See Also: Partch, Harry(encyclopedia)
Harry(dictionary)
harry(1)(dictionary)
Old Harry(dictionary)
harry(2)(dictionary)
harry(dictionary)
Harry (as used in expressions)(encyclopedia)
Prince Harry(dictionary)
Houdini, Harry(encyclopedia)
Harry Caray's(tourism)

Partch, Harry (sh)




born June 24, 1901, Oakland, Calif., U.S.
died Sept. 3, 1974, San Diego, Calif.

U.S. composer and instrument maker.

He grew up in Arizona and was largely self-taught musically. During the Great Depression, he traveled as a hobo, conceiving many of his musical ideas while doing so. About 1930 he began building original percussion and string instruments, tunable to 43 divisions of the octave. His works often involve theatrical elements, reflecting his interest in African, Japanese, and Native American ritual. They include Barstow
8 Hitchhiker Inscriptions from a Highway Railing at Barstow, California (1941), US Highball (1943), and And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell on Petaluma (1966).