Leigh, Walter

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Leigh, Walter

Leigh, Walter, English composer; b. London, June 22, 1905; d. in battle near Tobruk, Libya, June 12, 1942. He was an organ scholar at Christ’s Coll., Cambridge (1922-26), where he studied with Dent; also took lessons with Darke and later with Hindemith at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin (1927-29). He was particularly adept in his writing for the theater.

Works

2 light operas: The Pride of the Regiment, or Cashiered for His Country (Midhurst, Sept. 19, 1931) and The Jolly Roger, or The Admiral’s Daughter (Manchester, Feb. 13, 1933); 9 Sharp, musical revue (London, 1938); incidental music; pieces for amateur orch.; Sonatina for Viola and Piano (Vienna, June 17, 1932); Trio for 3 Pianos (1934); Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Piano (1935); songs; piano pieces.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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