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LEROY ANDERSON
(1908-1975)Leroy Anderson, the composer of light concert music, lived in Woodbury from 1947 until his death in 1975.
Anderson's distinctive and delightful orchestral pieces are firmly entrenched in American popular culture. His best-known work is undoubtedly the jaunty Christmas perennial, Sleigh Ride. Almost equally known are The Syncopated Clock (theme for CBS New York's The Late Show for over 25 years), The Typewriter and Blue Tango (#1 on the Hit Parade in 1952).
Leroy Anderson spent the summer of 1947 in Woodbury. It was here that he composed the holiday classic Sleigh Ride during a July heat wave. In 1949 Anderson and his wife Eleanor made Woodbury their permanent home. Together they raised their four children Jane, Eric, Rolf and Kurt and were active members of the community. Anderson wrote many of his well-loved compositions here, including Blue Tango, The Typewriter, Serenata, Belle of the Ball, Bugler's Holiday and Forgotten Dreams. Many of his pieces received their first performance when Anderson recorded them for Decca Records. In addition to composing, Anderson conducted orchestras throughout North America and served on numerous symphony boards in Connecticut.
The Woodbury Lions Club built a bandstand on the North Green in 1986, gave it to the town of Woodbury and dedicated it to the memory of Leroy Anderson. The gravesite of Leroy Anderson is in the New North Cemetery. More than 50 years since many of his compositions were written, Leroy Anderson's music remains almost as popular as it was during the composer's lifetime.
For photos and more information see:
www.leroyanderson.com
and
www.pbs.org/sleighride
