Peter van Steeden (April 4, 1904,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

– January 3, 1990,

New Canaan, Connecticut New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. About an hour from New York City by train, the town ...

) was a composer. His best-known composition, "

Home (When Shadows Fall) "Home (When Shadows Fall)" is a song written by Harry Clarkson, Geoffrey Clarkson and Peter van Steeden in 1931. van Steeden had a hit with it in 1931. Cover versions *Peter van Steeden and His Orchestra (vocal by Dick Robertson (songwriter), Di ...

", has been performed by many musicians, including

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...

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Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

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Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

, The Fontaine Sisters,

Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in ''South Pacific (musica ...

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and

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Radio

Starting on April 17, 1935, van Steeden replaced

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as the orchestra leader for

Fred Allen John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist topically-pointed radio program '' The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and forw ...

's radio show Town Hall Tonight. He was often given comedy lines by Allen, and the show of April 17, 1940 featured a comedy skit called "From Nipper to Nobody", all about Van Steeden. In 1937,

Joseph Henabery Joseph Henabery (January 15, 1888 – February 18, 1976) was an American film actor, screenplay writer, and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in D.W. Griffith's controversial 1915 silent historical epic ''The Birt ...

directed a 10-minutes documentary Peter van Steeden and His Orchestra in Special Arrangements. Van Steeden led the orchestra on ''

The Abbott and Costello Show ''The Abbott and Costello Show'' is an American television sitcom starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The program premiered in syndication in the fall of 1952 and ran two seasons to the spring of 1954. Each season ran 26 e ...

'', ''

The Adventures of Christopher Wells ''The Adventures of Christopher Wells'' is a 30-minute radio crime drama broadcast on CBS from September 28, 1947, to June 22, 1948.Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, ...

'',

The Alan Young Show ''The Alan Young Show'' is an American radio and television series presented in diverse formats over a nine-year period and starring English-born comedian Alan Young. Radio The series began on NBC Radio, running June 28, 1944 - September 20, 1 ...

, '' The Bob Hawk Show'', ''Break the Bank'', ''The Harry Savoy Show'',Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 16, 294. ''

Claudia and David ''Claudia and David'' is a 1946 American comedy drama film directed by Walter Lang and starring.s Dorothy McGuire, Robert Young (actor), Robert Young and Mary Astor. Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young repeat their roles from the film Claudia (1943 ...

'', ''McGarry and His Mouse'', '' Mr. District Attorney'', ''Quizzer's Baseball'', ''

Stoopnagle and Budd Stoopnagle and Budd were a popular radio comedy team of the 1930s, who are sometimes cited as forerunners of the Bob and Ray style of radio comedy. Along with Raymond Knight (radio), Raymond Knight (''The Cuckoo Hour''), they were radio's first s ...

'', ''Walk a Mile'', ''Lucky Strike Hit Parade'', and the ''George Jessel Show''.

Personal appearances

Van Steeden played at many locations throughout the New York metropolitan area, including Whyte's Restaurant, the Parody Club, and the Hotel New Yorker.

References

External links

* Dutch composers American male composers American bandleaders Musicians from Amsterdam 1904 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians Delta Chi members {{Netherlands-composer-stub