Walter Leigh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Walter Leigh (June 22, 1905 – June 12, 1942) was an English composer. He was born in London in 1905 and went to Cambridge University, after which he was taught composition by Hindemith. In 1941, during the Second World War, he joined the British army and served with the Royal Armoured Corps, 4th Queen's Own Hussars. He was killed in action near Tobruk, Libya in 1942, just before his 37th birthday.

Leigh is most famous for his concertino for harpsichord and string orchestra written in 1936. Other famous works include the overture Agincourt and The Frogs of Aristophanes for chorus and orchestra. He wrote music for documentary films and there is an unfinished sketch for a symphony.