THE STORY BEHIND: Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony"

Title: Negro Folk Symphony

Composer: William Dawson (1899-1990)

Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.

The Story: Like Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Brahms, and other great composers before him, William Levi Dawson was a master at transforming folk music into high art through the wonder of a symphony orchestra. This was just one of many fulfillments of Antonín Dvořák’s prophecy when, after spending three years as the director of the National Conservatory of Music at the end of the 19th century, the esteemed Czech composer said “I am now satisfied that the future music of this country must be founded upon what are called Negro melodies. This must be the real foundation of any serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States.”
         
Renowned conductor Leopold Stokowski also recognized this fact early on and, in November 1934, conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in four performances of Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, making Dawson the third African-American composer to have a symphony premiered by a major American orchestra (William Grant Still had been the first, and Florence Price was the second). The Negro Folk Symphony was such a hit with audiences that it earned a standing ovation every time it was performed; Black and White critics alike penned glowing reviews; and one of the concerts was broadcast nationwide on the radio.
         
In his own words, Dawson was justly proud and unapologetic of his symphony. “I’ve not tried to imitate Beethoven or Brahms, Franck or Ravel—but to be just myself, a Negro,” he remarked in a 1932 interview. “To me, the finest compliment that could be paid my symphony … is that it unmistakably is not the work of a White man. I want the audience to say: ‘Only a Negro could have written that.’” 
         
One might imagine that such a bold and beloved work would quickly find its way into regular rotation in American concert halls, and that such acclaim would usher in a new era of inclusivity; but, sadly, such was not the case. Within a few years, only Still’s symphony would enjoy the rare performance, while those of Price and Dawson languished in total obscurity for decades.
         
Twenty years later, in 1952-53, Dawson realized a lifelong dream by visiting West Africa. The music and rhythms he heard there inspired him to make significant revisions to his symphony upon his return, which is the version most often heard today. But it wasn’t until well into the 21st century that this important work was rediscovered by both orchestras and audiences alike.
         
In his program notes from the 1934 performances, Dawson alerts the listener to his use of three spirituals, known to him since childhood: “Oh, My Little Soul Gwine Shine Like a Star,” “O Le’ Me Shine,” and “Hallelujah, Lord, I Been Down into the Sea.” These melodies provide the foundations for both the work’s form and its texture, and are so deftly woven into the fabric of the music that they don’t come across as “quotes” at all.
         
There are important symbolic moments in the work as well. “A link was taken out of a human chain when the first African was taken from the shores of his native land and sent to slavery,” said Dawson. “The solemn motive of the Introduction, first sounded by the horn, symbolizes this ‘missing link.’” This motive can be heard throughout the symphony, sometimes heroic or foreboding, sometimes fleeting, but always providing a connecting thread that helps the symphony tell its unique story.

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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