Wilson Sawyer

Who was Wilson Sawyer?

Wilson Sawyer was an American composer, arranger and musician. Born in Traverse City, Michigan, he showed musical talent at an early age and studied music at the University of Michigan. Sawyer conducted the University's Women's Glee Club and led the Bill Sawyer Orchestra, a big band that was featured on WMAQ's "Fitch Summer Bandwagon" on July 7, 1940. He composed several arrangements of choral works; popular songs for Perry Como, Fred Waring and Ray Eberle; music for the "Alaskan Stampede," a Leo Seltzer produced "musical extravaganza on ice" c. 1944, and an opera based on Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. He is best known for composing Symphony No. 1, known as the Alaskan Symphony, at Gypsy Trail, Carmel, New York in 1945. The work includes text from the "Spell of the Yukon" by Robert W. Service sung by a baritone soloist in the third movement, as well as other thematic inspirations drawn from his study of the climate, topography and history of the then-territory. The Alaskan Symphony was first performed in December 1945 by the American Symphony Orchestra and was broadcast across the United States and to overseas armed services at that time. Wilson Sawyer conducted the piece and Gov.