Joseph W. Clokey
Encyclopedia
Joseph Waddell Clokey was an educator, organist and composer of sacred and secular music in the first half of the 20th Century.
A student of Edgar Stillman Kelley
, he served as dean of the School of Fine Arts at his alma mater, Miami University
1939-46 and had previously been professor of organ at Miami University
(1916–1923) and Pomona College
. He was a faculty initiate of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
music fraternity, and was responsible for the arrangement of music used in the fraternity's traditions. As an undergraduate, he and Joseph M. Bachelor
wrote the first song for the fraternity Phrenocon which later became Phi Kappa Tau
.
His work included two symphonies, two orchestral suites, a string quartet, a cello and violin sonata, twelve choral works in large form, five operas, organ suites, many organ pieces and more than a hundred published choral works. His father (also named Joseph Clokey) was a Presbyterian pastor and this was certainly an influence on his focus on sacred music. He was one of the most widely sung composers in churches during the 1950s.
He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron
, an international professional music fraternity.
His adopted son, Art Clokey
, is the creator of clay animation
characters Gumby
, Pokey and Davey and Goliath
.
For a time, there was a building on the Miami University
campus named Clokey Hall.
In 1987, composer John Ness Beck
founded the John Ness Beck Foundation in memory of Clokey and Randall Thompson
to promote traditional sacred choral music.
A student of Edgar Stillman Kelley
Edgar Stillman Kelley
Edgar Stillman Kelley was an American composer, conductor, teacher, and writer on music. He is sometimes associated with the Indianist movement in American music.-Life:...
, he served as dean of the School of Fine Arts at his alma mater, Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
1939-46 and had previously been professor of organ at Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
(1916–1923) and Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
. He was a faculty initiate of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
music fraternity, and was responsible for the arrangement of music used in the fraternity's traditions. As an undergraduate, he and Joseph M. Bachelor
Joseph M. Bachelor
Joseph Morris Bachelor also known as Joseph Morris was an American author, poet, editor and educator....
wrote the first song for the fraternity Phrenocon which later became Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
.
His work included two symphonies, two orchestral suites, a string quartet, a cello and violin sonata, twelve choral works in large form, five operas, organ suites, many organ pieces and more than a hundred published choral works. His father (also named Joseph Clokey) was a Presbyterian pastor and this was certainly an influence on his focus on sacred music. He was one of the most widely sung composers in churches during the 1950s.
He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship.-History:...
, an international professional music fraternity.
His adopted son, Art Clokey
Art Clokey
Arthur "Art" Clokey was a pioneer in the popularization of stop motion clay animation, beginning in 1955 with a film experiment called Gumbasia, influenced by his professor, Slavko Vorkapich, at the University of Southern California.After the Gumbasia project, Art Clokey and his wife Ruth came up...
, is the creator of clay animation
Clay animation
Clay animation or claymation is one of many forms of stop motion animation. Each animated piece, either character or background, is "deformable"—made of a malleable substance, usually Plasticine clay....
characters Gumby
Gumby
Gumby is a green clay humanoid character created and modeled by Art Clokey, who also created Davey and Goliath. Gumby has been the subject of a 233-episode series of American television as well as a feature-length film and other media...
, Pokey and Davey and Goliath
Davey and Goliath
Davey and Goliath is a 1960s stop-motion animated children's Christian television series. The programs, produced by the Lutheran Church in America , were produced by Art Clokey after the success of his Gumby series.Each 15-minute episode features the adventures of Davey Hansen and his "talking"...
.
For a time, there was a building on the Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
campus named Clokey Hall.
In 1987, composer John Ness Beck
John Ness Beck
John Ness Beck was a composer and arranger of choral music. He was best known for his very popular and accessible settings of traditional Sacred music. Beck was a conductor and arranger of international renown...
founded the John Ness Beck Foundation in memory of Clokey and Randall Thompson
Randall Thompson
Randall Thompson was an American composer, particularly noted for his choral works.-Career:He attended Harvard University, became assistant professor of music and choir director at Wellesley College, and received a doctorate in music from the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music...
to promote traditional sacred choral music.