Feb. 12 marked the anniversary of the passing of Brother J. Clifton Williams, Beta Omega (Louisiana State) 1946, a noted and revered composer of the 20th century. His works include several well-known orchestral and band pieces. He first achieved prominence in 1955, when he won the American Bandmasters Association’s inaugural composition award for original band literature. He went on to win it the following year as well, before launching a successful career in both composition and education.
Click here to read a recent article on Williams in the Sinfonia Resonance e-newsletter, an article which also contains audio and video of Sinfonians performing Williams’s work “The Sinfonians.” Commissioned by the Fraternity in 1960, “The Sinfonians” remains an immensely popular work in both Sinfonian circles and in the greater musical world.