Norman Leyden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norman Leyden
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Norman Leyden (holding his clarinet case) at a rehearsal in 2012
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Norman Fowler Leyden
October 17, 1917 |
| Died | July 23, 2014 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Conductor, composer, arranger, musician |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Curry Wells |
Norman Fowler Leyden (born October 17, 1917 – died July 23, 2014) was a talented American musician. He was a conductor, composer, arranger, and played the clarinet. He worked on movies and TV shows. Many people remember him as the conductor of the Oregon Symphony Pops orchestra. He even helped write a famous song called "I Sustain the Wings" with Glenn Miller during World War II. This song was used for a radio show.
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Norman Leyden's Early Life
Norman Leyden was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. His parents were James A. and Constance Leyden. He went to Yale College and graduated in 1938. Later, he earned two more degrees from Columbia University. He also taught at Columbia for several years. In 1942, he married Alice Curry Wells.
Norman Leyden's Music Career
Norman Leyden started his music career playing the bass clarinet. He played for the New Haven Symphony Orchestra while he was still at Yale. After college, he joined the Army. He became a sergeant in the Coast Artillery Corps. Later, he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He became a master sergeant.
Working with Glenn Miller
While Norman Leyden was in the Army, he met the famous bandleader Glenn Miller. Miller heard Leyden play and was impressed. In 1943, Miller asked Leyden to conduct a big musical play. It was called "Winged Victory" and was on Broadway. Leyden later became one of three arrangers for Miller's Army Air Forces Orchestra. He wrote music for the band. Miller sometimes told him to keep his arrangements simpler.
In 1943, Leyden helped write the theme music for a radio show. It was called "I Sustain the Wings". He wrote it with Glenn Miller and others. The show was on the radio from 1943 to 1944. Leyden also arranged music for the new Glenn Miller Orchestra after the war. In 2000, he led a special TV show about Glenn Miller.
Working in TV and Movies
From 1956 to 1959, Norman Leyden was a music director for a radio show. It was hosted by Arthur Godfrey. He also worked on TV shows like The $64,000 Question. He even wrote the theme song for that show. He was also the music director for The Jackie Gleason Show.
Leyden also worked for RCA Victor. He composed and arranged music for many Disney movies. These included Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. He also worked on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Pinocchio. Leyden conducted and arranged music for many famous singers. Some of them were Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Sarah Vaughan.
Conducting Orchestras
In 1968, Leyden moved to Portland, Oregon. He took over the Portland Youth Philharmonic for a while. He also started working with the Oregon Symphony in 1970. He was an associate conductor for 29 seasons. He also conducted the Oregon Symphony Pops for 34 seasons. Over a million people came to his Pops concerts! He retired in 2004 and was given a special title.
Leyden also conducted the Seattle Symphony Pops for 18 seasons. He led the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Prairie Pops for eight seasons. He even played a clarinet solo on an album for the band Pink Martini.
Norman Leyden loved music his whole life. He practiced the clarinet every day, even when he was in his 90s. In 2007, he conducted a special concert for his 90th birthday. He was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2008. He continued to perform with Pink Martini until shortly before his death.
Norman Leyden passed away on July 23, 2014. The Oregon Symphony held a memorial concert for him in Portland.
Awards and Honors
- Oregon Governor's Arts Award, 1991
- Oregon Music Hall of Fame, inducted 2008
