The River Still Runs Deep: A Conductor's Guide to Selected Negro Spiritual Arrangements for SATB Choir by Harry T. Burleigh

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a conductor's analysis of Negro spirituals arranged by H. T. Burleigh for satb choir. The selected works were limited to H. T. Burleigh's works that are extant. In-depth analysis was limited to works in print and available for purchase still today. The author seeks to facilitate informed performance of these works and provide a general resource for conductors who have an interest in performing the music of H. T. Burleigh.The study includes a brief historical survey detailing the evolution of the Negro spiritual. It also includes a brief biographical overview of the life of H. T. Burleigh and how he became a pioneer in this genre. It also includes the discussion of the function of the Negro spiritual specifically in predominantly white institutions. The study concludes with an analysis of seven pieces by H. T. Burleigh. These pieces are: Deep River, Dig My Grave, Were You There, Ezekiel Saw de Wheel, I've Been in the Storm So Long, Wade in the Water, and My Lord What a Mornin'. For each piece, a general overview of pertinent compositional information is provided, including instrumentation, vocal ranges, publication facts, and available recording, including performance times. Finally, each piece is analyzed for its musical content, including formal tables and musical excerpts as supporting information.

Grantor dc:publisher

Florida State University

Year dc:date

2024

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ruff, Marques Jerrell (author)
• Hanawalt, Michael (professor directing dissertation)
• Jones, Evan Allan (university representative)
• Fenton, Kevin (committee member)
• Bugaj, Kasia (committee member)
• Ryan, Maria (committee member)
• Florida State University (degree granting institution)
• College of Music (degree granting college)
• College of Music (degree granting department)

• Music
• Music--History and criticism

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

fsu:928096
iid: Ruff_fsu_0071E_18706

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:diginole.lib.fsu.edu:fsu_928096