Edward Boatner (1898—1981) was an African American composer who wrote many popular concert arangements of Negro spirituals.

Biography

Boatner was educated at Western University in Quindaro, Kansas , Boston Conservatory and received a Bachelor of Music from the Chicago Music College (Now the College of Performaing Arts at Roosevelt University ). He also studied music privately. He began as a Concert singer with the encouragement and assistance of Roland Hayes — who performed many of Boatner's works on his concert programs—and choral director R. Nathaniel Dett. He also sang leaging roles with the National Negro Opera Company . For the National Baptist Convention , he served as the director of music from 1925 to 1931. Boatner was a professor for Samuel Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson College ). He then settled in New York conducting a studio and directed community and church choirs. This allowed him to concentrate more on composing.

Music

Notable arrangements

• Oh, What a Beautiful City
• Le Us Break Bread Together
• Soon I Will Be Done
• Trampling

Notable compositions

• Freedom Suite for chorus, narrator, and orchestra
• The Man from Nazareth, a "spiritual musical"
• Julius Sees Her, a musical comedy

References

1. Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans: A History. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition. ISBN 0393971414