Elevating a Canadian Pioneer’s Art Song Legacy
The Canadian Art Song Project (CASP) is proud to announce a groundbreaking research and publication initiative dedicated to the solo vocal works of R. Nathaniel Dett (1882–1943). Born in Drummondville, Ontario, and raised in Niagara Falls, Dett was Canada’s first recognized Black classical composer and a towering figure whose artistry bridged Canadian and American musical traditions through his work as composer, pianist, conductor, and educator.
While Dett’s choral works have earned domestic and international recognition, his substantial body of art songs and solo vocal arrangements remains largely inaccessible. These works exist only in decades-old, out-of-print scores or manuscript form, making them largely unknown to today’s performers and audiences. This gap represents a significant loss in our understanding of both Dett’s complete artistic vision and the broader Canadian art song tradition.
Our Mission
This multi-phase project will identify, examine, and prepare new editions of Dett’s works for solo voice and piano. This includes his original art songs and his sophisticated arrangements of spirituals and folk material. Through rigorous scholarship and meaningful community engagement, we aim to restore these works to their rightful place in the North American recital repertoire while ensuring they are accessible to singers, teachers, and scholars worldwide.
Why This Matters
Dett’s vocal works represent a crucial but largely overlooked chapter in Canadian music history. His songs demonstrate the same artistic excellence and cultural synthesis found in his celebrated choral and piano compositions, masterfully blending European classical traditions with African American spiritual and folk elements to create a distinctly North American musical voice.
By making these works available in high-quality modern editions, we honor Dett’s legacy while expanding and diversifying the Canadian art song canon for future generations. This initiative embodies CASP’s core commitment to championing Canadian composers while addressing historical inequities in whose voices have been preserved and promoted in our musical heritage.
Looking Ahead
We will share regular project updates, and resources as this work unfolds. Our ultimate goal is not merely to publish these songs, but to see them actively performed, recorded, studied, and celebrated as integral parts of Canadian and North American musical culture.
This project is made possible through the generous support of The Canada Council for the Arts.
Sounds like a great project. Who is doing the research?
Hello Kathleen,
I (Lawrence Wiliford) have obtained scores for all known manuscripts and published songs for solo voice and piano that still exist.
We are now working with artistic and institutional partners in the US and Canada on the next phase. More soon!