William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) was an African-American composer, choir director and professr

A graduate of the Horner Institute of Fine Arts with a Bachelor of Music, he then studied at the Chicago Musicial College with professor Felix Borowski and then at the American Conservatory of Music where he received his masters degree. Early in his career he served as a trombonist with the Redpath Chautauqua and then as principal trombonist with the Chicago Civic Symphony Orchestra. His teacher began with the Kansas City public school system followed by a tenure with the Tuskegee Institute from 1931–1956. During this period he appointed many of the later well-known faculty members to the staff. He also developed the choir into an internationally known ensemble. Dawson directed the Tuskegee Institute Choir which was invited to sing at New York City's Radio City Music Hall in 1932 for a week of six daily performances.

Dawson as a composer began creating works at a young age. Soon after, his composition a trio for Violin, Cello and Piano was performed by Kansas City Symphony Orchestra instrumentalists. Besides chamber music, he wrote in other forms including orchestral compositions and a sonata for violin and piano. However, his best known wiorks were arrangements and variations on spirituals such as the Negro Folk Symphony of 1934. The symphony's world premiere garnered a great deal of attention; the premiere was directed by Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The symphony was later revised in 1952 with greater African rhythms inspired by the composers trip to West Africa. The composition was&mdash&the composer conveyed—was an attempt to convey the missing elements that were lost when Africans came into bondage outside of their homeland. In creating this work, Dawson was influenced by the nationalistc views of Dvořák. Widely performed, his most popular spirituals include Jesus Walked the Lonesome Valley, Talk about a Child That Do Love Jesus and King Jesus Is a-Listening.

Notable works

• Negro Folk Symphony 1952

I. The Bond of Africa

II. Hope in the Night

III. O Let Me Shine!

• Jesus Walked the Lonesome Valley
• Talk about a Child That Do Love Jesus
• King Jesus Is a-Listening.

External links

• Biography

References

1. Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans: A History. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition. ISBN 0393971414