Percy Lee Atherton (September 25, 1871 – March 8, 1944) was a Harvard educated American composer and a music teacher. His musical compositions include songs, chamber music, and several comic operas.

Early life

Atherton was born into a prominent Boston, Massachusetts, family. His father, William Atherton (1821–1891) had been a partner since 1852 of "Atherton, Stetson and Company", dealers in leather and one of Boston's most successful business at the time. His father was also a vice president of the Home Savings Bank, and a director of the First National Bank of Boston which was founded in 1864. His mother was Mary Edwards Dwight (1838–1915), the daughter of William R. Dwight And Mary Warren Fiske of Brooklyn, New York, and the great great granddaughter of

Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards may refer to: Musicians *Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, pseudonym of bandleader Paul Weston and his wife, singer Jo Stafford *Jonathan Edwards (musician) (born 1946), American musician ** ''Jonathan Edwards'' (album), debut album ...

. His paternal uncle, Samuel Atherton (1815–1895), is credited to having greatly improved the financial standing of the family, having established himself in business as a retail dealer in boots and shoes, first entering into partnership with

Caleb Stetson Caleb Stetson (January 6, 1801 – January 1885) was an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Democrat, in 1852 he was elected to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In the legislature ...

, then admitting his two younger brothers, James (1819–1879) and William, as partners in 1852. Samuel was a director of the New England Bank, Prescott Insurance Company, Massachusetts Loan and Trust Company, President of the Dorchester Gas-Light Company, Director of the

Central Massachusetts Railroad The Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. The eastern terminus of the line was at North Cambridge Junction where it split off from the Middlesex Central Branch of the Boston and Lowell Railroad in North Cambridge and ...

, as well as being connected with many other corporations. Samuel was a member of the

Massachusetts State Legislature The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...

in 1867, 1870 and 1877. He was elected to the

New England Genealogical Society The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. NEHGS provides family history services through its staff, original scholarship, website, (1784–1877), who also had a good voice and ear for music, and was a founding member of the Stoughton Musical Society.

Education

Atherton studied at the

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...

and attended the

Phillips Academy ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

in Andover, Massachusetts, graduating in 1889. Music was his passion. He studied with John Knowles Paine. Atherton entered

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, graduating in 1893 with honors in music.

Musical studies and travels in Europe

Atherton's father had passed away just two years prior to his graduation and his widowed mother made arrangements for a cultural trip to Europe following his graduation. Atherton first traveled to England in 1895 with his architect cousin, Walter Atherton. He returned with his mother and brother, sailing from New York, this time to Liverpool in 1898, prior to onward travel to France and Germany for his musical studies. He studied musical theory and composition in Europe; initially at the Bavarian Music School (Königliche bayerische Musikschule), (now known as the

University of Music and Performing Arts Munich The University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater München), also known as the Munich Conservatory, is a performing arts conservatory in Munich, Germany. The main building it currently occupies is ...

), along with the Munich Conservatory for 2 years, under the guidance of German organist and composer Josef Rheinberger, and the Austrian composer and teacher Ludwig Thuille. He then studied under the American (German based) Otis Bardwell Boise in Berlin in 1896; then in 1900 he studied with the Italian composer

Giovanni Sgambati Giovanni Sgambati (28 May 1841 – 14 December 1914) was an Italian pianist and composer. Biography Born in Rome, to an Italian father and an English mother, Sgambati, who lost his father early, received his early education at Trevi, in Umbria ...

in Rome; and finally with the French organist

Charles Marie Widor Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (21 February 1844 – 12 March 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher of the mid-Romantic era, most notable for his ten organ symphonies. His Toccata from the fifth organ symphony has become one of the ...

in Paris.

Musical career

Upon his return from Europe, he was involved with the New England Conservatory of Music, as well as Symphony Hall, Boston. He was also a member of the Harvard Musical Association. Atherton composed several comic operas, including ''The Heir Apparent'' (1890) and ''The Maharaja'' (1900), an Oriental opera comique. In addition, he wrote dozens of songs and a number of pieces for violin and piano, romances, folk songs, waltzes and numerous works of chamber music, pianoforte pieces and many songs, and a number of violin and piano pieces; all which entered public domain in 2015. A selection of works are listed below:

Vocal composition list

* ''A memory'', words by Leslie Salmon * ''Cradle song, op. 20'' (4 songs) no. 2, words by

Thomas Bailey Aldrich Thomas Bailey Aldrich (; November 11, 1836 – March 19, 1907) was an American writer, poet, critic, and editor. He is notable for his long editorship of ''The Atlantic, The Atlantic Monthly'', during which he published writers including Charles ...

) * ''If I but look within thine eyes, op. 15'' no. 1, words by

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

) * ''Like a Queen, op. 16'', two poems by Sir William Watson) * ''Rondel'', words by

Algernon Charles Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as ''Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...

) * ''Stars of the summer night, op. 20'' (4 songs) no. 3, words by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

) * ''Thy soft blue eyes beloved, op. 30'' (3 songs) no. 1, words by

) * ''When birds were songless on the bough, op. 16'', two poems by Sir William Watson) no. 2 * ''With rue my heart is laden'', words by

Alfred Edward Housman Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936) was an English classical scholar and poet. After an initially poor performance while at university, he took employment as a clerk in London and established his academic reputation by pub ...

) * ''A Christmas folk song, op.36, No. 3'', words by Lizette Woodsworth Reese Many of his songs were sung at musicals by leading artists.

Philanthropy and preservation of musical heritage

Atherton was very much a patron on the arts and a public figure as a celebrated Boston composer. During August 1918 he worked with Louis Kronberg, a Boston artist on a Greek Harvest Festival, in honor of

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although s ...

in a natural amphitheater in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In addition to creating his own compositions, he appreciated the preservation of musical heritage, and being a philanthropist, he became focused on music manuscript preservation at a national level, becoming highly involved with the performing arts reading room at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, from 1921. In 1934 the Harvard Musical Association records him as living in Washington. This position afforded him access to people of influence and was respected by his close friend from his Boston days, the French born American

Carl Engel Carl Engel (July 21, 1883 – May 6, 1944) was a France, French-born United States, American pianist, composer, musicologist and publisher from Paris. He was also president of G. Schirmer, Inc., a writer on music for The Musical Quarterly, a ...

, who for a time was the Head the Library of Congress Music Division. Atherton served as the interim head of the music division of the Library of Congress of the United States (1929 to 1942), which had been established in 1896 within the

Thomas Jefferson Building The Thomas Jefferson Building is the oldest of the four United States Library of Congress buildings. Built between 1890 and 1897, it was originally known as the Library of Congress Building. It is now named for the 3rd U.S. president Thomas Jeffe ...

in 1897. During his tenure thousands of music and literary manuscripts had been deposited in the Library's collection; through both donations and purchases. Particularly influential was

Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge aka Liz Coolidge (30 October 1864 – 4 November 1953), born Elizabeth Penn Sprague, was an American pianist and patron of music, especially of chamber music. Biography Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge's father was a we ...

and Gertrude Clarke Whittall, who donated many highly collectible musical instruments during the 1930s. Both women had the financial resources, social standing, and commitment to greatly expand the library's footprint; as well as help preserve musical heritage for the enjoyment of future generations.

Personal life

Atherton grew up at 144 Warren Avenue in the Highlands area of

Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts. Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for n ...

. Although Roxbury was incorporated as a city in 1846, by the time Atherton was born, it had been annexed as part of Boston in 1868 and became known as the Boston Highlands. He was independent in politics. Atherton had three siblings: Mary Louise Atherton (1863–1908); Frederick Atherton (1865–1936), who also graduated from

in 1882 and Harvard in 1886; and Edward Dwight Atherton, who studied at The Hill School, Pottstown, Pennsylvania. His brother Frederick was a trustee for the Atherton family's interests and also was one of three trustees named to administer the portion of the estate of Arioch Wentworth left to found the Wentworth Institute of Technology in 1904. Atherton remained unmarried all his life, and lived most of his life at the Atherton family home at 144 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, after moving there with his parents in 1880, and remained there until 1921 – six years after his mother's death. In 1909 he is listed in the ''Boston Blue Book'' as a member of the exclusive

St. Botolph Club The St. Botolph Club is a private social club in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1880 by a group including many artists. Its name is derived from the English saint Botwulf of Thorney. Among the club's other activities in its quarters at 2 Newb ...

, at 199 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. He was also a member of a variety of other clubs including; the Audubon Society, the Longwood Cricket Club, the Composers Club of Boston, the

Harvard Musical Association The Harvard Musical Association is a private charitable organization founded by Harvard University graduates in 1837 for the purposes of advancing musical culture and literacy, both at the university and in the city of Boston. Though initially a s ...

, the Harvard Musical Club and the Harvard Club of Boston and

Harvard Club of New York The Harvard Club of New York City, commonly called The Harvard Club, is a private social club located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Its membership is limited to alumni, faculty, and boardmembers of Harvard University. Incorporated in 1 ...

. He was also a trustee at Boston Library. His cousin was Florence Atherton Spalding, the daughter of George Faxon, Director of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society; and a fine tenor singer, using the stage name "Florence Atherton". She was also a descendant of Major General Humphrey Atherton. Florence was a Boston music teacher and composer who married George Frederick Spalding of Newton, Massachusetts in 1885. Their son, John Varnum Spalding, was an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1944 to 1971. He was a friend with the author Henry Gilbert and the correspondence exchange has been preserved by Yale as part of the Henry Gilbert Collection. He composed music to the poems of the author Charlotte Perkins Gilman, with their correspondence being preserved within the Schlesinger Collection of Harvard University. Atherton died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Ventnor City, New Jersey, aged 72, on March 8, 1944. However he was buried in Massachusetts.

Legacy

Among his bequests in his will was $15,000 as a Harvard Scholarship Fund for students with musical talent; $1000 to the music division of the Library of Congress; $1000 to Barney Neighborhood House in Wheat Row, $500 to the Harvard Music Association and $500 each to the North End and South End Schools in Boston. Atherton was also a 1st cousin once removed of the former US diplomat and Harvard alumnus

Ray Atherton Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

. and Walter Atherton, to whom he bequeathed $7,500 in his will. William C. Heilman was nominated in his will to select and publish any music manuscripts "in favor of the estate".

Ancestry

Atherton is a direct descendant of Major General Humphrey Atherton.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, Percy Lee 1871 births 1944 deaths 19th-century American composers 19th-century American male musicians 19th-century classical composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical composers American classical composers American male classical composers American music educators American musicologists Classical musicians from Massachusetts Harvard College alumni Musicians from Boston