Leonard Leacock

Leacock, Leonard

Leonard (Henry) Leacock. Pianist, teacher, composer, b London, 28 May 1904, d Calgary 3 Dec 1992; ATCM 1924, LRSM 1935. His family moved to Canada in 1908 and settled in Banff, Alta. He spent the years of World War I in Boston and took his first piano lessons there with a Mrs R. Holbrook. He continued his piano studies in Banff with W.E. Round, in Toronto with Thomas Crawford and Arthur Oliver, and in Calgary with Gladys Egbert and Jean Cotton. In 1924 he joined the staff at Mount Royal College in Calgary and he taught there for over 60 years until his retirement in 1987. In 1946 he became a regular examiner for the WBM. He was president of the Calgary RMTA.

Leacock gave many recitals at Mount Royal College and for the Aeolian Chamber Music Series and performed with the Calgary Symphony Orchestra. He retired from performance in 1974. His compositions include the beginners' pieces Sea Horses (Thompson 1954) and Tic-Toccatina (Harris 1959), Partita for Solo Violin, an orchestral tone poem The Lonely Lake (1956), works for violin and piano, and many songs. Several of his piano pieces have been used as competition test pieces.

The Leacock Theatre of Mount Royal College was dedicated in his honour 18 Nov 1972. In 1973, for service to music, he was presented with an Alberta Achievement Award by the provincial government and in 1985 he was named a Member of the Order of Canada. He was a skilled photographer and avid stamp collector. Leacock's papers and photographs are held by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Mount Royal College offers the Leonard Leacock Scholarship.