Hall Johnson

Eugene Thamon Simpson

doi:10.5771/9781461701101

Summary

During his lifetime (1888-1970), Hall Johnson's concert arrangements of spirituals have been performed and recorded by stellar singers, such as Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, and Denyce Graves, and were sung by school and concert choirs all over the world. The Hall Johnson Negro Choir was acclaimed in concert halls throughout America and Europe, on Broadway, on radio, and in Hollywood and can be seen and heard in movie classics like Lost Horizon, Jezebel, Dumbo, and Song of the South. Yet the story of Johnson's life and accomplishments as conductor, composer, arranger, violist, author, and teacher has never been told until now.

Hall Johnson: His Life, His Spirit, and His Music is the first definitive biography of Hall Johnson, providing both a historical narrative of Johnson's entire life and work, as well as a comprehensive treatment of his movie career, his literary creations, his work in musical theatre, and a complete exploration of his music, with special emphasis on the larger works. Author Eugene Thamon Simpson, the curator of the Hall Johnson collection in New Jersey, has amassed important pieces of the collection, such as letters, reviews, interviews, and other documents by and about Hall Johnson, and referenced or published them here for greater accessibility. The book also includes personal recollections of Hall Johnson by people who knew him as teacher, conductor, or professional colleague. Over 20 photos, a discography, and a complete listing of Johnson's works help to document his achievements, making this a valuable resource for those interested in Black History Studies, the evolution of the Negro Spiritual, and blacks in American Cinema and musical theatre.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2008
ISBN-Print: 978-0-8108-6038-4
ISBN-Online: 978-1-4617-0110-1
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 371
Product type: Book Titles

1. Table of Contents No access
2. Preface No access
1. Roots No access
2. Academic Preparation No access
3. The Instrumental Years, 1910-1925 No access
4. The Birth of the Hall Johnson Negro Choir, 1925-1930 No access
5. The Ascendancy of the Professional Choir, 1930-1951 No access
6. Triumph in Berlin No access
7. Concert Touring in the United States No access
8. The Final Years, 1952-1970 No access
9. Independence of Spirit No access
10. Struggle with Alcoholism No access
11. The Burden of Interpersonal Demands No access
12. Personal Relationships No access
13. Professional Friends and Associates No access
14. Organizational and Promotional Skill and Breadth of Concepts No access
15. Influence on Choral and Vocal Music and Musicians in America No access
1. Eminence among Movie Choirs No access
2. The Chronology of the Hall Johnson Film Legacy No access
3. Major Movie Stars the Hall Johnson Choir Appeared With No access
4. The Role and Scope of the Hall Johnson Choir in its Films No access
1. Methodology Employed in Listing No access
2. The Complete Works of Hall Johnson No access
3. Extended Works No access
1. The Essays of Hall Johnson No access
2. The Letters of Hall Johnson No access
3. The Poetry of Hall Johnson No access
1. John Morrison No access
2. Helen Duesberg No access
3. Arthur Bryant No access
4. Louvenia Pointer No access
5. John Motley No access
6. Thomas Carey No access
7. William Warfield No access
8. Elijah Hodges No access
9. Madeline Preston No access
10. S. Carroll Buchanan No access
11. George Royston No access
12. Shirley Verrett No access
13. John Patton Jr. No access
Appendix A: Discography No access Pages 345 - 354
Selected Bibliography No access Pages 355 - 356
Index No access Pages 357 - 370
About the Author No access Pages 371 - 371