Date of Award

Fall 2022

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

School of Music

First Advisor

Birgitta Johnson

Second Advisor

Donald Gray

Abstract

This compendium of Black art songs is intended to serve as both a resource and reference for teachers of singing and performers who desire to assign or program reputable, contemporary art song literature by lesser-known, marginalized composers of the African Diaspora. The American academic structure needs a compendium of African American Art Songs, specifically for the tenor fach, that will provide biographical information, composers’ names, publishing details, and exact locations as to where to retrieve these worthy gems that are still too often excluded from the academic and classical canon. Comprised of more than 331 songs, this document is sure to provide a wealth of suitable options for recital programming of all types. With an array of themes that represent the entire emotional gamut and a variety of levels of physical, emotional, artistic, and technical maturity, these art songs can be assigned to pupils as young as upper-level high school singers, throughout institutions of higher education and performance institutions alike. This author hopes to continue to bridge the gap between these underrepresented songs and a wider audience base that stretches through schools, academic recital halls and beyond to more grand performance venues.

Rights

© 2022, Johnnie J. Felder

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