McBride, Robert (Guyn)

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McBride, Robert (Guyn)

McBride, Robert (Guyn) , American composer; b. Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 20, 1911. He learned to play clarinet, saxophone, organ, and piano, and played in dance bands as a youth. He studied theory at the Univ. of Ariz. (1928–35) and was a member of the Tucson Sym. Orch. (1928–35). From 1935 to 1946 he taught wind instruments at Bennington (Vt.) Coll.; was then an arranger for Triumph Films, N.Y. (1946–57); from 1957 to 1978 he was on the music faculty of the Univ. of Ariz. An exceptionally prolific composer, he wrote over 1,000 pieces in various genres, many of them on American or Mexican themes with an infusion of jazz elements.

Works

orch.: Mexican Rhapsody (1934); Side Show (1944); Violin Concerto (1954); Hill Country Symphony (1964); Symphonic Melody (1968); FolkSong Fantasy (1973); Light Fantastic (1976–77). chamber: Workout for Oboe and Piano (1936); Swing Stuff for Clarinet and Piano (1938); Jam Session for Woodwind Quintet (1941); Swing Foursome for String Quartet (1957); 5 Winds Blowing for Wind Quintet (1957); Lament for the Parking Problem for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone (1968).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire