Breakout Session
The Art Songs and Folk Arrangements of Jacqueline B. Hairston
Monday, June 25 • 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Presenter: Kimberley Davis, Lois Leventhal
Introduced by: Linda J. Snyder
Location: Cohiba 6-7
This session is a sub-lecture recital program based on the soon to be published book/anthology/CD And So We Sing: The Arrangements of Spirituals by Jacqueline Butler Hairston. Particular attention is placed on the performance practice of Hairston’s art songs and arrangements. It is important to bring this presentation of performance practice to the artists and teachers of singing in the broader NATS community. Hairston’s treatment of the elements of form, rhythm, melody, and harmony; the origins and evolution of the spiritual and African American music/song literature and its subsequent major forms will be addressed as well as her personal preferences in the performance of her creations.
About Kimberley Davis
Soprano Kimberley Davis has performed nationally, throughout Europe, in South America and in Mexico, Bermuda and Hawai’i. In addition to a repertoire of major orchestral and chamber works, Davis has several touring programs of specialized music highlighting French Mélodie and those that focus on the music of African Americans—A Spiritual Journey and Contemporary Song; several outreach programs for K-12 audiences; a lecture recital titled The Art Songs and Arrangements of Notable 20th Century African American Female Composers—often performed with composer Jacqueline B. Hairston; and also the current Hairston presentation. Davis and Hairston collaborated on the recent CD release, Songs of the Soul and Spirit: the Spiritual Arrangements of Jacqueline B. Hairston and two annotated anthologies of Hairston’s arrangements and art songs. Dr. Davis is professor of voice and related studies at The University of Southern Mississippi where she serves as Chair of the Voice Area and as Graduate Coordinator.
About Lois Leventhal
Lois Leventhal, pianist, received her doctorate of music at Indiana University and is a professor of music at The University of Southern Mississippi. In 1991, Leventhal was the recipient of The University of Southern Mississippi’s Award for Faculty Excellence. Her performing career includes concerto appearances throughout Mississippi, as well as solo and chamber recitals in Chicago, New York, London and, under the auspices of the United States Information Agency, Argentina and Uruguay. Leventhal, whose performances have been broadcast widely, can also be heard on compact disc on Crystal and Albany labels with colleague Lawrence Gwozdz, saxophonist. Leventhal recently retired from the music faculty at Southern Miss in 2016 but continues her artistry in Boston, Massachusetts with frequent trips to continue her collaborations with Southern Miss faculty colleagues.
