GILLIS, Don
b Cameron. Missouri, 17 June 1912
d Columbia, South Carolina, 10 January 1978, aged sixty-five
He played trumpet and trombone in school bands. He graduated from Texas Christian University in 1936. From 1944 he was programme arranger for the NBC in New York; from 1967 to 1968, chairman of the music department at the Southern Methodist University; and from 1968 to 1972, chairman of fine arts at Dallas Baptist College. He was a radio scriptwriter as well as a composer.
1936 (24)
Four Moods in Three Keys, for chamber orchestra
1937 (25)
The Woolyworm, symphonic satire
The Panhandle, suite for orchestra
Thoughts Provoked on Becoming a Prospective Papa, suite for orchestra
The Crucifixion, for solo voices, narrator, chorus and orchestra
1938 (26)
The Raven, for narrator and orchestra
1939 40 (27-8)
Symphony No 1 An American Symphony
1940 (28)
Portrait of a Frontier Town, suite for orchestra
Symphony No 2, Symphony of Faith
Symphony No 3, A Symphony of Free Men (1940-1)
1941 (29)
The Night Before Christmas, for narrator and orchestra
1942 (30)
Three Sketches for strings
1943 (31)
Prairie Poem, for orchestra
Symphony No 4
1944 (32)
A Short Overture to an Unwritten Opera, for orchestra
The Alamo, symphonic poem
Symphony No 5 (1944-5)
1945 (33)
To an Unknown Soldier, symphonic poem
1945-7 (31-5)
Symphony No 5½, A Symphony for Fun
1947 (35)
Symphony No 6
Dude Ranch, for orchestra
Three Short Pieces for strings
1948 (36)
Symphony No 7, Saga of a Prairie School
1950 (38)
Symphony No 8, The Man Who Invented Music, for narrator and orchestra
1957 (45)
Tulsa, for orchestra
1966 (54)
Piano Concerto No 2
1970 (58)
The Nazarene, opera
1973 (61)
Behold the Man, opera
Let Us Pray, choral
Gillis also composed:
Symphonies No 9-12
A short, short symphony
Six string quartets
Two sonatinas for four trumpets
Shindig, ballet
The Park Avenue Kids, opera
The Gift of the Magi, opera
Pep Rally, opera
The Legend of Star Valley Junction, opera
Atlanta, orchestral suite
Twinkletoes, orchestral suite
Four Scenes from Yesterday, orchestral suite
Amarillo, for orchestra
Alice in Orchestralia, for narrator and orchestra
Thomas Wolfe, American, for narrator and orchestra
Toscanini, a Portrait of a Century, for narrator and orchestra
A Ceremony of Allegiance, for narrator and orchestra
His Name was John, for narrator and orchestra
The Answer, for narrator and orchestra
Other choral and piano works