Roy Harris (1898-1979)
Roy Harris
became a renowned composer on the American scene in the 1940s, owing to
the immense popularity of his Third
Symphony (1937-39).
His mature compositions incorporated folk music or folk-inspired
elements with fresh harmonies, often in orchestration that favored wind
instruments, fashioning a style that could embrace a mixture of
savagery, lyricism, celebration, tenderness, and rural Americana. His
choral music divulged characteristics of both chant and the hymn and
folk styles of his rural background. Harris was born in Lincoln County,
Oklahoma. After the family moved to the San Gabriel Valley when Roy was
about five, he began showing talent on the piano. He quickly developed
his keyboard talents and even learned to play the clarinet in high
school. By the time he was 18, his skills on the piano and clarinet
were quite advanced, but he had not yet written any music. In 1919, he
enrolled in the University of California at Berkelely to study
sociology, philosophy, history, and economics. He
began studying
composition in his college years, first with Charles Demarest and
Ernest Douglas, organists both, and in 1924 with Arthur
Farwell. At the behest of Aaron Copland, Harris departed for
France in 1926 to study with Nadia Boulanger. While there, he wrote the
Concerto for Piano,
Clarinet and String Quartet, his first major success.
Serge Koussevitzky premiered Harris' "Symphony 1933", and his Third Symphony,
premiered in 1939, became a sensation, achieving many
performances
and recordings. While Harris scored triumphs with succeeding symphonies
such as the Folksong
Symphony (1940)
and with other works, he would never again experience success so
overwhelming. Harris' restless nature is underscored by his positions
with a number of colleges and universities beginning in the late '40s:
Utah State (1948), Peabody College (1949), Chatham College (1951),
Indiana niversity (1957), UCLA (1961), and the University of
the
Pacific (1963). - Robert Cummings/All Music Guide
COMPOSITIONS Roy Harris Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Pueña Hueca, chorus, violin, cello and piano (1920)
Impressions of a Rainy Day, string quartet (1925; fp. 1926)
Symphony, "Our Heritage", orch (1925; rev. 1926, abandoned) [sometimes called "Symphony No. 1"; only Andante survives]
- Andante for Orchestra (1925; rev. 1926) [only completed movement of Symphony "Our Heritage"]
[Untitled], piano (1926)
Concerto for Piano, Clarinet and String Quartet (or String Orchestra), op. 2 (1926; rev. 1927-28; fp. 1927)
Piano Sonata, op. 1 (1928-29)
- Scherzo (original version of 3rd mvt)
American Portrait, orchestra (1929; rev. 1939) [also titled "American Portrait 1929" and "American Portraits"]
Concert Piece, orchestra (1929; 1930 or 1932) [extracted from first mvt of "American Portrait", 1929]
First String Quartet (1929; fp. 1930)
Piano Concerto (1931, unfinished) [based on material from "Toccata", 1931]
Andantino, flute, clarinet and string orchestra (1931; rev. 1932)
Toccata, orchestra (1931)
Fantasy, piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn (1932)
Overture "From the Gayety and Sadness of the American Scene", orchestra (1932)
Sextet for Strings (1932) [Prelude; Chorale; Finale]
- Chorale, string sextet (or string orchestra), op. 3 (1932; pub. 1934) [also arr. for orchestra???] [also arr. for organ]
[based "on the melodic contours of early American church tunes"]
The Story of Norah, 8-part chorus (1933) [words and music recorded by J. J. Niles; arr. by Harris]
Three Variations on a Theme (String Quartet No. 2) (1933)
Symphony 1933, orchestra (1933; fp. 26 Jan 1934) [sometimes called "Symphony No. 1"]
Piano Trio, violin, cello and piano (1933; fp. 20 Sept 1934)
Four Minutes and Twenty Seconds, flute and string quartet (1934)
A Song for Occupations, 8-part chorus (1934) [text: after Walt Whitman]
When Johnny Comes Marching Home, "An American Overture", orchestra (1934; fp. 13 Jan 1935)
Sanctus: Holy, Holy, Holy! chorus (1935)
Poem, violin and piano (1935)
Prelude and Fugue, string orchestra (1935; fp. 28 Feb 1936)
Farewell to Pioneers, symphonic elegy, orchestra (1935; fp. 27 Mar 1936)
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (1935; fp. 28 Feb 1936) [1934]
Symphony for Voices, chorus (1935; fp. 20 May 1936) [text: after Whitman]
Choral Symphony, chorus and orchestra (1936, fragmentary/unfinished)
Piano Quintet, piano and string quartet (1936; fp. 12 Feb 1937)
Time Suite, orchestra (1937)
Three Symphonic Essays, orchestra (1937) [reworking of mvts from "Time Suite", 1937]
When Johnny Comes Marching Home, chorus (1937) [reworked, with orchestra, into "Folksong Sym", 1939]
Symphony for High School Orchestra, orchestra (1937, missing/incomplete?)
String Quartet No.3, "Four Preludes and Fugues" (1937-38; fp. 11 Sept 1939)
- Prelude and Fugue, 4 trumpets (1937-38/1939) [arr. from Prelude and Fugue No. 1, Str Qt No. 3]
Soliloquy and Dance, viola and piano (1938)
Variations on an Irish Theme, piano (1938) [retitled "Contemplation" for "Piano Suite", 1944]
Old Black Joe, a free paraphrase, chorus (1938)
Railroad Man's Ballad, chorus [male chorus?] and orchestra (1938; fp. 21 Feb 1941)
Little Suite for Piano (4 mvts) (1938)
Violin Concerto (1938, unfinished) [material used in Symphony No. 3]
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (1937-1938; rev. 1939; fp. 24 Feb 1939)
Mood, orchestra (1938; fp. 1939)
Whitman Triptych, female chorus (1938) [ female chorus & piano (1927)? - Listed in Slonimsky] [see also W.Whitman Suite, 1944]
String Quintet (Viola Quintet), 2 violin, 2 violas and cello (1939) [Prelude; Melody; Interlude; Grand Fugue]
American Symphony - 1938, jazz band (1938, incomplete; 2 mvts composed) [for Tommy Dorsey band] - see here for more info
- Sad Song, jazz band (1938) [2nd mvt from incomplete "American Symphony - 1938"]
Folksong Symphony (Symphony No. 4), chorus and orchestra (1939; rev. 1942; fp. 26 Dec 1940)
Cowboy Songs, orchestra (fp. 24 October 1939, American School of the Air, CBS)
He's Gone away: Appalachian folk-song, baritone and soprano soli, with 5-part chorus (pub. 1939)
Choral Fanfare, chorus (1939)
Freedom's Land, voice and piano (1940?; pub. 1941) [text: Archibald MacLeish] [also arr. for various choral combinations]
Rock of Ages, chorus and orchestra (1940) - see 4th mvt of "What So Proudly We Hail, ballet, 1942]
Waitin', voice and piano (1940) [text: Roy Harris]
La Primavera, voice and piano (1940)
A Red-Bird in a Green Tree: a Christmas song, chorus (1940) [text: Roy Harris]
One-Tenth of a Nation, film score, alto voice and chamber ensemble (1940)
Challenge: 1940, chorus and orchestra (1940)
Western Landscape, ballet (1940)
Evening Song, voice and piano (1940) [text: Tennyson]
Lullaby, voice and piano (1940)
American Creed, orchestra (1940)
Cimarron, symphonic overture, band (1941)
Three Songs of Democracy, chorus (1941) [text: after Walt Whitman]
From This Earth, ballet, chamber ensemble (1941)
Acceleration, orchestra (1941)
Ode to Truth, orchestra (1941)
Evening Piece, orchestra (1941)
Three Pieces for Orchestra (1941; fp. 9 Mar 1941) [mostly derived from "Folksong Sym", 1939; plus "Evening Piece" added, 1941]
When Johnny Comes Marching Home, a free adaptation for band (1941)
Work, orchestra (1941)
Four Songs, voice and piano (1941; pub. 1942 & 1981) [collection of previously published pieces]
Spring-Time, voice and piano (1942)
American Ballads, Set I (5 pieces), piano (1942)
Children at Play, piano (1942) [retitled "Recreation" for "Piano Suite", 1944] [1946, in Slonimsky]
Concerto for Piano and Band (1942)
Fanfare for the Forces, brass and percussion, w/opt. violins and violas (1942)
Folk Rhythms of Today, band (or orchestra) (1942; fp. 1943) [also called "Tune Rhythms" and "Fantasy on Folktune Rhythms"]
Violin Sonata, violin and piano (1942)
- Fantasy [also published separately]
- Dance of Spring [also published separately]
- Melody [also published separately]
- Toccata [also published separately]
Namesake, "A Theatre Dance", ballet in 9 scenes, violin and piano (1942) [4 mvts pub. as "4 Charming Little Pieces", 1942]
Four Charming Little Pieces, violin and piano (1942) [4 mvts from the ballet "Namesake", 1942]
What So Proudly We Hail, dance suite based on American folk songs, ballet in 5 scenes, voices, strings and piano (1942)
Symphony No. 5, orchestra (1940–42; rev. 1945; fp. 26 Feb 1943) [Prelude; Chorale; Fugue]
Fantasy, piano and band (1943) [also arr. with orchestra???]
Li'l Boy Named David, chorus (1943)
Chorale, organ and brass (1943) [also arr. 1978 for orchestra] [1944?]
March in Time of War, orchestra (1943)
Children's Hour, orchestra (1943)
Work Song, chorus (1943)
The Bird's Courting Song, an American folk song, chorus (1944)
Piano Suite (Suite for Piano) [Suite in 3 Movements], piano (1938-44)
Drum Taps, chorus (1944)
Walt Whitman Suite, chorus, str orch & 2 pf (1944) [also perf. as "Ballet on the Subject of War", 18 Aug 1945]
[?from Whitman Triptych, female chorus, 1938]
Sun and Stars, band (1944)
The sun from dawn to dusk, band (1944) [Belwin Mills]
Symphony No. 6, "Gettysburg Address", orchestra (1943-1944; fp. 14 April 1944) [after Lincoln]
Sammy's Fighting Sons, chorus and orchestra (1944)
- Take the Sun and Keep the Stars, voice or unison chorus and band (1944) [arr. from "Sammy's Fighting Sons", 1944]
- Sons of Uncle Sam, [voice and piano] (pub. 1944) [text: Roy Harris]
- [?also called "War Song of Democracy"]
Our Fighting Sons, unison chorus, brass, piano, organ and timpani (1944)
Toccata, organ and brass [2 hn, 3 tpt, 3 trom] (1945) [1944?]
Piano Concerto (1944; radio broadcast fp. June 1944; concert fp. 20 Jan 1946)
Chorale, brass and string orchestra (1944)
Lamentation, soprano (wordless), viola and piano (1944)
Ode to Friendship, orchestra (1944; rev. 1945)
Variations on an American Folk Song, "True Love Don't Weep", piano (1944)
Alleluia (Easter Motet), chorus, brass and organ (1945; fp. 1 Apr 1945) [sometimes mistitled "Hallelujah"]
American Ballads, Set II (5 pieces), piano (1945)
Memories of a Child's Sunday, orchestra (1945)
Mirage, orchestra (1945)
Variations on a Theme By Eugene Goossens: Fanfare, orchestra (1945) [only one mvt composed by Harris]
Blow the Man Down, chorus, band and string orchestra (1945; fp. 22 Apr 1946)
Melody, orchestra (1945) [1946?]
Radio Piece, orchestra (1946)
Fog, voice and piano (1946) [text: Sandburg]
Celebration, "Variations on a Timpani Theme from Howard Hanson's Third Symphony", orchestra (1946)
Mi Khamokha (Israel), cantor (tenor or baritone) , chorus and organ (1946) [text: Hebrew Sabbath prayer]
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1946; fp. 21 Jan 1947) [Toccata; Variations on a Chorale; Dance]
They Say That Susan Has No Heart for Learning, madrigal, 3-part female chorus and piano (1947; pub. 1956)
Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra (1947 [retitled "Theme and Variation for Accordion and Orchestra"]
Madrigal, chorus (1947) [text: Roy Harris]
Wedding Song, bass voice, violin, viola, cello and organ (1947)
The Quest, a concert march, passacaglia, orchestra (1947; fp. 29 Jan 1948)
Mass, male chorus and organ (1948) ["Mass in C"]
Elegy and Paean, viola and orchestra (1948)
Cindy, chorus (1949; pub. 1951)
Violin Concerto (1948-49)
Fruit of Gold, band (1949)
If I had a ribbon bow, chorus (1949; pub. 1951)
Kentucky Spring, orchestra (1949)
Toccata, piano (1949)
Dark Devotion, band (1950)
Kentucky Jazz Piece, jazz ensemble (1950) [fl, cl, bcl, 2-asx, 1-bsx, 1-tsx, hn, 3-tpt, 3-trb, 1-bar, pf, db]
Lyric Studies, solo woodwinds and piano/6 pieces, one each for fl, ob and bsn, 3 for clarinet (1950)
Cumberland Concerto, orchestra (1951)
Red Cross Hymn, chorus and band (1951)
Remember November (Election Day Is Action Day), unison chorus; or(?) piano 4-hands (1952)
Symphony for Band, "West Point", military band (1952)
Symphony No. 7, orchestra (1951-1952; rev. 1955; fp. 20 Nov 1952)
Piano Concerto [No. 2] (1953)
Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight, a cantata of lamentation, mezzo-soprano, violin, cello and piano (1953)[text: Vachel Lindsay]
Fantasy, piano and orchestra (1954)
Symphonic Epigram (Ce-Be-eS: a thematic epigram), orch (1954; fp. 29 Aug 1954) [for NY Phil's 25th season of CBS broadcasts]
Symphonic Fantasy, orchestra (1954)
Psalm 150, [chorus] (1955; pub. 1963) [1957?]
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun, cantata, baritone and orchestra (1955)
Each Hand Has Need, chorus and organ (1956)
Folk Fantasy for Festivals (1956) [1957?] [University of Indiana, May, 1958]
- No. 1, My Praise Shall Never End, folk singer, double chorus and piano
- No. 2, The Weeping Willow, folk singer, soprano, female chorus and piano
- No. 3, David Slew Goliath, tenor, bass speaking voice, double chorus and piano
- No. 4, The Working Man's Pride, bass-baritone, speaker, male chorus and piano
- No. 5, Fun and Nonsense Parody, folk singer, female chorus, male chorus and piano
Ode to Consonance, orchestra (1956; pub. 1957)
Our Tense and Wintry Minds, unison chorus and organ (1956)
Read, Sweat, How Others Strove, chorus and organ (1956)
The Hustle With the Muscle, male chorus and band (1957)
Walt Whitman Symphony, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1955–58, fragmentary/unfinished)
Elegy and Dance, orchestra (1958) [sometimes listed seperately as "Elegy" and "Dance"]
Ad Majorem Gloriam Universitatis Illinorum, symphonic tone poem, orchestra (1958)
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun, cantata, baritone and orchestra (1959) [text: Walt Whitman]
Canticle to the Sun, cantata, coloratura soprano and chamber orchestra/ensemble (1961) [text: after St. Francis] [1960?]
Turn on the Night (Crocodile Smile), incidental music, chamber ensemble (1961)
Sweet and Low, voice and piano (1962)
Symphony No. 8, "San Francisco", orchestra with concertante piano (1961–62; fp. 17 Jan 1962)
Symphony No. 9, "Polytonality", orchestra (1962; fp. 18 Jan 1963) [for Philadelphia Orchestra]
These Times, small orchestra and piano (1963) [1962?] [???and percussion, 1968]
Epilogue to "Profiles in Courage": JFK, orchestra (1964)
Etudes for Pedals, organ (1964; pub. 1973)
Fantasy, organ, brass and timpani (1964; pub. 1966)
Horn of Plenty, orchestra (1964; pub. 1967)
Jubilation, cantata, chorus, brass, piano and percussion (1964)
Salute to Youth, symphonic suite, orchestra (1964) [1965?]
Sonata for Violoncello and Piano (1964) [also known as "Duo"]
Rhythms and Spaces, string orchestra (1965)
Symphony No. 10, "Abraham Lincoln", speaker, chorus, brass, 2 pf & perc (1965; 14 Apr 1965; rev. 1967, spkr, chor, pf, orch; lost)
Childhood Memories of Ocean Moods, piano, string quartet and double bass (1966)
The Brotherhood of Man, chorus and orchestra (1966)
Symphony No. 11, orchestra (1967; fp. 8 Feb 1968) [for 125th anniv. of New York Philharmonic]
Concerto, amplified piano, brass, percussion and string basses (1968) [mvt #1 lost?]
Symphony No. 12, "Père Marquette", tenor, speaker and orchestra (1967-1969)
Peace and Goodwill to All, chorus, brass, organ and percussion (1970) [a reworking of "Jubilation", 1964]
Whether This Nation, chorus and band (1971)
Orchestrations, piano (1972)
Gethsemane, chorus (pub. 1973) [an early American melody; harmonized by Harris; words by Ella Wheeler Wilcox]
Folksong Suite, harp, winds and percussion (1973)
Life, cantata, soprano, woodwinds and percussion (1973)
Lincoln's Legacy, chorus and band (1973)
America, We Love Your People, chorus and band (1975) [originally titled "Covina"]
Bicentennial Symphony 1776, 6-part chorus and orchestra, with solo voices and speakers (1969-1974)
["Sym No. 14", out of superstition over the number 13; posthumously re-numbered 14]
Rejoice and Sing, bass voice, string quartet and piano (1976)
Three Fanfares for Four horns (pub. 1984)
A Happy Piece for Shirley, piano (no date) [Harris' last piano composition]
WORKS BY GENRE Roy Harris Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Western Landscape, ballet (1940)
From This Earth, ballet, chamber ensemble (1941)
- Dawn
- Work
- Dusk
- The Treadmill and Exhaustion
- Retrospection
- Marriage
- Festival
- Children at Play
Namesake, "A Theatre Dance", ballet in 9 scenes, violin and piano (1942) [4 mvts pub. as "4 Charming Little Pieces", 1942]
What So Proudly We Hail, dance suite based on American folk songs, ballet in 5 scenes, voices, strings and piano (1942)
- What So Proudly We Hail
- Girl I Left Behind Me
- Western Cowboy
- Rock of Ages [see "Rock of Ages, chorus and orchestra, 1940]
- I'll Be True to My Love
Walt Whitman Suite, chorus, str orch & 2 pf (1944) [also perf. as "Ballet on the Subject of War", 18 Aug 1945]
Symphonies
Symphony, "Our Heritage", orch (1925; rev. 1926, abandoned) [sometimes called "Symphony No. 1"; only Andante survives]
- Andante for Orchestra (1925; rev. 1926) [only completed movement of Symphony "Our Heritage"]
Symphony 1933, orchestra (1933; fp. 26 Jan 1934) [sometimes called "Symphony No. 1"]
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (1934; fp. 28 Feb 1936)
Symphony for Voices, chorus (1935) [text: after Walt Whitman]
Choral Symphony, chorus and orchestra (1936, fragmentary/unfinished)
Symphony for High School Orchestra, orchestra (1937, missing/incomplete?)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (1937-1938; rev. 1939; fp. 24 Feb 1939)
American Symphony - 1938, jazz band (1938, incomplete; 2 mvts composed) [for Tommy Dorsey band] - see here for more info
- Sad Song, jazz band (1938) [2nd mvt from incomplete "American Symphony - 1938"]
Folksong Symphony (Symphony No. 4), chorus and orchestra (1939; rev. 1942; fp. 26 Dec 1940)
Symphony No. 5, orchestra (1940–42; rev. 1945; fp. 26 Feb 1943) [Prelude; Chorale; Fugue]
Symphony No. 6, "Gettysburg Address", orchestra (1943-1944; fp. 14 April 1944) [after Lincoln]
Symphony for Band, "West Point", military band'(1952)
Symphony No. 7, orchestra (1951-1952; rev. 1955; fp. 20 Nov 1952)
Walt Whitman Symphony, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1955–58, fragmentary/unfinished)
Symphony No. 8, "San Francisco", orchestra with concertante piano (1961–62; fp. 17 Jan 1962)
Symphony No. 9, "Polytonality", orchestra (1962; fp. 18 Jan 1963) [for Philadelphia Orchestra]
Symphony No. 10, "Abraham Lincoln", speaker, chorus, brass, 2 pf & perc (1965; 14 Apr 1965; rev. 1967, spkr, chor, pf, orch; lost)
Symphony No. 11, orchestra (1967; fp. 8 Feb 1968) [for 125th anniv. of New York Philharmonic]
Symphony No. 12, "Père Marquette", tenor, speaker and orchestra (1967-1969)
Bicentennial Symphony 1776, 6-part chorus and orchestra, with solo voices and speakers (1969-1974)
["Sym No. 14", out of superstition over the number 13; posthumously re-numbered 14]
Orchestra
Symphony, "Our Heritage", orch (1925; rev. 1926, abandoned) [sometimes called "Symphony No. 1"; only Andante survives]
- Andante for Orchestra (1925; rev. 1926) [only completed movement of Symphony "Our Heritage"]
American Portrait, orchestra (1929; rev. 1939) [also titled "American Portrait 1929" and "American Portraits"]
- Initiative
- Expectation [principal theme: "When Johnny comes marching home"]
- Speed
- Collective Force
Concert Piece, orchestra (1929; 1930 or 1932) [extracted from first mvt of "American Portrait", 1929]
Toccata, orchestra (1931)
Overture "From the Gayety and Sadness of the American Scene", orchestra (1932)
Chorale, string sextet (or string orchestra), op. 3 (1932; pub. 1934) [also arr. for orchestra???] [also arr. for organ]
[based "on the melodic contours of early American church tunes"]
Symphony 1933, orchestra (1933; fp. 26 Jan 1934) [sometimes called "Symphony No. 1"]
When Johnny Comes Marching Home, "An American Overture", orchestra (1934; fp. 13 Jan 1935)
Prelude and Fugue, string orchestra (1935; fp. 28 Feb 1936)
Farewell to Pioneers, symphonic elegy, orchestra (1935; fp. 27 Mar 1936)
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (1935; fp. 28 Feb 1936) [1934]
Choral Symphony, chorus and orchestra (1936, fragmentary/unfinished)
Time Suite, orchestra (1937)
- Broadway
- Religion
- Youth
- Communication and Transportation
- Philosophy
- Labor
Three Symphonic Essays, orchestra (1937) [reworking of mvts from "Time Suite", 1937]
- Youth
- Religion [from "Philosophy" mvt]
- Transportation and Communication
Symphony for High School Orchestra, orchestra (1937, missing/incomplete?)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (1937-1938; rev. 1939; fp. 24 Feb 1939)
American Symphony - 1938, jazz band (1938, incomplete; 2 mvts composed) [for Tommy Dorsey band] - see here for more info
- Sad Song, jazz band (1938) [2nd mvt from incomplete "American Symphony - 1938"]
Mood, orchestra (1938; fp. 1939)
Folksong Symphony (Symphony No. 4), chorus and orchestra (1939; rev. 1942; fp. 26 Dec 1940)
Cowboy Songs, orchestra (fp. 24 October 1939, American School of the Air, CBS)
- Oh bury me not on the lone prairie
- Old Paint
- Old Chisolm Trail
American Creed, orchestra (1940)
- Free to Dream
- Free to Build
Acceleration, orchestra (1941)
Ode to Truth, orchestra (1941)
Evening Piece, orchestra (1941)
Three Pieces for Orchestra (1941; fp. 9 Mar 1941) [mostly derived from "Folksong Sym", 1939; plus "Evening Piece" added, 1941]
- [First Interlude for String Orchestra and Percussion, from "Folksong Symphony", 1939]
- Evening Piece
- [Second Interlude for Orchestra, from "Folksong Symphony", 1939]
Work, orchestra (1941)
Fanfare for the Forces, brass and percussion, w/opt. violins and violas (1942)
Folk Rhythms of Today, band (or orchestra) (1942; fp. 1943) [also called "Tune Rhythms" and "Fantasy on Folktune Rhythms"]
[?this is a transcription of scene V. of the ballet "What So Proudly We Hail", 1942]
- Foxtrot
- Blues
- Rumba
Symphony No. 5, orchestra (1940–42; rev. 1945; fp. 26 Feb 1943) [Prelude; Chorale; Fugue]
Chorale, organ and brass (1943) [also arr. 1978 for orchestra] [1944?]
March in Time of War, orchestra (1943)
Children's Hour, orchestra (1943)
Symphony No. 6, "Gettysburg Address", orchestra (1943-1944; fp. 14 April 1944) [after Lincoln]
- Awakening
- Conflict [arr. for band as "Conflic (War Piece)", 1944] [a reworking for band of 2nd mvt of Symphony No. 6]
- Dedication
- Affirmation
Chorale, brass and string orchestra (1944)
Ode to Friendship, orchestra (1944; rev. 1945)
Memories of a Child's Sunday, orchestra (1945)
- Bells
- Dreams
- Play Hours
Mirage, orchestra (1945)
Variations on a Theme By Eugene Goossens: Fanfare, orchestra (1945) [only one mvt composed by Harris]
Melody, orchestra (1945) [1946?]
Radio Piece, orchestra (1946)
Celebration, "Variations on a Timpani Theme from Howard Hanson's Third Symphony", orchestra (1946)
The Quest, a concert march, passacaglia, orchestra (1947; fp. 29 Jan 1948)
Kentucky Spring, orchestra (1949)
Cumberland Concerto, orchestra (1951)
Symphony No. 7, orchestra (1951-1952; rev. 1955; fp. 20 Nov 1952)
Symphonic Epigram (Ce-Be-eS: a thematic epigram), orch (1954; fp. 29 Aug 1954) [for NY Phil's 25th season of CBS broadcasts]
Symphonic Fantasy, orchestra (1954)
Ode to Consonance, orchestra (1956; pub. 1957)
Walt Whitman Symphony, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1955–58, fragmentary/unfinished)
Elegy and Dance, orchestra (1958) [sometimes listed seperately as "Elegy" and "Dance"]
Ad Majorem Gloriam Universitatis Illinorum, symphonic tone poem, orchestra (1958)
Symphony No. 8, "San Francisco", orchestra with concertante piano (1961–62; fp. 17 Jan 1962)
Symphony No. 9, "Polytonality", orchestra (1962; fp. 18 Jan 1963) [for Philadelphia Orchestra]
These Times, small orchestra and piano (1963) [1962?] [???and percussion, 1968]
These Times, small orchestra and piano (1963) [???and percussion, 1968]
Epilogue to "Profiles in Courage": JFK, orchestra (1964)
Horn of Plenty, orchestra (1964; pub. 1967)
Salute to Youth, symphonic suite, orchestra (1964) [1965?]
Rhythms and Spaces, string orchestra (1965)
Symphony No. 10, "Abraham Lincoln", speaker, chorus, brass, 2 pf & perc (1965; 14 Apr 1965; rev. 1967, spkr, chor, pf, orch; lost)
Symphony No. 11, orchestra (1967; fp. 8 Feb 1968) [for 125th anniv. of New York Philharmonic]
Symphony No. 12, "Père Marquette", tenor, speaker and orchestra (1967-1969)
Bicentennial Symphony 1776, 6-part chorus and orchestra, with solo voices and speakers (1969-1974)
["Sym No. 14", out of superstition over the number 13; posthumously re-numbered 14]
Band
American Symphony - 1938, jazz band (1938, incomplete; 2 mvts composed) [for Tommy Dorsey band] - see here for more info
- Sad Song, jazz band (1938) [2nd mvt from incomplete "American Symphony - 1938"]
Cimarron, symphonic overture, band (1941)
When Johnny Comes Marching Home, a free adaptation for band (1941)
Concerto for Piano and Band (1942)
Fanfare for the Forces, brass and percussion, w/opt. violins and violas (1942)
Folk Rhythms of Today, band (or orchestra) (1942; fp. 1943) [also called "Tune Rhythms" and "Fantasy on Folktune Rhythms"]
- Foxtrot
- Blues
- Rumba
Fantasy, piano and band (1943) [also arr. with orchestra???]
Sun and Stars, band (1944)
The sun from dawn to dusk, band (1944) [Belwin Mills]
Take the Sun and Keep the Stars, voice or unison chorus and band (1944) [arr. from "Sammy's Fighting Sons", 1944]
Fruit of Gold, band (1949)
Dark Devotion, band (1950)
Kentucky Jazz Piece, jazz ensemble (1950) [fl, cl, bcl, 2-asx, 1-bsx, 1-tsx, hn, 3-tpt, 3-trb, 1-bar, pf, db]
Red Cross Hymn, chorus and band (1951)
Symphony for Band, "West Point", military band (1952)
Whether This Nation, chorus and band (1971)
Lincoln's Legacy, chorus and band (1973)
America, We Love Your People, chorus and band (1975) [originally titled "Covina"]
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concerto for Piano, Clarinet and String Quartet (or String Orchestra), op. 2 (1926; rev. 1927-28; fp. 1927)
Piano Concerto (1931, unfinished) [based on material from "Toccata", 1931]
Andantino, flute, clarinet and string orchestra (1931; rev. 1932)
Violin Concerto (1938, unfinished) [material used in Symphony No. 3]
Concerto for Piano and Band (1942)
Fantasy, piano and band (1943) [also arr. with orchestra???]
Piano Concerto (1944; radio broadcast fp. June 1944; concert fp. 20 Jan 1946)
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1946; fp. 21 Jan 1947) [Toccata; Variations on a Chorale; Dance]
Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra (1947 [retitled "Theme and Variation for Accordion and Orchestra"]
Elegy and Paean, viola and orchestra (1948)
Violin Concerto (1948-49)
Piano Concerto [No. 2] (1953)
Fantasy, piano and orchestra (1954)
Concerto, amplified piano, brass, percussion and string basses (1968) [mvt #1 lost?]
Chorus w/Orchestra or Band
Choral Symphony, chorus and orchestra (1936, fragmentary/unfinished)
Railroad Man's Ballad, chorus [male chorus?] and orchestra (1938; fp. 21 Feb 1941)
Folksong Symphony (Symphony No. 4), chorus and orchestra (1939; rev. 1942; fp. 26 Dec 1940)
- The Girl I Left Behind Me [Welcome Party???]
- Western Cowboy
- First Interlude for String Orchestra and Percussion
- Mountaineer Love Song
- Second Interlude for Orchestra
- Negro Fantasy
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home [a reworking of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" for chorus, 1937]
Freedom's Land, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1940?; pub. 1941) [text: Archibald MacLeish] [from work for voice & piano]
Rock of Ages, chorus and orchestra (1940) - see 4th mvt of "What So Proudly We Hail, ballet, 1942]
Challenge: 1940, chorus and orchestra (1940)
Walt Whitman Suite, chorus, str orch & 2 pf (1944) [also perf. as "Ballet on the Subject of War", 18 Aug 1945]
- ? from Whitman Triptych, female chorus (1938)
- I hear America singing
- America
- other mvts???
Sammy's Fighting Sons, chorus and orchestra (1944)
- Take the Sun and Keep the Stars, voice or unison chorus and band (1944) [arr. from "Sammy's Fighting Sons", 1944]
- Sons of Uncle Sam, [voice and piano] (pub. 1944) [text: Roy Harris]
- [?also called "War Song of Democracy"]
Our Fighting Sons, unison chorus, brass, piano, organ and timpani (1944)
Blow the Man Down, chorus, band and string orchestra (1945; fp. 22 Apr 1946)
Mi Khamokha (Israel), cantor (tenor or baritone) , chorus and organ (1946) [text: Hebrew Sabbath prayer]
Red Cross Hymn, chorus and band (1951)
Walt Whitman Symphony, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1955–58, fragmentary/unfinished)
The Brotherhood of Man, chorus and orchestra (1966)
Peace and Goodwill to All, chorus, brass, organ and percussion (1970) [a reworking of "Jubilation", 1964]
Whether This Nation, chorus and band (1971)
Lincoln's Legacy, chorus and band (1973)
America, We Love Your People, chorus and band (1975) [originally titled "Covina"]
Bicentennial Symphony 1776, 6-part chorus and orchestra, with solo voices and speakers (1969-1974)
["Sym No. 14", out of superstition over the number 13; posthumously re-numbered 14]
Choral
Pueña Hueca, chorus, violin, cello and piano (1920)
The Story of Norah, 8-part chorus (1933) [words and music recorded by J. J. Niles; arr. by Harris]
A Song for Occupations, 8-part chorus (1934) [text: after Walt Whitman]
Sanctus: Holy, Holy, Holy! chorus (1935)
Symphony for Voices, chorus (1935; fp. 20 May 1936) [text: after Whitman]
- I Hear America Singing [orig. 1st mvt; removed and used in "Whitman Triptych", 1938]
- Song for All Seas, All Ships
- Tears
- Inscription
When Johnny Comes Marching Home, chorus (1937) [reworked, with orchestra, into "Folksong Sym", 1939]
Old Black Joe, a free paraphrase, chorus (1938)
Whitman Triptych, female chorus (1938) [ female chorus & piano (1927)? - Listed in Slonimsky] [see also W.Whitman Suite, 1944]
- I Hear America Singing
- An Evening Lull
- America
He's Gone away: Appalachian folk-song, baritone and soprano soli, with 5-part chorus (pub. 1939)
Choral Fanfare, chorus (1939)
Freedom's Land, voice and piano (1940?; pub. 1941) [text: Archibald MacLeish]
- Freedom's Land, baritone, chorus, and orchestra
- Freedom's Land, chorus
- Freedom's Land, male chorus
- Freedom's Land, unison chorus and piano
- Freedom's Land, female chorus, w/piano or organ ad lib.
A Red-Bird in a Green Tree: a Christmas song, chorus (1940) [text: Roy Harris]
Three Songs of Democracy, chorus (1941) [text: after Walt Whitman]
- To Thee, Old Cause
- Year That Trembled
- Freedom, Toleration, or, The Open Air I Sing
Li'l Boy Named David, chorus (1943)
Work Song, chorus (1943)
The Bird's Courting Song, an American folk song, chorus (1944)
Drum Taps, chorus (1944)
Our Fighting Sons, unison chorus, brass, piano, organ and timpani (1944)
Alleluia (Easter Motet), chorus, brass and organ (1945; fp. 1 Apr 1945) [sometimes mistitled "Hallelujah"]
They Say That Susan Has No Heart for Learning, madrigal, 3-part female chorus and piano (1947; pub. 1956)
Madrigal, chorus (1947) [text: Roy Harris]
Mass, male chorus and organ (1948) ["Mass in C"]
Cindy, chorus (1949; pub. 1951)
If I had a ribbon bow, chorus (1949; pub. 1951)
Remember November (Election Day Is Action Day), unison chorus; or(?) piano 4-hands (1952)
Psalm 150, [chorus] (1955; pub. 1963) [1957?]
Each Hand Has Need, chorus and organ (1956)
Folk Fantasy for Festivals (1956) [1957?] [University of Indiana, May, 1958]
- No. 1, My Praise Shall Never End, folk singer, double chorus and piano
- No. 2, The Weeping Willow, folk singer, soprano, female chorus and piano
- No. 3, David Slew Goliath, tenor, bass speaking voice, double chorus and piano
- No. 4, The Working Man's Pride, bass-baritone, speaker, male chorus and piano
- No. 5, Fun and Nonsense Parody, folk singer, female chorus, male chorus and piano
Our Tense and Wintry Minds, unison chorus and organ (1956)
Read, Sweat, How Others Strove, chorus and organ (1956)
The Hustle With the Muscle, male chorus and band (1957)
Jubilation, cantata, chorus, brass, piano and percussion (1964)
Peace and Goodwill to All, chorus, brass, organ and percussion (1970) [a reworking of "Jubilation", 1964]
Gethsemane, chorus (pub. 1973) [an early American melody; harmonized by Harris; words by Ella Wheeler Wilcox]
Chamber
Impressions of a Rainy Day, string quartet (1925; fp. 1926)
- Lull Befor the Rain
- Rain
- Evening Song
- From Over the Hill
Concerto for Piano, Clarinet and String Quartet (or String Orchestra), op. 2 (1926; rev. 1927-28; fp. 1927)
First String Quartet (1929; fp. 1930)
Fantasy, piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn (1932)
Sextet for Strings (1932) [Prelude; Chorale; Finale]
- Chorale, string sextet (or string orchestra), op. 3 (1932; pub. 1934) [also arr. for orchestra???] [also arr. for organ]
[based "on the melodic contours of early American church tunes"]
Three Variations on a Theme (String Quartet No. 2) (1933)
Piano Trio, violin, cello and piano (1933; fp. 20 Sept 1934)
Four Minutes and Twenty Seconds, flute and string quartet (1934)
Piano Quintet, piano and string quartet (1936; fp. 12 Feb 1937)
String Quartet No.3, "Four Preludes and Fugues" (1937-38; fp. 11 Sept 1939)
- Prelude and Fugue, 4 trumpets (1937-38/1939) [arr. from Prelude and Fugue No. 1, Str Qt No. 3]
String Quintet (Viola Quintet), 2 violin, 2 violas and cello (1939) [Prelude; Melody; Interlude; Grand Fugue]
Chorale, organ and brass (1943) [also arr. 1978 for orchestra] [1944?]
Toccata, organ and brass [2 hn, 3 tpt, 3 trom] (1945) [1944?]
Lamentation, soprano (wordless), viola and piano (1944)
Fantasy, organ, brass and timpani (1964; pub. 1966)
Sonata for Violoncello and Piano (1964) [also known as "Duo"]
Childhood Memories of Ocean Moods, piano, string quartet and double bass (1966)
Folksong Suite, harp, winds and percussion (1973)
Three Fanfares for Four horns (pub. 1984)
Instrument and Piano
Poem, violin and piano (1935)
Soliloquy and Dance, viola and piano (1938)
Violin Sonata, violin and piano (1942)
- Fantasy [also published separately]
- Dance of Spring [also published separately]
- Melody [also published separately]
- Toccata [also published separately]
Namesake, "A Theatre Dance", ballet in 9 scenes, violin and piano (1942) [4 mvts pub. as "4 Charming Little Pieces", 1942]
Four Charming Little Pieces, violin and piano (1942) [4 mvts from the ballet "Namesake", 1942]
- Mood
- Afternoon Slumber Song
- Summer Fields
- There's a Charm About You
Lyric Studies, solo woodwinds and piano/6 pieces, one each for fl, ob and bsn, 3 for clarinet (1950)
Sonata for Violoncello and Piano (1964) [also known as "Duo"]
Piano or Organ
[Untitled], piano (1926)
Piano Sonata, op. 1 (1928-29)
- Scherzo (original version of 3rd mvt)
Variations on an Irish Theme, piano (1938) [retitled "Contemplation" for "Piano Suite", 1944]
Little Suite for Piano (4 mvts) (1938)
- Bells
- Sad News
- Children at Play
- Slumber
American Ballads, Set I (5 pieces), piano (1942)
- Laredo [Streets of Laredo]
- Wayfaring Stranger
- The Bird
- Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair
- Cod Liver Ile
Children at Play, piano (1942) [retitled "Recreation" for "Piano Suite", 1944] [1946, in Slonimsky]
Piano Suite (Suite for Piano) [Suite in 3 Movements], piano (1938-44)
- Occupation (1944?)
- Contemplation [originally "Variations on an Irish Theme" 1938]
- Recreation (1942)
Variations on an American Folk Song, "True Love Don't Weep", piano (1944)
American Ballads, Set II (5 pieces), piano (1945)
- Li'l Boy Named David
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Toccata, piano (1949)
Etudes for Pedals, organ (1964; pub. 1973)
Orchestrations, piano (1972)
A Happy Piece for Shirley, piano (no date) [Harris' last piano composition]
Vocal
Waitin', voice and piano (1940) [text: Roy Harris]
La Primavera, voice and piano (1940)
One-Tenth of a Nation, film score, alto voice and chamber ensemble (1940)
Evening Song, voice and piano (1940) [text: Tennyson]
Lullaby, voice and piano (1940)
Four Songs, voice and piano (1941; pub. 1942 & 1981) [collection of previously published pieces]
- Waitin' (1940)
- La Primavera (1940)
- Evening Song (1940)
- Freedom's land (1940?)
Spring-Time, voice and piano (1942)
Take the Sun and Keep the Stars, voice or unison chorus and band (1944) [arr. from "Sammy's Fighting Sons", 1944]
Sons of Uncle Sam, [voice and piano] (pub. 1944) [text: Roy Harris] [?arr. from "Sammy's Fighting Sons", 1944]
Lamentation, soprano (wordless), viola and piano (1944)
Fog, voice and piano (1946) [text: Sandburg]
Wedding Song, bass voice, violin, viola, cello and organ (1947)
Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight, a cantata of lamentation, mezzo-soprano, violin, cello and piano (1953)[text: Vachel Lindsay]
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun, cantata, baritone and orchestra (1955)
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun, cantata, baritone and orchestra (1959) [text: Walt Whitman]
Canticle to the Sun, cantata, coloratura soprano and chamber orchestra/ensemble (1961) [text: after St. Francis] [1960?]
Sweet and Low, voice and piano (1962)
Life, cantata, soprano, woodwinds and percussion (1973)
Rejoice and Sing, bass voice, string quartet and piano (1976)
Incidental/Film
One-Tenth of a Nation, film score, alto voice and chamber ensemble (1940)
Turn on the Night (Crocodile Smile), incidental music, chamber ensemble (1961)
Arrangements and Editions
Five Organ Preludes of J. S. Bach [arr. for piano, ????]
Bach.J. S. Well Tempered Clavier, Book I. Prelude and Fugue XVI [transcribed for small orchestra, 1932]
Bach's Kunst der Fuge [arr. for string quartet, 1934]
Niles, John Jacob. The Story of Noah [arr. for a cappella chorus, 1934]
Singing Through the Ages (1940) [melodic and harmonic songs; edited and transcribed, with Jacob Evanson]
The Star Spangled Banner [arr. for string quartet, 1941]
He came all so still, a Christmas carol, chorus [pub. 1942; Ina L. Strom; edited by Roy Harris]
As Joseph was a-walkin', a Christmas carol, chorus [pub. 1942; Ina L. Strom; edited by Roy Harris]
[Christe dei soboles] Lord Christ, Son of God by Orlando di Lasso, chorus [pub. 1954; edited by Roy Harris]
Bach Chorales, chorus and band [pub. 1978]
ROY HARRIS LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Folk-Song Symphony (Time Magazine, January 6, 1941)
I Hear America Singing! Choral Music of Roy Harris (John Proffitt, Albany Records/DRAM Online)
Log Cabin Composer (Time Magazine, Nov. 11, 1935)
Roy Harris: A Bio-Bibliography (Dan Stehman, Greenwood Press) also here and here
Roy Harris' Accordion Concerto (Alexander Matos, The Classical Free-Reed)
Roy Harris' "American Symphony - 1938": A Perspective on Its Historical Significance . . . (Brian Lamb)
Roy Harris: Cimarron Composer (from Nicolas Slonimsky, "Writings on Music", Vol. 3, 1952) also here
Roy Harris - Symphony No. 3 (1939) (Boston Sympohony Orchestra)
Unwound Spring [Symphony No. 11] (Time Magazine, February 16, 1968)
Composer website . . . inquire about Roy Harris: info@RoyHarrisAmericanComposer.com
Composer website (@ G. Schirmer)
Roy Harris @ Wikipedia
Roy Harris @ American Music Resource
Roy Harris @ Answers.com
Roy Harris @ Bach Cantatas
Roy Harris @ Classical Archives
Roy Harris @ Classical Composers Database
Roy Harris @ Classical Net
Roy Harris @ ClassicsToday
Roy Harris @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Roy Harris @ Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Roy Harris @ Facebook
Roy Harris @ InstantEncore
Roy Harris @ The Kennedy Center
Roy Harris @ Milken Archive of Jewish Music
Roy Harris @ Modern Classical
Roy Harris @ MusicWeb International
Roy Harris @ Naxos
Roy Harris @ The New York Times
Roy Harris @ NPR
Roy Harris @ NPRmusic
Roy Harris @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Roy Harris @ G. Schirmer
Publisher
Roy Harris @ Belwin Mills
Roy Harris @ Carl Fischer
Roy Harris @ G. Schirmer
- and others
Streaming Audio
Roy Harris @ Classical Archives
Roy Harris @ Internet Archive
Roy Harris @ last.fm
Roy Harris @ NPR
Roy Harris @ Rhapsody.com
Recordings
Roy Harris @ Albany Records
Roy Harris @ ArkivMusic
Roy Harris @ ClassicsOnline
Roy Harris @ Discogs
Video
Roy Harris @ YouTube
Roy Harris @ Google Video
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