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The Recording that
Changed Everything

One summer while I was in col-
lege, I worked at the Jacksonville of-
fice of the Army Corps of Engineers.
Jim Jones, a senior draftsman, wanted
to learn something about each of the
summer workers. When I told him that

I was majoring in music, his eyes lit up!
“Do you know of Arthur Prysock?” A
blank stare and slow shake of the head
accompanied my negative response.
Clearly disappointed, he extended a
lifeline. “How about Billy Eckstein?”
Again, I was clueless. “And you are a
music major?” he asked incredulously.
“What are they teaching you?”

A few days passed, and I came near
his drafting table again. He beckoned.
“Have you ever heard of William
Dawson?” Now my eyes lit up. “Yes!”
I responded. Mr. Jones smiled. We
sang Dawson’s King Jesus Is A-listening
in my junior high school choir. When

I wanted to sing a solo for our festival
competition as a tenth grader, I chose
his Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley.
My high school choir sang There is a
Balm in Gilead and Mary Had a Baby.
I heard other choirs do Soon-Ah Will
Be Done, and one local college choir
could not leave the stage before sing-
ing Ezekiel Saw De Wheel, which always

brought down the house.

CHORAL JOURNAL August 2024 Volume 65 Number 1 21