Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SHAW, Robert

(b '16, Red Bluff CA) Conductor; advanced the art of choral singing in the USA, agreeing with composer Paul Hindemith that the highest degree of musical expression was a cappella singing in 15th--16th centuries. His mother was gospel singer Nellie Lawson; he was dir. of Fred Waring Glee Clubs '38--45, conducted premiŠre of cantata 'The Prairie' '44 by Lukas Foss with his Collegiate Singers, formed Robert Shaw Chorale '48: choral music by Poulenc, Ravel, Debussy was almost unknown in the USA; now it is sung in high schools. Worked with conductors Koussevitsky, Toscanini (legendary recording of Beethoven's Ninth), George Szell; recorded for RCA: Xmas LP '57, Deep River And Other Spirituals '59, This Is My Country '63 were pop hits; Sea Shanties, Yours Is My Heart Alone etc stayed in print many years. Commissioned music by Bartok, Copland, Britten, Milhaud, others; folded Chorale '67 when he became mus. dir. of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, raising obscure band to major second-rank status; left '87 for academia, but his Mahler Eighth Symphony made in Atlanta '91 is famous for its choral singing.