Leo Sowerby

For much of the early twentieth century Leo Sowerby (1895–1968) was a leading light of the American musical scene, composing well-received works for major orchestras and helping to shape debates on the future of American music. Later in his career, however, his public visibility faded after he devoted greater attention to music for the church, an arena in which he became an undisputed leader as a composer, musician, and thinker. Today, Sowerby’s music remains something of a niche enterprise: enjoyed and appreciated in certain quarters, but far from mainstream. In view of Sowerby’s lengthy career across a panorama of sacred and secular musical life, a more extended study of his music and his place in American cultural history seems long overdue. Such are the twin tasks of this book, the first published Sowerby biography. The book traces the development of Sowerby’s life and career, showing how the commonly accepted secular-to-sacred narrative is not as accurate as it first appears. It endeavors to bring disparate audiences together in considering Sowerby as a “complete” composer—not simply a sacred specialist, or a rise-and-fall concert figure—and removing some the obscurity that has surrounded his achievements.