Composers

H. Leslie Adams

1932 - 2024

About

Leslie Adams (1932-2024) is considered one of today’s leading composers in African American Art song. He has written many songs for voice and piano and is equally at ease writing for orchestra, chamber ensemble, organ, piano, and chorus. Adams received his primary education from Cleveland, Ohio public schools training with Mina Eichenbaum, Dorothy Smith, Howard Tucker. He went to Oberlin College Conservatory of Music to study composition with Herbert Elwell and Joseph Wood; voice with Robert Fountain; and piano with Emil Danenberg for his Bachelors. Adams completed his Masters in 1967 at California State University under the tutelage of Leon Dallin and Robert Tyndall and earned his Ph. D at Ohio State University with Marshall Barnes. In addition to these degrees, Leslie Adam pursued post-graduate studies with Edward Mattila and Eugene O’Brien while also studying privately with Robert Starer, Vittorio Giannini, and Marcel Dick. He has taken on the role of piano accompanist for various ballet and dance companies (including studios of Ballet Russe, Robert Joeffrey and June Taylor); received numerous performances of his compositions by a variety of artists (including a composer debut at Judson Hall); and has held positions at Florida A&M University and University of Kansas as assistant professor of music. Leslie Adam’s talent has earned him multitudes of awards, the highest among them being the National Award for Original Composition for Choral Art and the National Endowment for the Arts Award. Currently, he acts as artisit-in-residence and President of Creative Arts, Inc., artist-in residence at Seifullah, and music director of Grace Presbyterian Church in Ohio.

Related Information

http://www.hleslieadams.com/biography.html

Works by H. Leslie Adams

Title Collection Voice Type Range Poet
Advocation Medium High C4 - Ab5 Suzanne Hassler
Alone Medium High C#5 - A5 Nikos Valance
Amazing Grace Collected Songs Medium High C#4 - G5 Leslie Adams
Anniversary Song Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium Db4 - F5 Joette McDonald
Blake's Monologue ("I Come to This Place) Selected Arias & Duets from Blake Tenor F3 - B4 Libretto Daniel E. Mayers
Branch by Branch Five Millay Songs Medium | Low Bb3 - F5 | D4 - E5 Edna St. Vincent Millay
Cantus Medium C4 - E5 Joette McDonald
Christ at a Wedding (Love Union) Medium High Db4 - Ab5 Joette McDonald
Christmas Lullaby Collected Songs Medium High D4 - Gb5 Leslie Adams
Contentment Medium High E4 - Ab5 Joette McDonald
Creole Girl Nightsongs Low | Medium | High Db4 - A5 |Bb3 - F#5 |Gb3 - D5 L. Morgan Collins
Daybirth Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium Db4 - Ab5 Joette McDonald
Drums of Tragedy Nightsongs High | Medium | Low Eb4 - Bbb5 | C4 - Gb5 | Bb3 - F5 Langston Hughes
Flying Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium High D4 - Ab5 Joette McDonald
For you there is no song Five Millay Songs Low | High C4 - G5 |D4 - A5 Edna St. Vincent Millay
From a Hotel Room Songs on Texts of J. McDonald High | Low F#4 - Bb5 | (Optional Db6)|B3 - D#5 Joette McDonald
Gone again from summer... Five Millay Songs Low | Medium E4 - F#5 |Bb3 - E5 Edna St. Vincent Millay
He/She Gave Me A Rose Three Dunbar Songs Medium D4 - A5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
Homesick Blues The Wider View High F4 - G#5 Langston Hughes
In the Midnight of my Soul Low Ab3 - Eb5 Joette McDonald
Isabella's Aria Selected Arias & Duets from Blake Soprano Eb4 - G5 Libretto Daniel E. Mayers
Li'l Gal The Wider View High D4 - Ab5 | (Optional C6) Paul Laurence Dunbar
Love Come and Gone The Wider View High E4 - F#5 | (Optional A5) Georgia Douglas Johnson
Love Duet (I Hear Your Voice) Selected Arias & Duets from Blake Tenor & Soprano Tenor: Db3 - Bb4 | Soprano: Eb4 - B6 Libretto Daniel E. Mayers
Love Memory Collected Songs High Eb4 - Ab5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
Love Rejoices The Wider View High Db4 - A5 James Dillet Freeman
Love Request Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium Db4 - Eb5 | (Optional Ab5) Joette McDonald
Love Response Collected Songs High G4 - G5 | (Optional B5) Paul Laurence Dunbar
Lullaby Eternal Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium Db4 - Ab5 Joette McDonald
Midas, Poor Midas Songs on Texts of J. McDonald High Eb4 - D6 Joette McDonald
Miranda's Prayer Selected Arias & Duets from Blake Soprano E4 - Cb6 Libretto Daniel E. Mayers
Miranda's Recitative & Lullaby Selected Arias & Duets from Blake Soprano Eb3 - A5 Libretto Daniel E. Mayers
My Man (alternate to Li'l Gal) The Wider View High D4 - Ab5 | (Optional C6) Paul Laurence Dunbar
My new-found Friends Selected Arias & Duets from Blake Tenor D3 - C5 Libretto Daniel E. Mayers
Night people Medium Joette McDonald
Night Song Nightsongs High | Medium | Low G3 - D5 | Bb3 - F5 | D4 - A5 Clarissa Scott Delany
Prayer Nightsongs High|Medium |Low Bb3 - Db4|Eb4 - Gb5|C4 - Eb5 Langston Hughes
Recitative and Duet O Miranda Selected Arias & Duets from Blake Soprano & Baritone Soprano: E4 - A5 | Baritone: C#3 - E4 Libretto Daniel E. Mayers
Return from Town Five Millay Songs Medium A3 - D#5 Edna St. Vincent Millay
Sence you Went Away Nightsongs High | Low E4 - Gb5 | C4 - D5 James Weldon Johnson
Song of Thanks Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium Ab3 - E5 Joette McDonald
Song of the Innkeeper's Children Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium E5 - F5 Joette McDonald
Song to Baby Jesus Songs on Texts of J. McDonald Medium High B3 - Ab5 Joette McDonald
The Heart of a Woman Nightsongs High |Medium|Low E4 - Ab5 | C4-F5 |A3-D5 Georgia Douglas Johnson
The Meadowlark Three Dunbar Songs Medium D4 - Ab5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
The Valse Three Dunbar Songs Medium C4 - G5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
The Wider View The Wider View High F4 - Ab5 | (Optional C6) R. H. Grenville
To the Road The Wider View High D4 - A5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
Wave and the Shore Medium High D#4 - Ab5 Joette McDonald
What Love Brings Collected Songs Medium High Db4 - Ab5 Georgeanne Mitchell
Title Published Size Solo with Ensemble Duration Range Level Orchestration
Citiscape (Piano Concerto) Yes Full Orchestra Piano 20+ Professional solo piano-2 2[1.2/Eh] 22-22 2[1.2/Btbn]-timp-2perc-str
Dunbar Songs Yes Full Orchestra Soprano | Tenor 20+ Professional 1[pic] 111-2000-timp-perc-hp-str-High Voice
Five Millay Songs Yes Full Orchestra Medium voice 10-20 Professional 1111-2000-Hp-str
Hymn To Freedom Yes Full Orchestra Soprano, Tenor, and Baritone 10-20 Professional fl/cl/bcl/asx, tpt, tbn,tba-perc, pf-str Solo Soprano, Tenor and Baritone voice
Love Expressions Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 1111-1110-2perc-hp-pf-str
Nightsongs Yes Full Orchestra Mezzo 10-20 Professional 1111-2000-timp-perc-hp-str Solo Mezzo-soprano voice
Ode to Life Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 2222-4320-bstbn-tmp-3 perc-str
Symphony No.1 Yes Full Orchestra 20+ Professional 2[1.2/pic] 2[1.2/Eh] 2[1.2/Bcl]2-4221-tmp-3perc-str
The Righteous Man Yes Chamber Orchestra 20+ Professional 0000-2000-tmp-perc-hp-str SATB Chorus
Composer Title Work Instrumentation Level Number of Movements Accompanied Size Duration Range
H. Leslie Adams A Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams A Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Ab Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Ab Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Allegretto deciso Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Allegro ma non troppo Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Andante e poco rubato (blues) Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams B Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams B Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Bb Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams C Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams C Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams C# Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams C# Minor Piano Advanced 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Cb Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams D Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams D Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams D# Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Db Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams E Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams E Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Eb Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams F Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams F Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams F# Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Final Etude Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams G Major Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams G Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams G# Minor Piano 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Infinitas Organ 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Offering of Love Organ 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Offertory Organ 1 No Solo
H. Leslie Adams Prelude and Fugue Organ 1 No Solo