Hale Smith, Innovative Composer of Classical Music & Jazz, Was Born June 29, 1925

[Hale Smith]

It has been less than two years since Hale Smith passed away on November 24, 2009 after a lengthy illness. Hale Smith was an African American composer, arranger, editor and professor of music. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on June 29, 1925 and is featured at AfriClassical.com. Dominique-René de Lerma, Professor of Music at Lawrence University, has compiled a comprehensive Works List and has generously made it available to AfriClassical.com, along with his research entry on the life and career of the composer. Prof. De Lerma's website is: http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com

Marilyn Harris is a former student whose Hale Smith Tribute is at http://www.MarilynHarris.com Paul Horsley wrote the liner notes for the CD Music of Hale Smith, CRI 860 (2000). Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma summarizes Hale Smith's youthful musical activities: “Hale Smith began the study of piano at age 7, and regularly attended the children’s concerts of the Cleveland Orchestra in his hometown. He soon began to develop a library of scores and learned aspects of printing from his father.” Paul Horsley writes in his liner notes: “His early training on the piano began at age seven, and his initial performance experience included both classical and jazz music.”

We learn from the research entry that in his high school years Hale Smith played jazz piano with several friends and was already doing some composing. Marilyn Harris notes that the young Hale Smith provided piano accompaniment for jazz singers during their performances. Prof. De Lerma writes that Smith began his music education shortly after completing his military service, during which he arranged and performed music: “Following two years in military service (1943-1945), when he served as arranger and played double bass and piano, he entered the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1946 (B.M., 1950; M.M., 1952), working with Ward Lewis and in particular with Marcel Dick.”

We learn from Paul Horsley that Hale Smith married Juanita Hancock in 1948, and the couple had four children. Prof. De Lerma adds: “He was already winner in 1952 of the first student composition competition sponsored by BMI; and his song cycle, The valley wind, had been praised by Wallingford Riegger.” Paul Horsley adds that it was Smith's composition Five Songs which won him the BMI Student Composer Award.

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Cleveland's Karamu House was the venue for the first recital devoted entirely to the works of Hale Smith, in May 1955. In 1958 Smith left his home town of Cleveland and moved to New York, where he began working in the music publishing business. Two years later, Marilyn Harris tells us, Hale Smith received a commission from BMI for the work Contours for Orchestra. Hale Smith taught at C.W. Post College on Long Island until 1970. From 1970-84 he was Professor of Music at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. Marilyn Harris tells of warm personal recollections of that period.

Hale Smith's compositions for orchestra and chorus have often been influenced by jazz or have used serial techniques. In addition to Contours for Orchestra, Harris notes, he composed:

Ritual and Incantation

Innerflexions

By Yearning and By Beautiful

Music for Harp and Orchestra

Orchestral Set

Mediations in Passage