britain and Ireland and in North America. Although usually considered an Irish tune, some scholars claim that it is English in origin, derived from the seventeenth-c ...

'' (1947) *# ''

The Minstrel Boy "The Minstrel Boy" is an Irish song written by Thomas Moore (1779–1852) and published as part of his ''Irish Melodies''. Moore himself came to be nicknamed "The Minstrel Boy", and indeed it is the title of Leonard Strong's 1937 biography of ...

'' (1947) *# '' The Rakes of Mallow'' (1947) *# '' The Wearing of the Green'' (1949) *# ''

The Last Rose of Summer "The Last Rose of Summer" is a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore. He wrote it in 1805, while staying at Jenkinstown Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he was said to have been inspired by a specimen of Rosa 'Old Blush'. The poem is ...

'' (1947) *# ''

The Girl I Left Behind Me "The Girl I Left Behind", also known as "The Girl I Left Behind Me", is an English folk song dating back to the Elizabethan era. It is said to have been played when soldiers left for war or a naval vessel set sail. According to other sources ...

'' (1949) * ''Scottish Suite'' (1954) *# ''

Bonnie Dundee Bonnie Dundee is the title of a poem and a song written by Walter Scott in 1825 in honour of John Graham, 7th Laird of Claverhouse, who was created 1st Viscount Dundee in November 1688, then in 1689 led a Jacobite rising in which he died, beco ...

'' (published posthumously) *# ''Turn Ye to Me'' *# '' The Bluebells of Scotland'' *# ''

The Campbells Are Coming "The Campbells Are Coming" is a Scottish song associated with Clan Campbell. The tune, a traditional Scottish air, is similar to "The Town of Inveraray" ( gd, "Baile Ionaraora") ("I was at a wedding in the town of Inveraray / Most wretched of wed ...

'' (published posthumously) *''Second Regiment Connecticut National Guard March'' (1973) *''Song of Jupiter'' (1951) *''Suite of Carols for Brass Choir'' (1955) (seven carols) *''Suite of Carols for String Orchestra'' (1955) (six carols) *Suite of Carols for Woodwind Ensemble (1955) (six carols) *''To a Wild Rose'' (1970) (arranged from the song by

Edward MacDowell Edward Alexander MacDowell (December 18, 1860January 23, 1908) was an American composer and pianist of the late Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites ''Woodland Sketches'', ''Sea Pieces'' and ''Ne ...

) (published posthumously) *''

Old MacDonald Had a Farm "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" (sometimes shortened to Old MacDonald) is a traditional children's song and nursery rhyme about a farmer and the various animals he keeps. Each verse of the song changes the name of the animal and its respective noise ...

'' *'' Seventy-Six Trombones'' ;Musical theater compositions *''My Sister Eileen'' (1952) (the music is lost) * ''

Goldilocks (musical) ''Goldilocks'' is a musical with a book by Jean and Walter Kerr, music by Leroy Anderson, and lyrics by the Kerrs and Joan Ford. Background A parody of the silent film era when directors made quickie one-reelers overnight, it focuses on Maggie Ha ...

'' (1958) *# Overture (1958) *# Bad Companions (1958) *# Come to Me (1958) *# Give the Little Lady (1958) *# Guess Who (1958) *# Heart of Stone (Pyramid Dance) (1958) *# He'll Never Stray (1958) *# Hello (1958) *# I Can't Be in Love (1958) *# I Never Know When to Say When (1958) *# If I Can't Take it With Me (1958) *# Lady in Waiting (1958) *# Lazy Moon (1958) *# Little Girls (1958) *# My Last Spring (1958) *# No One Will Ever Love You (1958) *# Save a Kiss (1958) *# Shall I Take My Heart and Go? (1958) *# Tag-a-long Kid (1958) *# The Beast in You (1958) *# The Pussy Foot (1958) *# There Never Was a Woman (1958) *# Town House Maxixe (1958) *# Two Years in the Making (1958) *# Who's Been Sitting in My Chair? (1958) * ''Gone With the Wind'' (1961) *# I'm Too Young to Be a Widow *# Fiddle-Dee-Dee *# This Lovely World ;Vocal compositions *''Do You Think That Love Is Here to Stay?'' (1935) *''Love May Come and Love May Go'' (1935) *''The Music in My Heart'' (1935) *''You Can Always Tell a Harvard Man'' (1962) *''What's the Use of Love?'' (1935) ;Organ compositions *''Cambridge Centennial March of Industry'' (1946) *''Easter Song'' (194-) *''Wedding March for Jane and Peter'' (1972) ;Other compositions *''Hens and Chickens'' (1966) (for beginning piano) *''Chatterbox'' (1966) (for beginning piano) *''Melody on Two Notes'' (~1965) (for beginning orchestra) *''An Old Fashioned Song'' (196-) (for beginning piano) *''Piece for Rolf'' (1961) (for two cellos) *''The Cowboy and His Horse'' (1966) (for beginning piano) *''The Whistling Kettle'' (~1965) (for beginning orchestra) *''Woodbury Fanfare'' (1959) (for four trumpets)

Discography

The following is a selected discography of original recordings by Leroy Anderson. They were released from 1958 to 1962 on 33 rpm discs and on digitally remastered compact discs released posthumously. 78 rpm and 45 rpm discs from 1945 to 1962, and releases of identical recordings on different labels in U.K., Germany, New Zealand and elsewhere, are not listed. ;Recordings by Leroy Anderson * ''Leroy Anderson Conducts His Own Compositions'' (Decca DL 7509; 1950) * ''Leroy Anderson Conducts His Own Compositions Vol. 2'' (Decca DL 7519; 1951) * ''Leroy Anderson's Irish Suite'' (Decca DL 4050; 1952) * ''Christmas Carols'' (Decca DL-8193; 1955) * ''Leroy Anderson conducts Blue Tango and Other Favorites'' (Decca DL 8121; 1958) * ''A Christmas Festival'' (Decca DL 78925 (s); 1959) * ''Leroy Anderson Conducts Leroy Anderson'' (Decca DL 78865 (s); 1959) * ''Leroy Anderson Conducts His Music'' (Decca DL 78954 (s); 1960) * ''The New Music of Leroy Anderson'' (Decca DL 74335 (s); 1962) * ''The Leroy Anderson Collection'' (Digitally remastered from original Decca analog recordings) (MCA Classics MCAD2-9815-A & B; 1988) * ''The Best of Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride'' (Digitally remastered from original Decca analog master recordings) (MCA Classics MCAD −11710; 1997)

Honors and awards

* Phi Beta Kappa, elected June 17, 1929. * Music Director, Harvard University Band 1929, 1931–1935 * Gold Record, ''Blue Tango'', 1952 * Member, Board of Directors, ASCAP, New York, New York 1960–1964 * Member, Music Department Committee, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1962–1968 * Goldman Citation, American Bandmasters Association, March 10, 1966 * Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Gamma Omega Chapter (honorary member), Indiana State University, 1969 * Member of Board of Directors of symphony orchestras: ** New Haven, Connecticut 1969–1975 ** Hartford, Connecticut 1971–1975 * Honorary Doctorate (Ph.D), Portia Law School, Boston, Massachusetts June 1971 * Honorary Doctorate (Ph.D), Western New England College, Springfield, Massachusetts May 1974 * Star on the

, 1976 * Named to

, April 18, 1988 * Anderson Band Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University, dedicated October 26, 1995 * Leroy Anderson Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, dedicated May 31, 2003

Bibliography

;English ;;Books * Burgess Speed, Eleanor Anderson, Steve Metcalf: ''Leroy Anderson: A Bio-Bibliography'' (Praeger, 2004) * Howard Pollack, ''Harvard Composers – Walter Piston and his Students'' (The Scarecrow Press, 1992) * Edward Jablonski, ''The Encyclopedia of American Music'' (Doubleday & Co., Inc. 1981) * George McCue, ''Music in American Society 1776–1976'' (Transaction Books., 1977) * Christopher Pavlakis, ''The American Music Handbook'' (MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1974) * David Ewen, ''Popular American Composers – from Revolutionary Times to the Present'' (H.W. Wilson Co., 1962) * Jan-Erik Ander & Jeremy Lamb (translator): ''New Sweden 1638–1988'' (Swedish National Committee for New Sweden '88, 1992) * Steven Ledbetter: ''100 Years of the Boston Pops'' (Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., 1985) ;;Periodicals * Joseph Smith: ''Leroy Anderson – Scandinavian Review'' (American-Scandinavian Foundation, 2009) * Eliot Spalding: ''Vita: Leroy Anderson'' (Harvard Review, 1993) * Janet Frank: ''Syncopated Clock, Indeed!'' (The American Scholar – Phi Beta Kappa Society, 2008) * Jane Anderson Vercelli: ''Composer Leroy Anderson: Cambridge Born and Bred'' (The Newetowne Chronicle – Cambridge Historical Society, 2008) * Joanne Kaufmann: ''Leroy Anderson: Tuneful Blade Runner'' (Wall Street Journal, 1995) * Anthony Tommasini: ''Tuneful Gems from a Master: Leroy Anderson'' (New York Times, 1996) * Frederick Fennell: ''Music by Leroy Anderson'' (The Instrumentalist, 1990) * Anders Neumueller, editor: ''Leroy Anderson'' (Swedish Press Society, 1994) * Andrew & Martha Sherman, editors: ''Annual Report dedication to Leroy Anderson'' (Town of Woodbury, 2008) * Anthony Tommasini: ''Not Bach or Beethoven, but Leroy Anderson Is the Composer for Now'' (New York Times, April 22, 2020) ;Swedish * Svea: ''Svenskättling Berömd Amerikansk Kompositör''; Worcester, Massachusetts USA; (Svea Publishing Company, weekly Swedish American newspaper, November 10, 1949) * Norra Strö Hembygdsförening: ''Norra Strö: Bygden och Folket'' (Norra Strö Hembygdsförening, 2009) '' – documentation of Leroy Anderson's parents birthplaces in Sweden'' * Carin Dohlman: ''Leroy Andersons Julmusik''; Wellesley, Massachusetts USA; (Gult och Blatt i Boston-New England, 2009) ;German * Hans-Walter Berg: ''Leroy Anderson: ein Meister der Miniatur''; Buchloe, Germany; (Neue Blasmusik, 1992)

References

External links

*
Leroy Anderson Foundation

Once Upon a Sleigh Ride
nbsp;— PBS Web site devoted to a 1999 documentary about Anderson; biographical sketches, photographs, etc.
Leroy Anderson Papers at Yale University Music Library

Eleanor Anderson
nbsp;— NAMM Oral History Interview (2007)
Kurt Anderson
nbsp;— NAMM Oral History Interview (2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Leroy 1908 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century classical composers 20th-century American male musicians American classical composers American classical musicians American male classical composers American music arrangers American people of Swedish descent Classical musicians from Massachusetts Decca Records artists Deaths from cancer in Connecticut Easy listening musicians Harvard College alumni Light music composers Military personnel from Massachusetts Musicians from Cambridge, Massachusetts People from Woodbury, Connecticut Pupils of Walter Piston Writers from Cambridge, Massachusetts