Barney Childs

Barney Childs, noted composer and educator, died at his home in Redlands, CA, on Tuesday, January 11. He was 73.

Childs was born in Spokane, WA, February 13, 1926, and moved with his family to Palo Alto, CA, in 1939. He earned a B.A. from the University of Nevada, a B.A. and M.A. in English language and literature as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and a Ph.D. in English and music from Stanford University, where he was a fellow in poetry and creative writing. As a composer, Childs was largely self-taught until the early 1950s, when he studied at Tanglewood with Carlos Chavez and Aaron Copland and in New York with Elliott Carter. By the late '50s, his works were performed regularly in New York (including Max Pollikoff's Music in Our Time series and the Music in the Making series) and elsewhere throughout the U.S.

In 1956, he accepted a job as instructor of English (later assistant professor of English) at the University of Arizona, where he remained until 1965, when he became dean of Deep Springs College (CA). From 1969-71, he was composer in residence (acting dean, 1971) at the Wisconsin College Conservatory (Milwaukee). In 1971, he began teaching literature and music at the University of Redlands (CA), becoming a full professor in 1973 and a faculty researcher and lecturer in 1979. He was visiting lecturer at the University of London, Goldsmith College, in 1989.

from A Box of Views 48 seconds The Sierra Wind Quintet

Childs was poetry editor of the journal "Genesis West" (1962-65) and an editor of "Perspectives of New Music." He was the author of numerous scholarly articles affirming his musical and aesthetic views, and with composer Elliott Schwartz, he edited the book "Contemporary Composers on Contemporary Music" (1967, 2^nd edition 1998). From 1964 through 1982, he ran Advance Recordings, a record company that championed the music of such contemporary composers as Richard Maxfield, Harold Budd, and Robert Ashley.

Eclectic in nature, Childs' compositions freely explored diverse avenues of musical thought and drew inspiration from many sources, including traditional western concert music (especially that of such composers as Hindemith, Ives, Ruggles, and Copland), the open form works of John Cage, and jazz of all styles. He is particularly noted for his innovative and influential scores that invite their performers' collaboration in the very construction of the works and in which indeterminacy and improvisation sit side by side with traditional forms of structure and notation.

His compositions include two symphonies, concertos for clarinet and timpani, five wind quintets, five brass quintets, eight string quartets, many chamber pieces for unusual groupings of instruments, and many solo works (often written specifically for such new music virtuosi as bassist Bertram Turetzky). Among his most noted pieces are "Jack's New Bag," "Any Five," Interbalances I-VI," "Welcome to Wipperginny," "37 Songs," "Sonata for trombone," and "A Box of Views."

A recording of the music of Barney Childs on New World Records is scheduled for release in February 2001.

° Elliott Schwartz Remembers Barney Childs