'I am trying to locate a copy of William L. Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony conducted in 195_ I believe, conducted by Leopold Stokowski'

[Negro Folk Symphony by William Levi Dawson; American Symphony Orchestra; Leopold Stokowski, conductor; Decca Records LP & Deutsche Grammophon DG 477 6502 (2007)]

A visitor to AfriClassical.com has requested help in obtaining a recording of William Levi Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony:

“Happy holidays to you and yours, as well as AfriClassical. All Classical music lovers are very indebted to your wonderful work maintaining the AfriClassical website and the invaluable service it provides. Sir, I salute and applaud you. Currently, I am trying to locate a copy of William L. Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony conducted in 195_ I believe, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Can you help me locate a copy for sale?”

William Levi Dawson revised his Negro Folk Symphony in 1952 after a trip to Africa. Leopold Stokowski conducted the American Symphony Orchestra in a performance recorded June 2-4, 1963. It was originally issued as an American Decca LP, DL 10077. Deutsche Grammophon reissued the recording on CD in 2007 in a 2-CD set, DG 477 6502, available at many music websites. Amazon.com Merchants offer it as low as $15.

Night Music (9:43) by the African American composer Howard Swanson is also included in the 2-CD set, in a performance of The New York Ensemble of the Philharmonic Scholarship Winners, conducted by Dmitri Mitropoulos.

'In Sweden, there is very little spiritual music written in Dr. Dawson's style'

[The Spirituals of William L. Dawson; The St. Olaf Choir; Anton Armstrong, conductor; Marvis Martin, soprano; St. Olaf Records 2159 (1997)]

Today a native of Chicago left a comment in the Guest Book at AfriClassical.com about introducing the spirituals of William Levi Dawson to his church choir in Sweden. He also provided a link to his website about his experiences as an American musician in Sweden:

Sven-Erik Sieurin

Tuesday, 6/29/10, 6:03 AM What a wonderful site, I came in looking for information on Dr. William Levi Dawson and found what I wanted. I want to do some of his works for our church choir here, it will be a challenge! While what I would describe as modern, popular gospel is sung very often here in Sweden, there is very little spiritual music written in Dr. Dawson's style performed here. It will be fun to introduce his music to our choir. From: Chicago Web Site: Sven-Erik Sieurin

[William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a complete Works List compiled by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of Lawrence University Conservatory]

Akron Youth Orchestras & Texarkana Symphony Play Music of William Grant Still Feb. 8

[Afro-American Symphony; William Grant Still; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Karl Kruger, conductor; Bridge 9086 (1999)]

Music of William Grant Still will be heard in two different locales on Sunday, February 8, 2009. The Akron Youth Orchestras will perform Still's Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American), his best known symphonic work. The above recording by the Royal Philharmonic is only one of many CDs of the composition. At Texarkana, Arkansas, works of William Grant Still will accompany those of other African American composers, including William Levi Dawson, Moses Hogan and Undine Smith Moore (1904-1989), a Virginia native who was a professor of Music at Virginia State University for more than four decades.

Akron.com

“The Akron Youth Orchestras, which is the Akron Youth Symphony and the Akron Youth Philharmonic, will perform at a free concert Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. at E.J. Thomas. The program will feature William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1 'Afro-American.' Still was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions. He was the first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra and the first to have a symphony of his own (his first symphony) performed by a leading orchestra.”

TexarkanaGazette.com 

“The Lonoke Baptist Church Choir, the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, and Texarkana Regional Chorale will team up for a concert on Sunday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. at the Lonoke Baptist Church in Texarkana, Ark. Traditional African-American classical compositions will be performed with music from, among others, Undine Moore, William Dawson, Moses Hogan and William Grant Still. Poetry will also become a part of the festivities.” [William Grant Still (1895-1978) and William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) are profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Michelle Areyzaga Sings African American Composer William Levi Dawson's 'Mary Had A Baby'

[The Spirituals of William L. Dawson; The St. Olaf Choir; Anton Armstrong, conductor; Marvis Martin, soprano; St. Olaf Records 2159 (1997)]

Local groups set for musical kickoff to holiday season

By Bill Gowen

Daily Herald Classical Music Columnist

Published 11/27/2008

DailyHerald.com, Suburban Chicago

“St. Charles Singers: Acclaimed operatic and concert soprano Michelle Areyzaga will be the special guest artist when the St. Charles Singers open their 25th anniversary season with the group's annual 'Candlelight Carols' concerts Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6-7, in St. Charles and Wheaton.  'With the choral works on the program and audience singalongs between sets, the concert will offer at least 25 songs, one for each of our 25 years,' said Jeffrey Hunt, founder and artistic director of the 30-voice professional chamber choir. 'The program embraces traditional and contemporary carols, including jazz arrangements. Most of the songs - about three-quarters of them - will be new to our repertoire, so audience members can expect to hear a fresh and bracing Christmas program.' The concerts are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles, with two performances on Dec. 7 - 3 p.m., at St. Michael Church, 310 S. Wheaton Ave., Wheaton and 7 p.m. back at Baker Memorial Church.

“Areyzaga, a resident of the Fox River Valley area, will perform as soloist in a special set of six songs for soprano and a cappella choir.” “She will also perform two songs by African-American composers: 'Mary Had a Baby' by legendary 20th century choral director and composer William Levi Dawson; and 'Who Is the Baby?' by Auburn University's Rosephanye Powell. [Full Post] [William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

1933 Photo of The Tuskegee Institute Choir, Led by William Levi Dawson (1889-1990)

[The Tuskegee Institute Choir, William Levi Dawson Collection at Emory University]

William Levi Dawson: The Collection at Emory University

The Tuskegee Institute Choir in Carnegie Hall, January 1933.

Following their successful run at the Radio City Music Hall opening, the choir sang a concert for newly-elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt in January. They appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York City in February, and were reviewed by the Wall Street Journal as “The World’s Finest.” In the review, Stirling Bowen called Dawson “partly prophet,” and reported that the choir was “probably the finest vocal ensemble in the world.” [The African American composer and choral director William Levi Dawson, who is profiled at AfriClassical.com, was born in Anniston, Alabama on September 26, 1889 and entered The Tuskegee Institute at age 13. After earning a Master's Degree in Music he returned to his beloved school in 1931, where he ran the Music Department for 25 years. Dawson is best known for his many arrangements of African American spirituals, but he also produced an exquisite symphony based on spirituals, the Negro Folk Symphony. He died in Montgomery, Alabama on May 5, 1990.]

“Negro Folk Symphony” of William Levi Dawson to air on WGTE.org 8pm EDT Aug. 18, 2008

[Negro Folk Symphony; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Järvi, Conductor; Chandos 9226 (1993)]

Greg Kostraba is Classical Music Director of WGTE 91.3 FM in Toledo. He tells AfriClassical: “I wanted to let you and your readers know that I will be broadcasting the Detroit Symphony's performance of William Levi Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony" this evening, August 18th, 2008 on Evening Classics. The show can be heard on-line at http://www.wgte.org from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. EDT. Thanks!! -- Greg [The African American composer and choral director William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]