William Grant Still (1895-1978)
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 was born
in Woodville, Mississippi to a family of Negro, Indian, Spanish, Irish
and Scotch blood. Still’s father, the town bandmaster, died when
William was three, precipitating a move to Little Rock, Arkansas, where
Still’s mother was a teacher. There Still had his first musical
experience, studying the violin. At his mother’s urging he began
medical studies but dropped out as music exerted a stronger pull. Music
study at Oberlin was interrupted by naval service in World War I. After
the war, Still moved to New York, where he worked as an arranger for
several popular performers including W.C. Handy (composer of the
immortal St Louis Blues) and Artie Shaw, whose hit, Frenesi, he
orchestrated. Still gained immeasurable experience playing the oboe in
Broadway pit orchestras while studying composition with the
conservative George Chadwick and the ultra-modernist Edgar Varèse.
Still arrived in New York at the perfect time, actively participating
in the cultural awakening of African-Americans in the 1920s known as
the "Harlem Renaissance." His attention turned to classical composition
for good in the late 1920s. A move to Los Angeles in 1930 to arrange
for Paul Whiteman expanded his horizons into film and radio, initiating
his compositional maturity and most prolific period. That same year saw
the creation of his Symphony
No. 1 (Afro-American), which established and sustained his
reputation, remaining his most popular and frequently recorded work. - Naxos Records
COMPOSITIONS Still Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
American Suite, orchestra (c. l918)
Darker America, symphonic poem, orchestra (1924)
From the Land of Dreams, orchestral suite, 3 female voices and orchestra (1924)
From the Journal of a Wanderer, orchestral suite (1925)
Darker America, symphonic poem, orchestra (1925)
Levee Land, soprano, vln, [wind instrument?], perc, pf & tenor banjo (or high voice and orch) (1925) [text: Still] [Levee Song"]
From the Black Belt, orchestral suite (1926)
Breath of a Rose, voice and piano (1926) [text: L. Hughes]
Winter's Approach, voice and piano (1926) [text: P. L. Dunbar]
La guiablesse, ballet (1927; fp. 1933) [R. Page, after L. Hearn]
From the Heart of a Believer, symphonic poem, orchestra (1927)
Africa, orchestral suite (1928)
Sahdji, ballet (1929-30; fp. 1931) [A. Locke, R. Bruce]
Symphony No. 1, "Afro-American", orchestra (1930)
Ebon Chronicle, symphonic poem, orchestra (1933)
A Deserted Plantation, orchestral suite (1933)
Blue Steel, opera in 3 acts (1934; unperformed) [libretto: B. Forsythe, after C. Moss]
Kaintuck, symphonic poem, piano and orchestra (1935) [arr. also for 2 pianos]
The Black Man Dances, orchestral suite (1935)
Kaintuck, symphonic poem, piano and orchestra (1935) [arr. also for 2 pianos]
Quit Dat Fool'nish, orchestra (1935) [arr. from orig. work for piano; also arr. for 2 pianos]
Beyond Tomorrow, symphonic poem, orchestra (1936)
Dismal Swamp, symphonic poem, orchestra (1936)
Three Visions, piano (1936)
Adventure in Manhattan, film score [uncredited] (1936)
Theodora Goes Wild, film score [uncredited] (1936)
Pennies from Heaven, film score [uncredited] (1936)
Lenox Avenue, ballet (1937) [V. Arvey]
Symphony No. 2, "'Song of a New Race", orchestra (1937)
Song of a City, chorus and orchestra (1938) [text: A. Stillman]
Seven Traceries, piano (1939)
Miss Sally's Party, ballet (1940; fp. 1941) [Arvey]
Can'tcha Line 'em, orchestra (1940)
Three Dances, orchestra (1930-1940?)
- Boy's Dance [from ballet "Miss Sally's Party", 1940]
- Dance Before the Hut [from the ballet "Sahkji", 1929-30]
- Tribal Dance [from an unfinished ballet]
A Bayou Legend, opera in 3 acts (1941; fp. 1974) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Old California, symphonic poem, orchestra (1941)
Caribbean Melodies (11 pieces), chorus, piano & perc insts, w/dancers ad lib. (1941) [arr. of folksongs collected by Z. N. Hurston]
Plain Chant for America, baritone, orchestra and organ (1941) [text: K. G. Chapin] [rev. 1968 for chorus and organ]
Incantation and Dance, oboe and piano (1941-42)
Highway 1, USA, opera in 2 acts (1942) [libretto: V. Arvey]
- A Southern Interlude, opera (1943) [revision of "Highway 1, USA"; perf. as "Highway 1, USA", 1963]
Fanfare for American War Heroes, orchestra (1943)
In memoriam "The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy", orchestra (1943)
Pages from Negro History, orchestral suite (1943)
Suite, violin and piano (1943)
Poem, symphonic poem, orchestra (1944)
Festive Overture, orchestra (1944)
Bells, piano (1944) [also arr. for orchestra]
Symphony No. 5, "Western Hemisphere", orchestra (1945) [originally Symphony No. 3]
Fanfare for the 99th Fightet Squadron, wind orchestra (1945)
From the Delta, band (1945)
Archaic Ritual, orchestral suite (1946)
Pastorela, violin and piano (1946)
Symphony No. 4, "Autochthonous", orchestra (1947)
Wood Notes, orchestral suite (1947) [after poems by J. M. Pilcher]
Danzas de Panama, orchestral suite, string orchestra (or string quintet) (1948) [also arr. for string quartet]
From a Lost Continent, chorus and orchestra (1948) [text: Still]
Troubled Island, opera in 3 acts (1937-49) [libretto: L. Hughes and Arvey]
Costaso, opera in 3 acts (1949; fp. 1992) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Songs of Separation, song cycle (5 songs), soprano, piano and string quartet (1949)
Mota, opera in 3 acts (1951; unperformed) [libretto: V. Arvey]
To You America!, band (1951)
Romance, saxophone and piano (1954)
The Pillar, opera in 3 acts (1955; unperformed) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Rhapsody, soprano and orchestra (1955) [text: V. Arvey]
Ennanga, harp and orchestra (1956) [also arr. for flute and string orchestra]
The American Scene, 5 orchestral suites (1957)
Four Indigenous Portraits, flute and string quartet (1957)
Minette Fontaine, opera in 3 acts (1958; fp. 1985) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Symphony No. 3, "The Sunday Symphony", orchestra (1958)
Legend, [?orchestra] (1959)
The Peaceful Land, symphonic poem, orchestra (1960)
Patterns, orchestral suite (1960)
Aria, accordian (1960)
Lilt, accordian (1960)
Lyric Suite, string quartet (or 4 saxes; or 4 clarinets) (1960)
Full Circle, TV series score (1960)
From the Hearts of Women, song cycle (4 songs), soprano, flute, oboe, strings (or soprano and piano) (1961) [text: Arvey]
Los alnados de Espafia, orchestral suite (1962) [also arr. for piano]
Preludes, orchestral suite, flute, string orchestra and piano (1962) [also arr. for piano]
Folk Suite No. 1, string quartet, flute and piano (1962?)
Folk Suite No. 2, flute, clarinet, cello and harp (or piano) (1962?)
Folk Suite [No. 2?], flute, clarinet, cello and piano (1962?)
Folk Suite No. 3, flute, oboe, bassoon and piano (1962?)
Vignettes, oboe, bassoon and piano (1962)
Reverie, organ (1962)
Elegy, organ (1963)
Miniatures, flute, oboe piano (pub. 1963) [based on folk songs of the Americas]
Threnody in Memory of Jan Sibelius, orchestra (1965)
Miniature Overture, orchestra (1965)
The Prince and the Mermaid, incidental music, piano (1965) [for a play by C. Stone]
Folk Suite, band (1966)
Little Folk Suites from the Western Hemisphere Nos. 1-6, string quartet (1968)
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere, brass quintet (1968)
Choreographic Prelude, orchestra (or organ, piano and strings) (1970)
We Sang Our Songs: the Fisk Jubilee Singers 1871-1971, chorus and piano (1971) [text: V. Arvey]
WORKS BY GENRE Still Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Blue Steel, opera in 3 acts (1934; unperformed) [libretto: B. Forsythe, after C. Moss]
From the Furnace of the Sun, opera (1936, unfinished) [only 23 pages of it remain]
Troubled Island, opera in 3 acts (1937-49) [libretto: L. Hughes and Arvey]
A Bayou Legend, opera in 3 acts (1941; fp. 1974) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Highway 1, USA, opera in 2 acts (1942) [libretto: V. Arvey]
- A Southern Interlude, opera in 2 acts (1942; withdrawn) [revision of "Highway 1, USA"; perf. as "Highway 1, USA", 1963]
Costaso, opera in 3 acts (1949; fp. 1992) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Mota, opera in 3 acts (1951; unperformed) [libretto: V. Arvey]
The Pillar, opera in 3 acts (1955; unperformed) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Minette Fontaine, opera in 3 acts (1958; fp. 1985) [libretto: V. Arvey]
Ballet
La guiablesse, ballet (1927; fp. 1933) [R. Page, after L. Hearn]
Sahdji, ballet (1929-30; fp. 1931) [A. Locke, R. Bruce]
Lenox Avenue, ballet (1937) [V. Arvey]
Miss Sally's Party, ballet (1940; fp. 1941) [Arvey]
Orchestra
American Suite, orchestra (c. l918)
Three Negro Songs, orchestra (1921) [arr. from orig. work (withdrawn) for voice and chamber orchestra]
- Negro Love Song
- Death Song
- Song of the Backwoods
Black Bottom, chamber orchestra (1922; withdrawn)
From the Land of Dreams, orchestral suite, 3 female voices and orchestra (1924)
From the Journal of a Wanderer, orchestral suite (1925)
Darker America, symphonic poem, orchestra (1925)
From the Black Belt, orchestral suite (1926)
From the Heart of a Believer, symphonic poem, orchestra (1927)
From the Gaiety of People, orchestra (????; lost)
Entrance of Les Porteuses, from the ballet "La guiablesse", string orchestra (1927)
Three Dances from the ballet "La guiablesse", orchestra (1927)
Log Cabin Ballads, orchestra (1927; withdrawn)
Africa, orchestral suite (1928)
Symphony No. 1, "Afro-American", orchestra (1930)
Four Dances, from the ballet "Sahdji", orchestra (1930)
Ebon Chronicle, symphonic poem, orchestra (1933)
A Deserted Plantation, orchestral suite (1933)
Kaintuck, symphonic poem, piano and orchestra (1935) [arr. also for 2 pianos]
The Black Man Dances, orchestral suite (1935)
Beyond Tomorrow, symphonic poem, orchestra (1936)
Summerland, orchestra (or band) (1936) [arr. from 2nd mvt of "Three Visions" for piano]
Symphony No. 2, "'Song of a New Race", orchestra (1937)
The Blues, orchestra (1937) [arr. from the ballet "Lenox Avenue"]
Can'tcha Line 'em, chamber orchestra (1940)
Old California, symphonic poem, orchestra (1941)
Fanfare for American War Heroes, orchestra (1943)
In memoriam "The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy", orchestra (1943)
Pages from Negro History, orchestral suite (1943)
Mother and Child, string orchestra (1943) [arr. from "Suite" for violin and piano]
Poem for Orchestra, symphonic poem (1944)
Festive Overture, orchestra (1944)
Bells, piano (1944) [also arr. for orchestra]
Symphony No. 5, "Western Hemisphere", orchestra (1945) [originally Symphony No. 3]
Fanfare for the 99th Fightet Squadron, wind orchestra (1945)
Archaic Ritual, orchestral suite (1946)
Pastorela, orchestra (1946) [arr. from piece for violin and piano]
Symphony No. 4, "Autochthonous", orchestra (1947)
Wood Notes, orchestral suite (1947) [after poems by J. M. Pilcher]
Danzas de Panama, orchestral suite, string orchestra (or string quintet) (1948) [also arr. for string quartet]
- Tamborito
- Mejoana y Socavón
- Punto
- Cumbia y Congo
If You Should Go, chamber orchestra (1949) [arr. from vocal work "Songs of Seperation"}
A Black Pierrot, chamber orchestra (1949) [arr. from vocal work "Songs of Separation"]
Troubled Island: Denouement, orchestra (1937-49) [arr. of last scene of opera]
The Little Song That Wanted To Be A Symphony, male narrator, 3 sopranos (or string quartet) and orchestra (1953)
Pages From a Mother's Diary, orchestra (1954)
Romance, orchestra (1954) [arr. from orig. work for saxophone and piano]
Little Red Schoolhouse, orchestra (1956) [related to "Pages From a Mother's Diary", 1954]
The American Scene: 5 Suites for Young Americans, orchestra (1957)
- Suite I: The East (1957)
- Suite II: The South (1957)
- Suite III: The Old West (1957)
- Suite IV: The Far West (1957)
- Suite V: A Mountain, A Memorial, and A Song (1957)
- A New Orleans Street, orchestra (1957) [from orchestral work "American Scene, Suite II"]
Serenade, high school orchestra (1957)
Symphony No. 3, "The Sunday Symphony", orchestra (1958)
The Peaceful Land, symphonic poem, orchestra (1960)
Patterns, orchestral suite (1960)
Los alnados de Espafia, orchestral suite (1962) [also arr. for piano]
Preludes, orchestral suite, flute, string orchestra and piano (1962) [also arr. for piano]
- African Dancer
- Gamin
Threnody in Memory of Jan Sibelius, orchestra (1965)
Miniature Overture, orchestra (1965)
Choreographic Prelude, orchestra (or organ, piano and strings) (1970)
Puritan Epic, orchestra (????; lost)
Band
Entrance of Les Porteuses, from the ballet "La guiablesse", band (1927)
Scherzo, from "The Afro-American Symphony", band (1930) [arr. from work for orchestra]
Summerland, orchestra (or band) (1936) [arr. from 2nd mvt of "Three Visions" for piano]
Victory Tide, band (or orchestra) (1939) [arr. from work for chorus and piano]
Old California, band (1941) [arr. from work for orchestra]
Fanfare for the 99th Fightet Squadron, wind orchestra (1945)
From the Delta, band (1945)
- Work Song
- Spiritual
- Dance
To You America!, band (1951)
The American Scene, band (1957) [selections from "The American Scene: 5 Suites for Young Americans", 1957]
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- New Orleans Street [this mvt also available seperately]
- Berkshire Night
- Tribal Dance
The American Scene: Grand Teton, wind ensemble (1957) [arr. from "American Scene, Suite V" for orchestra]
Folk Suite, band (1966) [also arr. for brass quintet]
- Get on Board, Little Children
- Deep River
- Medley [The Old Ark's a-Moverin' and Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass]
Frisco Jazz Band Blues, jazz band (????)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Kaintuck, symphonic poem, piano and orchestra (1935) [arr. also for 2 pianos]
Dismal Swamp, symphonic poem, piano and orchestra (1936)
Summerland, violin and orchestra (1936) [arr. from 2nd mvt of "Three Visions" for piano]
Suite, violin and piano (or orchestra) (1943)
Ennanga, harp and orchestra (1956) [also arr. for flute and string orchestra]
Preludes (5), orchestral suite, flute, piano and string orchestra (1962) [also arr. for flute and piano; or solo piano]
Chorus w/Orchestra
Promised Land, sacred cantata, [????] (early 1920s; unfinished) [text: Frederick Martens]
Song of a City, chorus and orchestra (1938) [text: A. Stillman]
Rising tide, chorus [SSATTBB] and piano (or orch) (1939) [theme music for 1939 New York World’s Fair] [text: Albert Stillman]
- also known as "Victory Tide", Chorus [SATB] and piano
- Song of a City, voice, chorus and orchestra (1938?) [based on "Rising Tide"]
And They Lynched Him on a Tree, narrator, contralto, double chorus, and orchestra (or piano) (1940) [text: K.G. Chapin]
Plain Chant for America, baritone, orch and organ (1941) [text: Katherine Garrison Chapin] [arr. c.1965 for chorus & orch]
Those Who Wait, mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1942) [text: Verna Arvey]
Wailing Woman, soprano, chorus and orchestra (1946)
From a Lost Continent, chorus and orchestra (1948) [text: Still]
- Song of Worship
- Song for Dancers
- Song of Yearning
- Song of Magic
A Psalm for the Living, chorus and orchestra (or piano) (1954) [text: Verna Arvey]
Rhapsody, coloratura soprano (or chorus) and piano (or orch) (1955) [also arr. for soprano, strings & pf] [text: Verna Arvey]
- Pastorale
- Romance
- Lullaby
- Paean
Three Rhythmic Spirituals, chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1956) [also arr. for voice and orchestra]
- Lord, I looked down the road
- Hard trials
- Holy Spirit, don't you leave me
Glory to the Newborn King, chorus, string orch, pf (pre-1967) [from early vers. of "Christmas in the Western World"] - A Spiritual
Choral
I'm Gonna Tell What Ma Lawd Has Done, chorus [SSATBB] and piano (1937) [from the ballet "Lenox Avenue"] - A Spiritual
Twelve Negro Spirituals, voice and piano (or chorus and piano) (pub. 1937) [originally in 2 volumes]
- I Got a Home in-a Dat Rock
- All God's Chillun Got Shoes
- Camp Meetin'
- Didn't Ma Lawd Deliver Daniel?
- Good News
- Great Day
- Gwinter Sing All Along de Way (Gwine to Sing All Along De Way)
- Keep Me from Sinkin' Down (Keep Me F'om Sinking Down)
- Listen to the Lambs (Lis'en to de Lam's)
- Lawd, I Wants to be a Christian (Lawd, Ah Wants to be a Christian)
- Mah Lawd Says He's Goin' to Rain Down Fiah
- Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells
Gwinter Sing All Along De Way, voice and piano (or chorus [w/soprano and tenor soloists]) (pub. 1938) - A Spiritual
- OR: "Gwine to Sing All Along De Way"
Keep Me From Sinkin Down (Keep Me F'om Sinkin' Down), chorus and piano (or voice and piano) (pub. 1938) - A Spiritual
Swanee River, chorus [SSATBB] (1939) [arr. from piano original by Dana Paul Perna]
Rising tide, chorus [SSATTBB] and piano (or orch) (1939) [theme music for 1939 New York World’s Fair] [text: Albert Stillman]
- also known as "Victory Tide", Chorus [SATB] and piano
- Song of a City, voice, chorus and orchestra (1938?) [based on "Rising Tide"]
Caribbean Melodies (11 pieces), chorus, piano & perc insts, w/dancers ad lib. (1941) [arr. of folksongs collected by Z. N. Hurston]
- Two banana
- Going to my old home
- Bellamina
- Peas and rice
- Mama, I saw a sailboat
- Evalina
- Doo ma
- Héla grand pere
- Do an' nannie
- Ah la sa wu!
- Hand a' bowl
Caribbean Suite [arr. of "Carribean Melodies" by Vivian Taylor for solo voices, steel pans, perc and piano, w/dancers ad lib.]
Carry Him Along, chorus [w/soprano and tenor soloists] and piano (1941-42) [arr. of traditional folksong]
March-Finale, chorus and orchestra (1942) - ???see also Vocal: "Mississippi", 1942
Little David, Play on Your Harp, chorus [SSATB] and piano (c. 1945) - A Spiritual
Sipping Cider Through a Straw, chorus and piano (1945?)
Steal Away to Jesus, chorus [SSATB] and piano (1945?) - A Spiritual
Were You There?, chorus [SSATB] and piano (1945?) [co-written w/Paul Hamill] - A Spiritual
The Voice of the Lord (Mizmor Ledovid), tenor, chorus and organ (1946)
Lament, female chorus [SSA] and piano (1950) [text: V. Arvey] [pub. in "American Music Horizons", New Music Horizons series]
Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass, chorus (1950) - A Spiritual [also arr. for medium voice and piano]
Here's One, chorus [w/soprano solo] and piano (pub. 1955) [also for voice and piano] - A Spiritual
Rhapsody, coloratura soprano (or chorus) and piano (or orch) (1955) [also arr. for soprano, strings & pf] [text: Verna Arvey]
- Pastorale
- Romance
- Lullaby
- Paean
Three Rhythmic Spirituals, chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1956) [also arr. for voice and orchestra]
- Lord, I looked down the road
- Hard trials
- Holy Spirit, don't you leave me
I Feel Like My Time Ain't Long, chorus (pub. 1956) - A Spiritual
Is There Anybody Here?, chorus and piano (pub. 1956) - A Spiritual
All That I Am, chorus and piano (or organ) (1965) [an original hymn by Still]
Glory to the Newborn King, chorus, string orch, pf (pre-1967) [from early vers. of "Christmas in the Western World"] - A Spiritual
Christmas in the Western World (Las Pascuas), chorus, string quartet and piano (pub. 1967)
- A Maiden was Adoring God, the Lord
- Ven, Niño Divino
- Aguinaldo
- Jesous Ahatonhia
- Tell Me, Shepherdess
- De Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy
- Los Reyes Magos
- La Piñata
- Glad Christmas Bells
- Sing, Shout, Tell the Story!
God's Goin' to Set This World on Fire, voice and piano; or 3-part chorus [SAT] (1968) [a song in the textbook, "Exploring Music"]
Your World, female chorus and piano (1968) [text: Georgia Douglas Johnson]
Minorities and Majorities, chorus and piano (1971) [text: Verna Arvey]
We Sang Our Songs: the Fisk Jubilee Singers 1871-1971, chorus and piano (1971) [text: Verna Arvey]
Four Octavo Songs, chorus (1971) [text: Judith Anne Still]
- Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit [also arr. for female chorus/SSA]
- The Blind Man [also arr. for female chorus/SSA]
- Toward Distant Shores
- Where Shall I Be?
The Blind Man, chorus and piano (1973) - A Spiritual
Where Shall I Be?, chorus and piano (pub. 1974) - A Spiritual
Toward Distant Shores, chorus and piano (1977) [text: Judith Anne Headlee]
Spirituals - A Medley, [?chorus and varying instrumentation] (1927?)
- Get on board
- The blind man
- Motherless child
- Medley: We are climbing Jacob's ladder / Little David, play on your harp
- Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
- Jesus is a rock in the weary land
- Were you there
- He rose
- What a morning
- Deep river
- Finale : The old ark's a movering / Sinner, please don't let this harvest pass
Spirituals; A medley (1927?, withdrawn) - Perhaps the final version of "The Devotion of a People" and/or "From the Heart of a Believer"
Here's One - An arrangement of the Spiritual for voice.
Instrumentation: fl., pno., str., mez. or chorus, SATB.
Versions are also available for fl., pf., quartet; chorus, pf., mezzo sop. solo or divisi; med. voice, pf.; violin and pf
Chamber
Danzas de Panama, orchestral suite, string orchestra (or string quintet) (1948) [also arr. for string quartet]
Four Indigenous Portraits, flute and string quartet (1957)
- North American Negro
- South American Negro
- South American Indian
- North American Indian
Lyric Suite, string quartet (or 4 saxes; or 4 clarinets) (1960)
Folk Suite No. 1, string quartet, flute and piano (1962?)
- Bambalelê and espingarda pá pá pá (Brazil)
- Sometimes I feel like a motherless child (U.S.A.)
- Two Hebraic songs (Artsah alinu and Ayzeh peleh)
Folk Suite No. 2, flute, clarinet, cello and harp (or piano) (1962?)
- El zapatero (The shoemaker) (California, U.S.A.)
- Mol'e (Peru)
- Mom'zelle Zizi (Louisiana, U.S.A.)
- Peruvian melody (Inca)
Folk Suite [No. 2?], flute, clarinet, cello and piano (1962?)
- El monigote (Venezuela)
- Anda buscando de rosa en rosa (Mexico)
- Tayêras (Brazil)
Folk Suite No. 3, flute, oboe, bassoon and piano (1962?)
- An Inca Dance (Peru)
- An Inca Song (Peru)
- Bow and Arrow Dance Song (Santo Domingo Pueblo, N.M., U.S.A.)
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere No. 1, string quartet (1968)
- Salangadou (Louisiana, U.S.A.)
- El Capotin (California, U.S.A.)
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere No. 2, string quartet (1968)
- El Nido (Argentino)
- Sweet Betsy from Pike (U.S.A.)
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere No. 3, string quartet (1968)
- Aurore Pradere (Louisiana, U.S.A.), and Tant Sirop est Doux (Martinique)
- Wade in the Water (Spiritual)
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere No. 4, string quartet (1968)
- Los Indios (Brazil), and Yaravi (Peru)
- The Crawdad Song (Louisiana, U.S.A.)
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere No. 5, string quartet (1968)
- Tutú maramba (Brazil)
- La Varsoviana (Spanish Colonial, U.S.A.)
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere No. 6, string quartet (1968)
- Anda Bucando de Rosa en Rosa
- Whoopee Ti Yi Yo
Little Folk Suite from the Western Hemisphere, brass quintet (1968)
- Where shall I be (When the Great Trumpet Sounds)? (Spiritual)
- En roulant ma boule (French Canadian)
Miniatures, flute, oboe piano (pub. 1963) [based on folk songs of the Americas]
- I ride an old paint (U.S.A.)
- Adolorido (Mexico)
- Jesus is a rock in the weary land (U.S.A.)
- Yaravi (Peru)
- A frog went a-courtin' (U.S.A.)
Vignettes (6 pieces), oboe, bassoon and piano (1962)
- Winnebago Moccasin Game
- Carmela
- Inca Melody
- Clinch Mountain
- Hela Grand-pere
- Garde Piti Mulet La (or Msieu Banjo)
Folk Suite, band (1966) [also arr. for brass quintet]
Instrument and Piano
Incantation and Dance, oboe and piano (1941-42)
Suite, violin and piano (or orchestra) (1943)
- African Dancer [after the bronze sculpture by Richard Barthe]
- Mother and Child [after the lithograph by Sargent Johnson] [also arr. for flute and piano]
- Gamin [after the bronze sculpture by Augusta Savage] [also arr. for flute and piano]
Pastorela, violin and piano (1946)
Carmela, violin and piano (1949?)
Romance, saxophone and piano (or orch) (1954) [also arr. for orchestra]
Preludes (5), orchestral suite, flute, piano and string orchestra (1962) [also arr. for flute and piano; or solo piano]
Two Cameos, flute (or violin) and piano (????) [reconstructed by Judith Anne Still]
- Picnic with Sheilah
- Procession of the Ants
Solo Instrument
Aria, accordian (1960)
Lilt, accordian (1960)
Piano
Memphis Man, piano (1923) [arr. from orig. work for voice and piano by Hutchins B. Coleman]
Africa, piano (1924) [arr. from orig. orchestral suite]
Entrance of Les Porteuses, piano (1927) [arr. from ballet "La guiablesse"]
Dance of the Porteuses, piano (1927) [arr. from ballet "La guiablesse"]
Scherzo, from "The Afro-American Symphony", piano; or 2 pianos (1930) [arr. by Verna Arvey]
A Deserted Plantation, piano (1933) [arr. from orig. orchestral work by Paul Whiteman]
Dance, from "A Deserted Plantation", piano (1933) [from orig. orchestral work]
Kaintuck, symphonic poem, piano and orchestra (1935) [arr. also for 2 pianos]
Quit Dat Fool'nish, piano (1935) [also arr. for 2 pianos; and orchestra]
Three Visions, piano (1936)
- Dark Horsemen
- Summerland (2 versions: key of G; or key of G-flat)
- also arr. for 2 pianos
- also arr. for organ, by Edouard Nies-Berger
- Radiant Pinnacle
The Blues, piano (1937) [arr. from the ballet "Lenox Avenue"]
Seven Traceries, piano (1939)
- Cloud Cradles
- Mystic Pool
- Muted Laughter
- Out of the Silence
- Woven Silver
- Wailing Dawn
- A Bit of Wit
Swanee River, piano (1939) [from "29 modern piano interpretations of Swannee River"]
Bells, piano (1944) [also arr. for orchestra]
- Phantom Chapel
- Fairy Knoll
Bayou Home, organ (1944) [arr. from orig. work for voice and piano by Hutchins B. Coleman]
Marionette, piano (1946) [pub. in "Compositions for piano by contemporary American composers"]
Dance, from "Costaso", piano (1949) [arr. from opera "Costaso"]
Five Animal Sketches, piano (1952) [pub. in "Music for Early Childhood", New Music Horizons series]
Grief, piano (1955) [arr. from orig. work for voice and piano by Anthony Griggs]
Serenade, piano (or instrument and piano) (1957???) [from orig. work for orchestra???]
Coquette, piano (1961) [arr. from orig. work for voice and piano]
Reverie, organ (1962)
Ring Play, piano (1962) [pub. in "Twentieth-century piano music", 1964]
Los alnados de Espafia, orchestral suite (1962) [also arr. for piano]
Preludes (5), orchestral suite, flute, piano and string orchestra (1962) [also arr. for flute and piano; or solo piano]
Elegy, organ (1963)
Where Shall I Be?, organ (pub. 1974) [arr. from orig. work for chorus and piano by Anthony Griggs]
Prelude, piano (????)
Vocal
No Matter What You Do, medium voice and piano (1916; withdrawn) [text: Grace Bundy]
Three Negro Songs, medium voice and chamber orchestra (1921; withdrawn)
- Negro Love Song
- Death Song
- Song of the Backwoods
Brown Baby, voice and piano (pub. 1923) [text: Paul Henry]
Memphis Man, medium voice and piano (1923) [text: Paul Henry]
From the Land of Dreams, orchestral suite, 3 female voices and orchestra (1924)
Levee Land, soprano, 2 fl, 2 ob, vln, tenor banjo, perc and piano (or high voice and orch) (1925) [text: Still] [Levee Song"]
- Leveeland
- Hey-hey
- Croon
- The Backslider
Breath of a Rose, voice and piano (1926) [text: L. Hughes]
Winter's Approach, high voice and piano (1926) [text: Paul Laurence Dunbar]
The Breath of a Rose, high or medium voice and piano (pub. 1928) [text: Langston Hughes]
Twelve Negro Spirituals, voice and piano (or chorus and piano) (pub. 1937) [originally in 2 volumes]
- I Got a Home in-a Dat Rock
- All God's Chillun Got Shoes
- Camp Meetin'
- Didn't Ma Lawd Deliver Daniel?
- Good News
- Great Day
- Gwinter Sing All Along de Way (Gwine to Sing All Along De Way)
- Keep Me from Sinkin' Down (Keep Me F'om Sinking Down)
- Listen to the Lambs (Lis'en to de Lam's)
- Lawd, I Wants to be a Christian (Lawd, Ah Wants to be a Christian)
- Mah Lawd Says He's Goin' to Rain Down Fiah
- Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells
Gwinter Sing All Along De Way, voice and piano (or chorus [w/soprano and tenor soloists]) (pub. 1938) - A Spiritual
- OR: "Gwine to Sing All Along De Way"
Keep Me From Sinkin Down (Keep Me F'om Sinkin' Down), chorus and piano (or voice and piano) (pub. 1938) - A Spiritual
Rising tide, chorus [SSATTBB] and piano (or orch) (1939) [theme music for 1939 New York World’s Fair] [text: Albert Stillman]
- also known as "Victory Tide", Chorus [SATB] and piano
- Song of a City, voice, chorus and orchestra (1938?) [based on "Rising Tide"]
- also arr. for medium voice and piano
Plain Chant for America, baritone, orch and organ (1941) [text: Katherine Garrison Chapin] [arr. c.1965 for chorus & orch]
Mississippi , medium voice and piano (1942) [text: Verna Arvey] [original title: "Mississippi March; March-finale]
Bayou Home, voice and piano (1944) [text: Verna Arvey]
Arkansas, voice and piano (1945?) [text: Verna Arvey]
Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit, medium voice and piano (pub. 1948) - A Spiritual
Songs of Separation, song cycle (5 songs), soprano, piano and string quartet (1949) [*** multilple arrangements]
- Idolatry [text: Arna Bontemps]
- Poème [text: Philippe Thoby Marcelin]
- Parted [text: Paul Laurence Dunbar]
- If You Should Go [text: Countess Cullen]
- A Black Pierrot [text: Langston Hughes] [also arr. for medium voice and orchestra]
Ave Maria, tenor, baritone, fl, 2 cl, st qt, db and pf (1949) [from the opera "Costaso"]
Ballad, tenor, baritone, fl, 2 cl, st qt, db and pf (1949) [from the opera "Costaso"]
Golden Days, soprano and piano (or str orch,/str qt and harp) (1949) [an aria from the opera "Costaso"]
Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass, chorus (1950) - A Spiritual [also arr. for medium voice and piano]
Up There, voice and piano (1950) [text: Verna Arvey]
Men of the Army, voice and piano (1952) [text: Verna Arvey] [based on "Mississippi", 1942]
Song for the Valiant, low voice and piano (or orch) (1952) [text: Verna Arvey]
The Little Song That Wanted To Be A Symphony, male narrator, 3 sopranos (or string quartet) and orchestra (1953)
Song for the Lonely, medium voice and piano (or orch) (1953) [text: Verna Arvey] [*** multilple arrangements]
Grief, soprano and piano (or orch) (1955) [text: Roy V Brant] [original title: "Weeping Angel"]
Here's One, chorus [w/soprano solo] and piano (pub. 1955) [also for voice and piano] - A Spiritual
Rhapsody, coloratura soprano (or chorus) and piano (or orch) (1955) [also arr. for soprano, strings & pf] [text: Verna Arvey]
- Pastorale
- Romance
- Lullaby
- Paean
Citadel, soprano and piano (or string orchestra) (1956) [text: Virginia Brasier]
Three Rhythmic Spirituals, chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1956) [also arr. for voice and orchestra]
- Lord, I looked down the road
- Hard trials
- Holy Spirit, don't you leave me
The Devotion of a People, medium voice and orchestra (1961) [a Spiritual collection]
From the Hearts of Women, song cycle (4 songs), soprano, flute, oboe, strings (or soprano and piano) (1961) [text: Arvey]
- Little Mother
- Midtide
- Coquette
- Bereft
The Path of Glory, bass-baritone and orchestra (1962) [text: Verna Arvey]
- Prologue
- Invocation
- Call to Battle
- Judgment
- Elegy
God's Goin' to Set This World on Fire, voice and piano; or 3-part chorus [SAT] (1968) [a song in the textbook, "Exploring Music"]
Song of the Hunter, medium voice and piano (1968)
My Brother American, medium voice and piano (1971) [text: Verna Arvey]
Hiking Song, [?voice and piano] (????; lost) [possibly published in the "New Music Horizons" series]
Only Angels Have Wings, [?voice and piano] (????; lost)
An Art Song Collection, voice and piano (pub. 2000)
- All that I am [text: Verna Arvey]
- Arkansas [text: Verna Arvey]
- Bayou home [text: Verna Arvey]
- Brown baby [text: Paul Henry]
- Citadel [text: Virginia Brasier]
- Memphis man [text: Paul Henry]
- Mississippi [text: Verna Harvey]
- Sinner, please don't let this harvest pass - A Negro spiritual [trans. for solo voice by Celeste Anne Headlee]
- Song for the lonely [text: Verna Arvey]
- Song for the valiant [text: Verna Arvey]
Spirituals, voice and guitar (????)
- All God's Chillun Got Shoes
- Camp Meetin'
- Gwinter Sing All Along De Way
- Keep Me F'om Sinkin' Down
- Lawd, Ah Wants to be a Christian
- Great Day
- Ah got a Home In-a Dat Rock
- Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells
- Didn't Ma Lawd Deliver Daniel?
- Mah Lawd Says He's Gonna Rain Down Fiah
Rising Tide - see "Victory Tide"
Song of a City - see "Victory Tide"
Incidental/Film
Adventure in Manhattan, film score [uncredited] (1936)
Theodora Goes Wild, film score [uncredited] (1936)
Pennies from Heaven, film score [uncredited] (1936)
Full Circle, TV series score (1960)
The Prince and the Mermaid, incidental music for children's play (1965) [for a play by C. Stone]
I'm Picking My Last Row of Cotton, incid.music (????) [short piece for chorus, pantomine orch; pf/choreographer sketch extant]
The Sorcerer, incidental music (????) [a discarded play for pantomimists & dancers; only the piano score is extant]
The Blue Hotel, short film soundtrack (1997)
Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, documentary film soundtrack (2001)
. . . also stock music for 69 films - see here
STILL LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
[under construction]
An Outstanding Arkansas Composer - William Grant Still (Mary D. Hudgins, Arkansas Historical Quarterly)
Still's Grand Opera "Troubled Island"
Composer's website . . . inquire about William Grant Still: here
Still @ Wikipedia
Still @ AfriClassical
Still @ Answers.com
Still @ Audiophile Audition (via Google Advanced Search)
Still @ Classical Archives
Still @ Classical Composers Database
Still @ Classical Net
Still @ ClassicsToday (via Google Advanced Search)
Still @ Duke University - "Still Going On"
Still @ Duke University/William Grant Still Collection
Still @ Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
Still @ The Enjoyment of Music (W.W. Norton)
Still @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Still @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Still @ InstantEncore
Still @ Klassika
Still @ Mississippi Writers & Musicians
Still @ MusicWeb International
Still @ Naxos
Still @ The New York Times
Still @ NPR (via Google Advanced Search)
Still @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Still @ Song of America
Still @ Talk Classical
Still @ University of Arkansas/William Grant Still and Verna Arvey Papers
Still @ US Opera
http://www.musicsage.org
Publisher
Still @ Composer website
Still @ Allegro Music Service
Still @ Birchard & Company
Still @ Chester Novello
Still @ Delkas
Still @ Carl Fischer
Still @ J. Fischer & Brothers
Still @ Handy Brothers Music
Still @ Edward B. Marks Music
Still @ Jack Mills Inc.
Still @ National Blue Print Co.
Still @ The New Music Society of California
Still @ Pace & Handy Music Co.
Still @ Palmetto Music Pub. Co.
Still @ Peermusic
Still @ Theodore Presser
Still @ Robbins Music Corporation
Still @ G. Schirmer
Still @ Southern Music
Still @ William Grant Still Music
Still @ Clarence Williams Music Pub. Co.
Streaming Audio
Still @ Classical Archives
Still @ The Enjoyment of Music (W.W. Norton)
Still @ last.fm
Still @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Still @ Rhapsody.com
Still @ SoundCloud
Recordings
Still @ Composer website
Still @ Amazon.com
Still @ ArkivMusic
Still @ CD Universe
Still @ ClassicsOnline
Still @ Discogs
Still @ itunes (via Google Advanced Search)
Still @ Naxos
Video
Still @ YouTube
Still @ Google Video
Still @ Vimeo (via Google Advanced Search)
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