Philip James

Philip James (May 17, 1890 – November 1, 1975) was an American composer, conductor and music educator.

Note: Composer and shakuhachi player Phil James (his son) is listed as Phil Nyokai James.

Life

James was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. His early teachers included Homer Norris and Rubin Goldmark. In World War I James played in and subsequently became bandleader of the American Expeditionary Forces Headquarters Band. Victor Herbert heard his work with the band and upon James' discharge from the Army hired him as musical director for his musical comedy "My Golden Girl."

In 1922 James co-founded and became the first conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and in 1923 he began a long teaching career at New York University, serving as head of the music department from 1934-1956. His students at NYU included Milton Babbitt, Bernard Herrmann, and Marvin David Levy.

From 1929 to 1936 James was conductor of the Bamberger Little Symphony, broadcast weekly over radio station WOR in New York. In 1932 he won a $5000 prize from NBC for his satirical composition "Station WGZBX", which subsequently received performances by many major orchestras. Other prize-winning compositions from the 1930's include his "Bret Harte Overture," "Suite for String Orcehstra," and "Song of the Night."

Though he remained active as a composer until his death in 1975, James' larger-scale compositions were infrequently played after the mid-twentieth century. However several of his early sacred compositions, including "Meditation a Ste. Clotilde" for organ and the anthem "By the Waters of Babylon" remain in the liturgical repertoire.

elected Works

Orchestra

*Song of the Night (1931)
*Station WGZBX (1932)
*Bret Harte Overture (1934)
*Sinfonietta (1938)
*Brennan on the Moor (1940)
*Symphony #1 (1943)
*Symphony #2 (1946)
*Miniver Cheevy (1947)
*Richard Cory (1947)
*Overture to a Greek Play (1952)

Band

*Colonel Averill March (1917)
*Festal March "Perstare et Praestare" (1942)
*E.F.G. Overture (1944)
*Fanfare and Ceremonial (1955)

Chamber/Small Orcehstra

*String Quartet (1924)
*Kammersymphonie (1926)
*Suite for String Orchestra (1933)
*Suite for Woodwind Quintet (1936)
*Piano Quartet (1937)

Piano Solo

*Twelve Piano Preludes (1951)

Organ Solo

*Meditation a Sainte Clotilde (1916)
*First Organ Sonata (1929)
*Pantomime (1941)
*Galarnad (1946)
*Alleluia-Toccata (1949)
*Pastorale (1949)

Choral

*By the Waters of Babylon (1920)
*General WIlliam Booth Enters into Heaven (1932)
*Psalm 150 (1940)
*Psalm 149 (1959)
*Chorus of Shepherds and Angels (1956)
*To Cecilia (1966)

External links

* [http://www.lib.umd.edu/LAB/COLLECTIONS/james.html The Papers of Philip James at University of Maryland]
* [http://www.sunysb.edu/libspecial/collections/manuscripts/james.html Philip James Collection at Stony Brook University]