Randall Thompson
He gave American choruses a distinct, accessible sound, composing the beloved 'Alleluia' and shaping generations of musicians as a teacher.
1899–1984 (age 85)·American composer and educator·Birthday: April 21·The Lost Generation
Biography
Randall Thompson's music feels as American as a New England town green. A composer and educator through and through, he found his most enduring voice in writing for choirs. Rejecting the harsh modernism of some contemporaries, he crafted melodies that were lyrical, harmonically rich, and immediately appealing to singers and audiences alike. His fame was cemented in 1940 with the a cappella motet 'Alleluia,' written for the opening of the Berkshire Music Center—a piece of serene, rising lines that has become a global standard. Thompson's academic career was just as significant. He taught at Harvard, Princeton, and for decades at the Curtis Institute, where his gentle manner and insistence on craftsmanship influenced countless students. His three symphonies and other orchestral works carry a similar tuneful, pastoral quality. In an age of artistic fragmentation, Thompson remained committed to beauty, clarity, and community, creating a body of choral work that continues to be the backbone of American singing.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Randall was born in 1899, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. 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 Randall Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
Randall's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 50
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
1959Turned 60
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 70
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 80
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Died at 85
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
Key Achievements
- He composed 'Alleluia' (1940), one of the most frequently performed pieces of 20th-century choral music in the world.
- He wrote the large-scale secular oratorio 'The Peaceable Kingdom' (1936), inspired by the Edward Hicks painting and a staple of the choral repertoire.
- He served as the director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia from 1939 to 1941 and was a long-time professor of music there.
- He composed three symphonies, with his Symphony No. 2 (1931) winning early critical acclaim and remaining his most performed orchestral work.
Did You Know?
His 'Alleluia' was composed in just five days for the opening of the Tanglewood Music Center, with the instruction that it could not be a festive piece.
He was a close friend and colleague of composer Virgil Thomson, and they often exchanged ideas and critiques.
He won the prestigious Rome Prize in 1922, which allowed him to study at the American Academy in Rome for three years.
Many of his choral works were written for specific academic institutions, including Harvard University and the University of California.
“My whole theory of writing is to write something that everyone will understand, and that will please everyone.”
