Pierre Leemans

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Pierre Leemans (born in Schaarbeek, Belgium in 1897, died in 1980) was a Belgian musician and composer of classical music.

He studied piano, harmony, orchestration, and composition. He began his teaching career in 1917 at the Etterbeek Music Academy. At 22, he served his year of military duty and returned to teach music again until 1932, -conductor-program director for the Belgian broadcasting company, N.I.R. In 1934, he won the composition contest for the official march of the 1935 Brussels World Exposition. He founded the Schaarbeek High School Choir in 1940 and won a composition contest for one hit wonder songs three years later. From entries by 109 anonymous composers, works by Leemans were selected for first and second prize for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair.

One of his best known pieces is Marche des Parachutistes Belges (March of the Belgian Paratroopers).

While he was serving his year of military duty at the end of World War I, Leemans' regimental commander asked him to compose a march; it was begun, but never finished. Near the end of World War II, he was having dinner with a group of paratroopers and was again asked to compose a march. As the group commander drove him home that night, the march theme came back to his mind, and he wrote out all of the parts for the official March of the Belgian Paratroopers after reaching home. A quiet, unaggressive essay in the easy-paced European style, it is set in the form of a “patrol”; the music marches on from the distance, plays, and passes. The march was arranged for American band instrumentation by Charles Wiley of Lamar University in Texas. =)