Childs, Barney (Sanford)
Childs, Barney (Sanford)
Childs, Barney (Sanford), American composer and teacher; b. Spokane, Wash., Feb. 13, 1926; d. Red-lands, Calif., Jan. 11, 2000. He studied intermittently with Ratner, Chavez, Copland, and Carter, and obtained a B.A. degree in English from the Univ. of Nev. (1949), an M.A. from the Univ. of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar (1955), and a Ph.D. in literature from Stanford Univ. (1959). He taught English at the Univ. of Ariz. (1956–65), and then served as dean of Deep Springs Coll. in Calif. (1965–69). From 1969 to 1971 he taught theory and composition at Wise. Coll.-Cons. in Milwaukee. In 1971 he joined the faculty at Johnston Coll. of the Univ. of Redlands in Calif., and then was a prof, there from 1973 to 1994. Not overly concerned with public tastes and current fashions of cosmopolitan styles, Childs cultivated indeterminate structures. He ed., with Elliott Schwarz, Contemporary Composers on Contemporary Music (N.Y., 1967; rev. 1998).
Works
6 Interbalances for Various Groups (1941–64); 2 violin sonatas (1950, 1956); 5 wind quintets (1951–69); 8 string quartets (1951–74); 2 syms. (1954, 1956); Concerto da camera for Trumpet and Woodwinds (1951); Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet (1952); Quartet for Clarinet and Strings (1953); Bassoon Sonata (1953); Concerto for English Horn, Strings, Harp, and Percussion (1955); Quartet for Bassoons (1958); Oboe Sonata (1958); Brass Trio (1959); Flute Sonata (1960); Trombone Sonata (1961); Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Double Bass, and Percussion (1964); 6 Events for Band (1965); Music for Piano and Strings (1965); The Golden Bubble for Double Bass Sarrusophone and Percussion (1967); Music for 6 Tubas (1969); Keet Seel for Chorus (1970); Concerto for Clarinet and Orch. (1970); Supposes: Imago Mundi for Band (1970); When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d... for Soloists, Chorus, and Band (1971); Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1972); Of Place, as Altered for 5 Clarinets (1972); Of Place, as Particular for Soprano and Tape (1973); Concert Piece for Tuba and Band (1973); Quintet for Winds, Harp, and Percussion (1974); The Golden Shore for Band (1974); Lanterns and Candlelight for Marimba and Soprano (1975); A Question of Summer for Tuba and Harp (1976); 4 Pieces for 6 Winds for Wind Quintet and Saxophone (1977); Quartet/Fantasy for 4 Tubas (1977); September with Band for Band (1978); Featuring-:”Mighty” Joe Nowhere und die Greater Wairopi All*Starsîor 7 Equal Instruments (1978); Overture to Measuring a Meridian for Wind Sextet and Percussion (1978); 7 Quiet Studies for Percussion (1978); 6 Gamut Studies for Marimba (1978); Mosaic on a Theme of Balakirev for Alto Saxophone (1979); A Continuance, in 7 Parts for Band (1979); Clay Music for 4 Players on special handmade clay instruments (1980); !BANANA FLANNEL-BOARD!—the Historic 1st Album for 3 Readers and Tape Delay (1980); Orrery for Band (1980); 13 Classic Studies for the Contrabass (1981); The Edge of the World for Bass Clarinet and Organ (1981); Real Music for 2 Clarinets (1981); 81 Licks for Trombone (1983); Pastorale for Bass Clarinet and Tape (1983); Sunshine Lunchh, & Like Matters for Bass Clarinet, Baritone, Percussion, and Electronic Music Machine (1984; “Lunchh” is the emphatically designated rendering by the composer); Horn Octet (1984); Instant Winners for E-flat Clarinet (1986); A Box of Views for Wind Quintet and Piano (1988); Concerto for Timpani and Orch. (1989); Fantasy Variations for Violinist Who Also Reads (1991); Quite a row of them sitting there for Clarinet and Piano (1992); lntrada: Be someone else for Saxophone Quartet (1992).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire