Harry T. Burleigh - Erie, PA - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

The grave of Harry Thacker Burleigh is located in the Erie Cemetery on Chestnut Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. Burleigh was born in 1866 in Erie and died in 1949 in Stamford, Connecticut.

The text on the headstone at his grave states:
"Internationally known baritone, composer, and arranger of spirituals. Encouraged by Anton Dvorak, he created arrangements for over 100 spirituals, such as 'Deep River,' 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,' and 'Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen.' One of Erie's most beloved native sons, buried in White Plains New York, 1949, and reinterred here May 28, 1994."

From the time of his childhood, Burleigh studied and performed music, mostly in local churches. In 1892, he was given a scholarship to study at the National Conservatory of Music in New York. There, he was befriended by Antonin Dvorak, with whom Burleigh shared many Spirituals he had learned from his grandfather. Dvorak's "New World Symphony" was inspired in part by what he heard from Burleigh. Burleigh went on to sing at St. George's Episcopal Church in New York for over fifty years. He also continued performing in other venues and publishing compositions and collections of songs. When Burleigh died in 1949, over 2,000 people attended his funeral.

According to the Library of Congress website, "Burleigh's compositions and arrangements of African-American spirituals transported a musical tradition that was born out of the plight of enslaved people, onto the concert stage, where they are revered as masterful examples of uniquely American music."

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Description: Famous composer and singer Date of birth: 12/02/1866 Date of death: 09/12/1949 Area of notoriety: Art Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight hours Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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