Melanated Moments in Classical Music
Melanated Moments in Classical Music is a podcast produced by Classical Music Indy that shines a spotlight on musical works composed by, for, and about people of color. Melanated Moments is hosted by international opera soprano Angela Brown and music sociologist Joshua Thompson. For some listeners, Melanated Moments will uncover a hidden trove of classical music they never knew existed. For those with a deep knowledge of the genre, stories reflecting the cultural context of the African Diaspora will give a fresh voice to black contributions in the world of classical music.
Melanated Moments in Classical Music
Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony: A Symphony of Our Ancestors' Spirit
Joshua and Angela discuss the foresight and impact of composer, musicologist, arranger, and premier torchbearer of Negro spirituals, William Levi Dawson. A protege of Booker T. Washington, the life and works of Dawson score an accurate narrative of Black people during the Great Migration. His symphony illustrates the cultural links that were lost and then found as a result of the colonial world’s Global Slave Trade. Revered internationally, Dawson’s tenure and role as an educator and choral director at the historic Tuskegee University cemented his legacy as a champion of Black music.
Featured Music:
- "Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit" - arranged William L. Dawson - performed by the Tuskegee Institute Choir
- "The Bond of Africa," 1st movement, Negro Folk Symphony - composed by William Levi Dawson - performed by The American Symphony Orchestra - Leopold Stokowski, conductor
- " Ain’ -A That Good News" - arranged by William L. Dawson - performed by the Tuskegee Institute Choir