Katherine Kennicott Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katherine Kennicott Davis
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| Born | June 25, 1892 |
| Died | April 20, 1982 (aged 89) |
| Occupation | composer |
| Known for | "Carol of the Drum," later known as "The Little Drummer Boy". |
Katherine Kennicott Davis (born June 25, 1892 – died April 20, 1980) was an American composer, pianist, arranger, and teacher. She is most famous for writing the Christmas song "Carol of the Drum," which later became known as "The Little Drummer Boy."
Life and Career
Katherine Davis was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on June 25, 1892. She showed her musical talent early, composing her first piece, "Shadow March," when she was just 15 years old.
After finishing high school in 1910, she went on to study music at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She was a very talented student and won the college's Billings Prize in 1914. After graduating, she stayed at Wellesley as an assistant in the Music Department. There, she taught music theory and piano.
At the same time, Katherine also studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She even traveled to Paris to study with the famous music teacher Nadia Boulanger. Later, she taught music at the Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts, and at the Shady Hill School for Girls in Philadelphia.
In 1941, she became a member of ASCAP, an organization that protects the rights of music creators. She also received an honorary doctorate from Stetson University in Florida. Katherine K. Davis continued to write music until she became ill in late 1979. She passed away on April 20, 1980, at the age of 87, in Littleton, Massachusetts.
Katherine Davis left all the money from her musical works to the Music Department at Wellesley College. These funds help students who are studying music performance today. Her compositions include operas, songs for choirs, children's operettas, and pieces for piano and organ.
Her Music
Katherine Davis wrote over 600 musical pieces during her life. Many of these were created for the choirs at the schools where she taught. She also played a big part in The Concord Series. This was a collection of music and books used for teaching music in schools. She helped put together and edit many of these musical books with Archibald Thompson Davison.
Her most famous song, "The Little Drummer Boy," was originally called "The Carol of the Drum." She wrote it in 1941. The song became very popular when the Harry Simeone Chorale recorded it in 1958. This recording became a huge hit, reaching the top of the music charts.
Another well-known hymn by Katherine Davis is the Thanksgiving hymn "Let All Things Now Living." This song uses the tune of an old Welsh folk song called The Ash Grove.
Types of Musical Compositions
Katherine K. Davis composed many different kinds of music. Here are some examples of the types of works she created:
- Large Works: These included longer pieces like Christmas cantatas (musical stories for choirs) such as Children of Bethlehem and The Drummer. She also wrote a musical comedy called The Unmusical Impresario.
- Sacred Songs: She wrote many songs for voice and piano or organ, often based on Bible verses. Examples include "Bless the Lord O My Soul" and "Trust in the Lord."
- Secular Songs: These were songs not related to religion. She arranged many folk songs, like "The Deaf Old Woman" and "He's Gone Away." She also wrote "Nancy Hanks," a song about Nancy Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's mother.
- Choral Works: She composed many pieces specifically for choirs, both with and without musical instruments. Besides "The Little Drummer Boy," she wrote "Alleluia, come, good people" and "In the Bleak Midwinter."
- Instrumental Works: She also wrote pieces for instruments, like "Hornpipe" for solo piano.
- The Concord Series: This was a special collection of music books for teaching. She helped create piano books and even a folk-tune operetta called Cinderella for this series.
- Arrangements: Katherine Davis also took music by other composers, like Johann Sebastian Bach, and arranged them for different voices or instruments. She also arranged many traditional carols and folk songs.
See also
In Spanish: Katherine Kennicott Davis para niños
