With the approach of the 100th birthday - June 29, 2008 Ð of Leroy Anderson, the re-release of his classic orchestra arrangements bears special significance. Recognizing his own music as Òconcert music with a pop quality,Ó Leroy Anderson (1908 - 1975) possessed not merely a skill in technique and a rich melodic gift, but also an engaging sense of humor that he demonstrated freely in his music and compositional style. He was particularly successful in creating descriptive pieces that effectively borrowed sounds and rhythms from beyond the traditional musical world, such as the ticking of a clock, the clicking of a typewriter, and the ringing of sleigh bells. Anderson first studied music as a child with his mother, who was a church organist, later earning a B.A. degree in music at Harvard University. He held appointments as a music instructor, conductor, church choir director and organist while continuing to compose and arrange.ÊAt the height of his career in the mid-1930s, Anderson began arranging for Arthur Fiedler's Boston Pops Orchestra. Fiedler encouraged him to write his own pieces for the Pops.Ê His many compositions virtually define the sound of the contemporary American pops orchestra.ÊAndersonÕs works in the ÒencoreÓ category are frequently imitated yet have few equals. This new edition has been freshly re-engraved with a full-score for the first time.