In Memoriam: Alexander "Sandy" Courage, 1919-2008

[thatcrazycajun]

It is with deep sadness that I must report, informed by several on my friends list, that television and movie composer Alexander Courage has died of natural causes at the age of 88 after a long period of declining health. He worked during his lifetime on compositions and/or orchestrations for a couple dozen TV series and many classic feature-film musicals including My Fair Lady and Doctor Doolittle. But his signature work—better known to more people, it is reported, than even Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man"—is a tune that begins with the most famous eight notes ever heard in science fiction: the original theme from Star Trek.

It not only heralded new episodes of the original series every week for three years, it was written into the themes of every single Trek feature film and that of the 1987-93 Next Generation series. It has passed into history along with Marius Constant's amelodic Twilight Zone theme and John Williams' five-note Close Encounters riff as cultural keystones for the genre. kradical  has kindly provided this link to an obituary by the Film Music Society.

Requiescat in pace, Mr. Courage, and thank you for the gift of your talents that made so much of our chosen form of entertainment so much better.

Comments

[dan-ad-nauseam.livejournal.com]

The fellow with the scythe appears to be collecting TV theme composers. The one who wrote (and whistled) the Andy Griffith them also passed away this week.

[luscious-words.livejournal.com]

The tune is now running through my head. Damn, another one gone.

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

This is the second person this week who had some affiliation with Star Trek who died. Joe Pevney was first. What's going on?

Not only Alexander Courage

[oldfolkieathome.livejournal.com]

But Joseph Pevney, who directed some 14 episodes of the original Star Trek ("The Trouble with Tribbles", "City on the Edge of Forever", etc.) as well.

::sigh::

See link below for story:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0678928/news#ni0242866