Harry Burleigh
His rich baritone voice carried African American spirituals from the plantation to the concert hall, reshaping the sound of a nation.
1866–1949 (age 83)·American opera singer·Birthday: December 2·The Gilded Age
Biography
Harry Burleigh's life was a bridge between worlds. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, the grandson of an enslaved man, he sang in church choirs before a scholarship, aided by a recommendation from Frances MacDowell, mother of composer Edward MacDowell, brought him to the National Conservatory of Music in New York. There, he worked as a janitor to support himself and, famously, sang spirituals outside the office of director Antonín Dvořák. The Czech composer was captivated. Burleigh's deep knowledge of this musical tradition directly influenced Dvořák's 'New World' Symphony, cementing the spiritual's place as a cornerstone of American classical music. As a celebrated baritone at St. George's Episcopal Church for over five decades and a composer for the storied G. Schirmer publishing house, Burleigh published hundreds of art songs and arrangements, including the enduring 'Deep River,' making this profound folk music accessible to concert singers and audiences globally.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Harry was born in 1866, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Harry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1866
Harry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1866Born
President: Andrew Johnson
1871Started school
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Became a teenager
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1882Could drive
First electrical power plant opens in New York
President: Chester A. Arthur
1884Could vote
President: Chester A. Arthur
1887Turned 21
President: Grover Cleveland
1896Turned 30
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1906Turned 40
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 50
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 60
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 70
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 80
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Died at 83
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
Key Achievements
- His arrangements of spirituals like 'Deep River' and 'Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child' became standard repertoire for classical singers.
- Was the first African American composer to be instrumental in the development of a characteristically American classical music idiom.
- Served as the soloist at St. George's Episcopal Church in New York City for 52 years, breaking racial barriers in liturgical music.
- Received the prestigious Spingarn Medal from the NAACP for his high achievements and contributions to African American culture.
Did You Know?
He was the first African American to sing at the historically white St. George's Episcopal Church, initially facing significant opposition from some parishioners.
He helped support composer Antonín Dvořák's family financially by copying sheet music for the composer during his time in America.
His grandfather, Hamilton Waters, purchased his own freedom from slavery and later helped others escape via the Underground Railroad.
““It is a serious misconception of their meaning and value to treat Spirituals as ‘minstrel’ songs or as folk-songs of a dying race.””
