Leo Sowerby

Leo Salkeld Sowerby (May 1, 1895 – July 7, 1968), American composer and church musician, was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1946, and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid 20th century.

Leo Sowerby, son of Florence Gertrude Salkeld and John Sowerby, was born on May 1, 1895, in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Anon. 1900), where he began to compose at the age of ten. His interest in the organ began at the age of 15, he was self-taught at the instrument. He studied composition with Arthur Olaf Andersen at the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago (Gleason n.d.). Early recognition came when his Violin Concerto was premiered in 1913 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Stalford & Meckna 2001). He spent time in France during World War I in the role of bandmaster (Gleason n.d.). In 1921 he was awarded the Rome Prize (from the American Academy in Rome), the first composer to receive this. He joined the American Conservatory of Music as faculty in 1924 (Gleason n.d.). In addition he received the 1946 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his cantata, the Canticle of the Sun, written in 1944 (Stalford & Meckna 2001; Anon. n.d.)

In 1927 he became organist-choirmaster at St James’s Episcopal Church, Chicago, which was consecrated as a cathedral while he was there (1955). Previously, Sowerby was associate organist at Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago (1919).

In 1962, after his retirement from St James’s, he was called to Washington National Cathedral to become the founding director of the College of Church Musicians, a position he held until his death in 1968 (Stalford & Meckna 2001). He died in Port Clinton, Ohio, while at Camp Wa-Li-Ro, in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, the summer choir camp where he had taught for many years. He is buried in the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., United States (Tipton 2012) harv error: no target: CITEREFTipton2012 (help).

His substantial output includes over 500 works in every genre but opera and ballet (Stalford & Meckna 2001). His later works, done at St James's, Chicago, and Washington Cathedral, are primarily church music for choir and organ. For Sowerby's notable pupils See: List of music students by teacher: R to S#Leo Sowerby.

Originally published by H. W. Gray, reprinted by the Leo Sowerby Foundation, Bryn Mawr, Pa., Theodore Presser, sole selling agent, 1996.