Edward Boatner facts for kids
Edward Hammond Boatner (born 1898, died 1981) was an American composer. He was famous for his concert arrangements of Black American spirituals. Spirituals are a type of religious folk song.
Biography
Edward Boatner went to several schools to study music. He studied at Western University in Quindaro, Kansas. He also attended the Boston Conservatory. He earned a music degree from the Chicago Music College, which is now part of Roosevelt University. He even took private music lessons.
He started his career as a concert singer. Famous musicians like Roland Hayes and R. Nathaniel Dett helped him. Roland Hayes often sang Boatner's music in his concerts. Edward Boatner also performed in operas with the National Negro Opera Company.
From 1925 to 1931, he was the music director for the National Baptist Convention. Boatner also taught music at Samuel Huston College (now Huston–Tillotson University) and Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. Later, he moved to New York. There, he ran a music studio and led community and church choirs. This allowed him to spend more time composing music.
Music
Edward Boatner wrote many pieces of music. He was especially known for arranging spirituals.
Notable arrangements
- "Oh, What a Beautiful City"
- "Let Us Break Bread Together"
- "Soon I Will Be Done"
- "Trampling"
- "I want Jesus to walk with me" (arranged for Marian Anderson)
Notable compositions
- "Freedom Suite" (for chorus, narrator, and orchestra)
- "The Man from Nazareth" (a "spiritual musical")
- "Julius Sees Her" (a musical comedy)
