[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [notes]

Harry T. Burleigh

Born December 2, 1866, in Erie, Pennsylvania. His musical inclination can be traced back to his mother's father or mother's grandfather, who was an escaped plantation slave. Harry's grandfather sang the songs he worked with on the plantation to Harry, inspiring his love of music. Despite his mother's college education and fluency in Greek and French she could not achieve a non-domestic job, so Harry had to take several jobs to help with the family's financial burdens.

Because of his financial insecurity he did not begin formal musical education until the age of 26 in 1892, when he attempted to enter the National Conservatory of Music, which was holding auditions for scholarships. Though he did not make the original audition, the school's registrar and an acquaintance of a friend, one Mrs. Russell managed to get him an audition. Finally after a private audition with the registrar he received a scholarship.

He studied voice, harmony, and counterpoint. He also played in the orchestra and was its librarian. Because his scholarship only covered his tuition he had to work to feed, cloth, and shelter himself. Some days he was so short on money he could not afford to buy food to eat.

When Antonin Dvorak became the director of the conservatory, he was probably the most influential person on shaping his life as a composer. Dvorak encouraged other students to use his philosophy and melodies he heard Burleigh sing. His major feat during this time was his Symphony no. 9, "From the New World" which premiered in December 1893. He used parts of the spiritual, "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," as a theme in the first movement.

In January 1894, Burleigh, along with Sissieretta Jones, sang solo in Dvorak's arrangement of "Old Folks at Home". Also in this year he was selected to be the baritone soloist position at St. George's Episcopal Church of New York. This was a beginning of a fifty-two year relationship, in which the income allowed Burleigh to focus on his musical studies.

Within the next six years he completed his studies at the conservatory and taught sight-singing there from 1895 until 1898. He married Louise Alston in 1898 and their son, Alston, was born the following year. Three of his earlier songs were also published this year by G. Schirmer. In 1900 he became the editor for G. Ricordi, and was selected as the first African-American to serve as soloist for Temple Emanu-El, an affluent New York Synagogue.

By 1916, Burleigh had published several works, most well known among these were "Jean" in 1903, "Ethiopia Saluting the Colors" in 1915, "Saracen Songs" in 1914, and "Five Songs by Laurence Hope" in 1915. In 1916 he rearranged the spiritual "Deep River".
The estimations of songs written by Burleigh ranges from 200 to 300 including arrangements used in musicologist Henry E. Krehbeil's 1914 collection, Afro- American Folksongs. The revenues form his songs provided for his extensive travels, including several trips to Europe. He even preformed for famous people such as the king and queen of England and President Theodore Roosevelt.

Illness forced Burleigh into retirement in 1946, which he remained until his death on September 12, 1949. His funeral was at St. George's with 2,000 people to mourn his death. ^{[ 1 ]}

[Kurt Wagner]

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [notes]