Lewis, Lew Rich

1865-

Musical educator and composer; born at Woodstock, Vermont. His  father moved to South Boston, and he received his education in the Public Grammar schools, the English High School and the Latin School, and entered Tufts College in 1883. After being graduated from Tufts in 1887 he went to Harvard College for two years, taking first the A. B. degree, then the A. M. with highest honors in music. In Tufts he had been active in the reorganization of the Glee Club, and in Harvard had composed a piece for male chorus and orchestra, which was given by the Harvard Glee Club, and Pierian Sodality. From 1889 to 1892 Mr. Lewis was abroad, most of the time in Munich, where he studied at the School of Music, and was graduated with honorable mention in composition. On his return to America in 1892 he became instructor in French at Tufts College, where he was offered the chair of History and Theory of Music instituted in 1895. Professor Lewis has always taken great interest in the Glee Club of his college, and had composed several songs for it, among them being the songs, Charlie's Light, and the P. T. Barnum Song. Among his more serious works are The Consolation of Music, a cantata for solos, chorus and orchestra; a sonata for piano and violin; symphonic prelude to Brownning's Blot in the 'Scutcheon; incidental music to Milton's Comus, and to Dekker's Fortunatus, and many smaller pieces. He has also edited The Tufts Song Book; The Zeta Psi Song Books; The Redeemer, Service Books and Sunday School Harmonies.