Page 32 - CJSept24

William L. Dawson’s Legacy of Care

Dawson was a tough customer, renowned for his was an incentive for some to join. In 1931, Dawson had
uncompromisingly high standards. During his quarter hardly hung up his coat before the quality of his choir
century on the faculty of Alabama’s Tuskegee Insti- attracted the attention of Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel.
tute (now Tuskegee University), one of the Historically The New York impresario hired Dawson and his choir
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), he acquired to perform in the weeks of star-studded concerts that
a reputation for demanding and delivering excellence. celebrated Radio City Music Hall’s opening in 1932-
The intensity of his drive enabled him to raise the 33, bringing national attention to Tuskegee. Over the
Tuskegee Institute Choir to national acclaim, to edu- years the choir performed on radio and television, at
cate and inspire generations of students, and to create Carnegie Hall and the White House, and on an award-
the impeccable arrangements of spirituals that choirs winning Westminster Hi-Fi LP. The choir’s prestige was
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around the world continue to sing and savor. further amplified by the national celebrity as a com-
The strict discipline that Dawson lived by and im- poser Dawson briefly enjoyed in 1934, when his Negro
posed on others is an important part of his story. Less Folk Symphony received a highly acclaimed premiere by
obvious but equally important is that he was an ex- Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. 4
traordinarily caring musician, educator, and person. The Tuskegee Institute Choir sustained its high pro-
His genius, evident in his musical accomplishments, is file under Dawson because it was consistently excellent.
equally apparent in the generosity and creativity with It was particularly famous for remarkable performanc-
which he supported others. Today, when many of our es of spirituals that combined the strengths of any well-
students require more support than ever, Dawson of- trained American college choir with a deep sensitivity
fers an inspiring example of how care can coexist along to the meaning of the original folk songs. As a reviewer
with an unwavering commitment to excellence (Photo in the Pittsburgh Courier, a Black weekly, wrote:
1 on the next page).
It was like a message from another world. The
full import of every word was borne on the
The Taskmaster wings of song, in perfect diction and, ranging
Generations of students who sang in the famous from the most delicate [pianissimo] to a full
Tuskegee Institute Choir between 1930 and 1955 re- forte, the tones were [i]ndescribably beauti-
membered Dawson’s strictness and high expectations. ful. This did not represent the spiritual in the
Clyde Owen Jackson, a Tuskegee alumnus who sang rough as sung originally in the cornfields. It
under Dawson in the late 1940s and went on to a long was a refined product, in the choral form and
and varied career, recalled that “the choir rehearsed a truly artistic rendition; yet the characteristic
six days a week for one hour Monday through Friday emotional quality of the singing of the Ne-
(from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m.) and every Sunday morning groes was not lost. It had that breath of life
one hour before the 11 a.m. service.” In preparation which makes music complete. 5
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for a performance, Dawson added additional rehears-
als, sometimes requiring students to miss other classes. White reviewers sometimes complained that Daw-
He locked the door against anyone arriving late and son’s choir did not fulfill their expectations of Black
was known to hurl objects (chalk, books, his baton) at performers. This desire for apparent spontaneity and
choir members who failed to pay rapt attention. He unfettered emotion—unreasonable to expect of any
singled out those who sang their part incorrectly, mak- college choir—was shaped by movies like The Green Pas-
ing them stand and repeat a phrase until it was right. tures (1936), and by the persuasive simulations of folk
Choir members’ reminiscences include words such as music-making provided by professional Black choirs
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“stickler,” “severe,” and “taskmaster.” Said one, “He led by Hall Johnson, Eva Jessye, and others. Even these
did not permit any foolishness.” unsatisfied critics tended to applaud the Tuskegee In-
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Surely the prestige of the Tuskegee Institute Choir stitute Choir’s “tonal unity” and “excellent balance.”
30 CHORAL JOURNAL September 2024 Volume 65 Number 2