Clifton Williams (composer)

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James Clifton Williams Jr. (1923-1976) was born in Traskwood, Arkansas. He began playing French horn, Piano, and Mellophone early on and played in the band at Little Rock High School. In his senior class of 600, he was voted for being the most outstanding in artistry, talent, and versatility.

As a professional horn player he would go on to perform with the San Antonio and New Orleans Symphony Orchestras. Williams also served in the Army Air Corps band as a drum major, composing in his spare time.

[edit] Education

He attended Louisiana State University (B.M., 1947) where he was a pupil of Helen Gunderson and the Eastman School of Music (M.M., 1949) where he studied with Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson.

[edit] Tenure

In 1949 Williams joined the composition department at the University of Texas School of Music. He taught there until he was appointed Chair of the Theory and Composition Department at University of Miami in 1966. Williams retained this position until his death in 1976. His composition students included W. Francis McBeth and John Barnes Chance.

[edit] Compositions

Williams' early compositions were for orchestra and he would later achieve great success writing for concert band. He won the inaugural American Bandmasters Association's Ostwald Award for original band literature in 1956 for his first band composition, Fanfare and Allegro. Williams won the award again in 1957 for Symphonic Suite. The San Antonio Symphony commissioned Williams to compose a work for its 25th anniversary. He composed five symphonic dances which he would later arrange for concert band.

The following is a partial list of band compositions by Clifton Williams:

  • Academic Processional
  • Air Force Band of the West
  • Arioso
  • Border Festival
  • Caccia and Chorale
  • Castle Gap
  • Dedicatory Overture
  • Fanfare and Allegro
  • Festival
  • Henderson Festival
  • Hermitage
  • Killian
  • Laredo
  • March Lamar
  • Patriots
  • Ramparts
  • Regal Procession
  • The Sinfonians
  • Solumn Fugue
  • Sonata Allegro
  • Strategic Air Command March
  • Symphonic Dances
No. 1 (Comanche)
No. 2 (The Maskers)
No. 3 (Fiesta)
No. 4 (Square Dance)
No. 5 (New Generation)
  • Symphonic Essays
  • Symphonic Suite
I. Intrada
II. Chorale
III. March
IV. Antique Dance
V. Jubilee
  • Trilogy for Band
  • Variation Overture
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