Percy Faith

Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and continued well into the 1960s. Though his professional orchestra-leading career began at the height of the swing era, Faith refined and rethought orchestration techniques, including use of large string sections, to soften and fill out the brass-dominated popular music of the 1940s. Faith was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was the oldest of eight children. He played violin and piano as a child,...