Still: Wood Notes, Symphony No. 2 in G minor 'Song of a New Race', Symphony No. 3, "The Sunday Symphony" Fort Smith Symphony & John Jeter

• William Grant Still (1895 - 1978): Wood Notes:
• 1Still: I. Singing River Moderately slow06:46
• 2Still: II. Autumn Night: Lightly02:49
• 3Still: III. Moon Dusk: Slowly and expressively04:27
• 4Still: IV. Whippoorwill's Shoes: Humorously02:30
• Symphony No. 2 in G minor 'Song of a New Race':
• 5Still: I. Slowly08:56
• 6Still: II. Slowly and deeply expressive07:14
• 7Still: III. Moderately fast03:37
• 8Still: IV. Moderately slow07:13
• Symphony No. 3, "The Sunday Symphony":
• 9Still: I. The Awakening: Moderately fast03:48
• 10Still: II. Prayer: Very Slowly06:34
• 11Still: III. Relaxation: Gaily02:30
• 12Still: IV. Day's End and a New Beginning: Resolutely05:09
• Total Runtime01:01:33

Info for Still: Wood Notes, Symphony No. 2 in G minor 'Song of a New Race', Symphony No. 3, "The Sunday Symphony"

World Première Recording! The life and career of the African-American composer William Grant Still qualifies as the quintessential American ‘success story.’ Often referred to as the ‘dean of African-American composers,’ Still rose from humble beginnings to work as an arranger while studying composition with Chadwick and Varèse. Still embraced the blues, spirituals, jazz, and other ethnic American music within classical forms. Wood Notes musically depicts Still’s love of nature. Symphony No. 2, the last of a trilogy of works depicting the African-American experience, presents the vision of an integrated American society, while Symphony No. 3 describes a spiritual ‘day in the life’ of a devout worshipper.

With this recording, Naxos and the present performers conclude their three-album series of William Grant Still’s symphonies, plus other orchestral works. I reviewed the second volume (Symphonies 4 and 5, and the Poem for Orchestra— Naxos 8.559603) for another publication, and was quite beguiled. I feel the same way this time around. This music is impossible not to like, and conductor John Jeter and his orchestra from Arkansas, the state in which the young composer spent part of his childhood, are effective advocates.

Wood Notes, a work from 1947 that is receiving its first recording here, is a suite of four movements: “Singing River,” “Autumn Night,” “Moon Dusk,” and “Whippoorwill’s Shoes.” The titles suggest that the music will be picturesque, and, in the best sense of the word, simple, and indeed it is. If there is such a thing as an American Pastoral school of composers, Still would be its dean. The Currier and Ives prints that have adorned the booklet covers in this series have been very appropriate, as they project an innocence that is also one of the strongest characteristics of Still’s music. Imagine Delius at his least Impressionistic, Dvořák at his least academic, and Jerome Kern at his most classical, and that might give you an idea of what Still’s music sounds like. (Nevertheless, Varèse was one of his teachers!)

The Second Symphony, premiered with great success by Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1937, is “a vision of an integrated society.” In terms of form, this is a bit more ambitious than Wood Notes , but Still’s writing is so unpretentious, tuneful, and relaxed that one can’t help asking what makes this work more symphonic than the other. The mood is sometimes wistful and often hopeful, and Still, when he is not embracing the listener outright, is at least holding his hand, or throwing his arm around his shoulder. Not surprisingly, African-American elements, both traditional and more popular (jazzy), are prominent in this work.

The “Sunday Symphony” dates from 1958. Again, naming its movements will give the reader an idea of what the music sounds like: “Awakening,” “Prayer,” “Relaxation,” and “Day’s End and a New Beginning.” Only 18 minutes long, this symphony is as suitelike as its predecessor, every bit as ingratiating, and even more uncomplicated. Appropriately, “Prayer” is the longest movement, and it builds to a soulful climax. “Awakening” and “Relaxation” both chatter away companionably, and the last movement brings the symphony to its resolute and affirmative conclusion.

I don’t get the feeling that this music makes exorbitant demands on an orchestra. The Fort Smith Symphony, a lean-sounding ensemble in the manner of Howard Hanson’s Eastman-Rochester group, puts Still’s music across capably and with sympathy. (I would have liked to have heard Stokowski and the Philadelphians play the Second Symphony, though!)

It is tempting to call this music naive, but I think to do so would say more about our lack of innocence as listeners, than about any lack of sophistication on the part of William Grant Still. (Raymond Tuttle, Fan Fare)

Fort Smith Symphony
John Jeter, conductor William Grant Still, composer

John Jeter is presently in his sixteenth season as the Music Director and Conductor of the Fort Smith Symphony (Arkansas). He is the recipient of the American Symphony Orchestra League 2002 Helen M. Thompson Award. This national award “in recognition of outstanding artistic leadership” is presented to one “early career” music director in the United States every two years. Mr. Jeter has been given The Mayor’s Achievement Award presented by the City of Fort Smith “for His Outstanding Talents in the Field of Music” and in 2005, the Mayor’s Civic Center Award for the Performing Arts. Most recently, Mr. Jeter is the recipient of the 2012 Governor’s Arts Award “Individual Artist Award.”

Mr. Jeter has created numerous new ensembles, projects and programs including the Fort Smith Symphony String Quartet and Woodwind Quintet, composer-in-residence program, guest artists in the schools program and “Earquake™” concerts for sixth grade students employing multi-media and large symphony orchestra. His efforts have led to the Fort Smith Symphony’s international recording on Naxos as well as a feature length film festival documentary about the Symphony called “Extreme Orchestra”.

Mr. Jeter is co-host of “Conductor’s Choice” of KUAF National Public Radio and co-producer of the Symphony’s television and radio commercials. His media presence in the community has included a weekly radio talk show and “Addy” Award winning “Custom Classics” infomercials on Clear Channel, Cumulus and KTCS radio. Mr. Jeter is also seen on televised music infomercials produced by CoxMedia and KFSM Channel 5. With the release of the Symphony’s CD on Naxos, Mr. Jeter was interviewed by over 20 radio and television stations throughout the United States including classical radio stations in New York City, Dallas and Memphis to name a few. Mr. Jeter is concept creator for all of the Symphony’s season brochures and video projects. His narrative writings for Arkansas Arts Council Grants have consistently ranked among the highest in the state.

Mr. Jeter has held conducting positions with the Indianapolis Symphony, North Arkansas Symphony, Greater Indianapolis Youth Symphony, Purdue University, University of Tulsa and University of Oklahoma. He has conducted numerous orchestras in the United States and Europe. These include the Wichita Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony (SC), Mississippi Gulf Coast Symphony, Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MO), Illinois Chamber Symphony and the West Bohemian Symphony (Czech Republic). He has participated in American Symphony Orchestra League Conducting Workshops in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Hartt School of Music with a degree in Music Theory and Piano and graduated with distinction from Butler University’s Jordan College of Fine Arts with a master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting. Mr. Jeter is a voting member of The Recording Academy for the classical music categories of the Grammy Awards.

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