From Spirituals to Symphonies

by Walker-Hill, Helen

• ISBN13: 9780252074547
• ISBN10: 0252074548
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-01
• Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr

Summary

Helen Walker-Hill's unique study provides an carefully researched examination of the history and scope of musical composition by African American women composers from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Focusing on the effect of race, gender, and class,From Spirituals to Symphoniesnotes the important role played by individual personalities and circumstances in shaping this under-appreciated category of American art. The study also provides in-depth exploration of the backgrounds, experiences, and musical compositions of eight African-American women including Margaret Bonds, Undine Smith Moore, and Julia Perry, who combined the techniques of Western art music with their own cultural traditions and individual gifts. Despite having gained national and international recognition during their lifetimes, the contributions of many of these women are today forgotten.

Author Biography

Helen Walker-Hill has taught at the University of Colorado, Muhlenberg College, and the University of Wyoming. She currently lives in Evergreen, Colorado. Her previous publications include Piano Music by Black Women Composers: A Catalog of Solo and Ensemble Works.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
Historical Overview	p. 1
Undine Smith Moore (1904-89)	p. 51
Julia Perry (1924-79)	p. 93
Margaret Bonds (1913-72)	p. 141
Irene Britton Smith (1907-99)	p. 189
Dorothy Rudd Moore (b. 1940)	p. 217
Valerie Capers (b. 1935)	p. 251
Mary Watkins (b. 1939)	p. 283
Regina Harris Baiocchi (b. 1956)	p. 319
Conclusion	p. 353
Selected List of Composers	p. 365
Selected Bibliography/Discography	p. 375
Index	p. 381
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