Alexander Courage (1919-2008)

About 150 people attended the memorial service for Alexander Courage on June 29 in Pacific Palisades, California. Courage, who passed away on May 15, was well-known to fans as the composer of the Star Trek theme. HeĀ also worked on many other movies and tv shows during his career, earning an Oscar nomination in connection with the 1960s movie Doctor Doolittle.

[Composer John Williams] spoke of Courage’s importance as an arranger and orchestrator on the MGM musicals of the 1950s, linking him with Robert Russell Bennett and Herbert Spencer as the best in their field. He called Courage “a fantastic artist, craftsman and connoisseur. He loved sports cars, cigars and life,” Williams said, adding that he led “a joyous, happy, highly contributive life. I feel so honored and privileged to have been Sandy‘s friend and colleague.”

A 10-minute video tribute, assembled by Michael Matessino and David Fein, showcased Courage, his professional colleagues and family members, to Courage’s music from Star Trek (“The Cage,” “The Conscience of the King,” “The Naked Time”) and Lost in Space (“The Great Vegetable Rebellion”), among other pieces.

[Thanks to David Klaus for the link.]