Synopsis
Today we celebrate the birthday of Leroy Bernard Shield, an American composer whose name might not ring a bell, but whose music you might instantly recognize — and with a smile.
Shield’s name rarely appeared on the credits for the classic Our Gang and Laurel & Hardy comedies from the 1930s, but his music was used in most of them.
Shield was born in Waseca, Minnesota, on today’s date in 1893. At five he was already an accomplished pianist and organist, and by 15 a professional arranger, composer and concert pianist.
In 1923, he joined the staff of the Victor Talking Machine Company, supervising their East Coast recording sessions. Then in 1930, he was appointed Victor’s Musical Director in charge of Hollywood, California, Activities, and it was in this capacity that he wrote and oversaw the recording of music for the famous comedies produced by the Hal Roach Studios.
In 1945, Shield moved back to New York and became the orchestral contractor for the NBC radio network and worked closely with the famous conductor Arturo Toscanini and his NBC Symphony. He retired in 1955, moved to Florida, and died in Fort Lauderdale in 1962.
Music Played in Today's Program
Leroy Shield (1893-1962): Good Old Days and Hide and Go Seek; Beau Hunks Orchestra; Koch 8702
On This Day
Births
1893 - American composer and pianist Leroy Shield, in Waseca, Minnesota. He wrote much of the uncredited film music for the Hal Roach studios in the 1930s (including many classic Laurel & Hardy and Our Gang comedies)
1929 - British composer Kenneth Leighton, in Wakefield, Yorkshire
Deaths
1920 - German composer Max Bruch, 82, in Friedenau (near Berlin)
1943 - Canadian-born American composer R. Nathaniel Dett, 60, in Battle Creek, Michigan
1996 - Finnish composer Joonas Kokkonen, 74, in Jarvenpaa
Premieres
1913 - Butterworth: A Shropshire Lad, at the Leeds Festival, with Artur Nikisch conducting
1960 - Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet
2001 - Steven Heitzeg: Nobel Symphony at Gustavus Adolpus College in St. Peter, Minn., by the Gustavus Orchestra, soloists and choirs, conducted by Warren Friesen
Others
1828 - Two weeks before his death, Schubert writes a letter to a music publisher offering them his latest work, the String Quintet. The publisher declined the offer. The work was first performed in public in 1850, and was not published until 1853.
1849 - Johann Strauss, Jr. takes over his father’s orchestra one week after his death
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About Composers Datebook®
Host John Birge presents a daily snapshot of composers past and present, with timely information, intriguing musical events and appropriate, accessible music related to each.
He has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.
