Robert Fleming (composer)

Robert James Berkeley Fleming (born November 12, 1921 in Prince Albert / Saskatchewan , † November 28, 1976 in Ottawa ) was a Canadian composer , pianist, organist, choir director and music teacher.

As a child, Fleming had music lessons from his mother and various teachers in Saskatoon, became a ten-year-old member of the choir of St. John's Cathedral under the direction of W. Seemer Betts and appeared at music festivals as a soloist and chorister, pianist and piano accompanist. From 1937 to 1939 he studied piano with Arthur Benjamin and composition with Herbert Howells at the Royal Conservatory of Music in London . After returning to Canada, he made his debut at Darke Hall in Regina in 1940 and toured Saskatchewan.

1941–1942 he continued his training with Lyell Gustin and was auxiliary organist at the Church of St. Alban the Martyr in Saskatoon. At the Toronto Conservatory of Music he studied composition with Healey Willan , piano with Norman Wilks , conducting with Ettore Mazzoleni and organ with Frederick Silvester and John Weatherseed until 1945 . 1945-1946 he taught at Upper Canada College .

From 1946 he worked for the National Film Board of Canada as a composer and from 1958 to 1970 as music director. In 1953 he directed the Ottawa Ballet Festival as music director . From 1954 to 1956 he worked as organist and choirmaster at Glebe United Church , from 1959 to 1970 at St. George's Anglican Church in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue and from 1972 at St. Matthias' Church in Ottawa. From 1970 he taught contemporary and Canadian music at Carleton University .

Fleming's numerous compositions include more than 250 film and ballet music, more than 50 orchestral works, piano and organ pieces, choral works and songs. His Sonatina for piano (1941), the ballet Shadow on the Prairie (1952), and The Confession Stone (1966, a commission for Maureen Forrester ) were particularly successful . The Canadian Music Council (since 1990 the Canada Council ) awards an annual Robert Fleming Award for Young Composers , which includes André Lamarche (1979), Denys Bouliane (1980), Anthony Genge (1981), Denis Dion (1983), Guy Perron ( 1986) and Jacques Tremblay (1991). Another Robert Fleming Award is presented by the Ottawa Music Festival Association .

Works

• The Wealden Trio 'Song of the Women' for female choir and string quartet, 1940
• Sonatina for piano, 1941
• Five Modernistics for piano, 1946
• Six Variations on a Liturgical Theme for string orchestra, 1946
• Coulter Songs , 1946–54
• Chapter 13 , Ballet, 1948
• Shadow on the Prairie , ballet, 1951
• A Musician in the Family for trombone and piano, 1952
• Songs on texts by Paul Hiebert , 1952–53
• Red River Country and Seaboard Sketches (1953)
• Romance , ballet, 1954
• A Two Piece Suite for two clarinets and bass clarinet, 1958
• Ballet Introduction for large orchestra, 1960
• Study No. 4 for piano, 1960
• Colors of the Rainbow and Maritime Suite for woodwind quartet, string quartet and harp, 1962
• Three Miniatures for Brass Quintet , 1962
• Go for Baroque for flute, oboe and harpsichord, 1963
• Three Dialogues for Flute or Oboe Solo 1964
• Concerto 64 for piano and orchestra, 1964
• You Name It Suite for string orchestra, 1964
• Brass Quintet , 1965
• Concerto for Tuba 1966
• The Confession Stone , 1966
• String Quartet , 1969
• Prairie Sailor , folk cantata, 1970
• Almost Waltz for flute and piano, 1970
• Divertimento for organ, two oboes and strings, 1970
• Explorations for the accordion, 1970
• Threo for soprano saxophone and piano, 1972
• Hexad for orchestra, 1972
• Our Mind Was the Singer , song cycle for baritone and orchestra, 1972
• Songs on texts by Robert Finch , 1972
• Folk Songs from Prince Edward Island , 1973
• Of a Timeless Land for alto and orchestra, 1974
• Folk Lullabies (traditional) for medium voice and piano, 1975

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• Robert Fleming ( English, French ) In: Encyclopedia of Music in Canada . published by The Canadian Encyclopedia .
• Robert Fleming in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Library and Archives Canada - Fleming, Robert