Witness: Skyward My People Rose - Music of William Grant Still

William Grant Still (Composer), Philip Brunelle (Conductor), VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Chorus (Performer), William Warfield (Performer), Yolanda Williams (Performer), Hilda Harris (Performer), Leigh Morris Chorale (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Chorus, William Warfield, Yolanda Williams, Hilda Harris, Leigh Morris Chorale
• Conductor: Philip Brunelle
• Composer: William Grant Still
• Audio CD (February 10, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Clarion
• ASIN: B0001FVEQ8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,339 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #50 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Requiems, Elegies & Tombeau > Elegies

Track Listings

1. Wailing Woman

2. Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)

3. And They Lynched Him on a Tree

4. Miss Sally’s Party

5. Elegy for Organ

Editorial Reviews

William Grant Still’s music for chorus, orchestra and organ brings the blues into the concert hall, ragtime to the ballet stage and the Old World into a new era.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great American Composer, May 31, 2004

By 

AfroAmericanHeritage (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witness: Skyward My People Rose - Music of William Grant Still (Audio CD)

Though William Grant Still (1895-1978) was of a mixed lineage - Irish, Native American, Hispanic and African American - his country defined him as "black." Sometimes Still embraced the definition, sometimes chaffed under it; e.g.when called "the Dean of Afro-American Music" he is said to have responded "Why, then, isn't Aaron Copeland called the 'Dean of White Composers'?"

He never disclaimed his African ancestry, but he also longed to fuse the many elements that were part of his -and our - national heritage, to be a truly American composer. This CD provides an excellent representation of this goal, with works ranging from a setting of "Swanee River" (which began life as a black folk song, was converted to a minstrel tune by Stephen Foster, then found it's way back into the folk tradition) to a ballet which concludes with a "cake walk," a round dance from plantation days.

For over 10 years, The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Chorus (conducted by Philip Brunelle) has presented an enduring series of concerts showcasing the talents of trailblazing African American composers. Now this wealth of music is available outside the concert hall through a series of recordings called WITNESS.

The other three CDs are available as single titles, or in the boxed set THE WITNESS COLLECTION which includes:

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD: Spirituals and Gospels for Chorus
DANCE LIKE THE WIND: Music of Today's Black Composers
GOT THE SAINT LOUIS BLUES: Classical Music in the Jazz Age
SKYWARD MY PEOPLE ROSE: Music of William Grant Still
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Curator, AfroAmericanHeritage.com