#ClassicsaDay #NorthAmClassics Week 3, 2024
By Ralph Graves
Two countries celebrate their independence in July — and they just happen to be neighbors. On July 1, 1867, three separate British colonies were officially united. United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick became Canada.
On July 4, 1776, thirteen separate British colonies were officially united, becoming the United States of America.
The #ClassicsaDay challenge for July is to post music by Canadian and American composers. Both countries have created their own forms of classical music, independent of Europe’s.
Here are my social media posts for the second week of #NorthAmClassics. As in past years, I alternate between Canadian and American composers.
07/15/24 J. E. P. Aldous (1853–1934): Prelude and Fugue in D minor
Aldous emigrated from England to become the organist for Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Ontario. Most of his compositions were short works for organ and choirs.
07/16/24 Lukas Foss: Baroque Variations for Orchestra (1967)
Foss was a classmate of Leonard Bernstein and later replaced Arnold Schoenberg on the faculty at UCLA in the 1950s. His music was admired by his contemporaries for its quality and accessibility.
07/17/24 Henri Miro (1879–1950): Please
Miro was a pioneering conductor for the CBC in the 1930s. At one time his orchestral compositions were part of almost every Canadian orchestra’s repertoire.
07/18/24 C.L. Barnhouse (1865-1929): The Messagner March
Barnhouse was a self-taught cornet player from West Virginia. In 1888 he began publishing works for concert bands. Municipal bands were trending, and there was a ready market for quality (yet easy to play) band music.
Bronchitus turned Anderson from singing to composing. Most of this Canadian’s works were written for choral ensembles.
