Darker America (Still)

Darker America is a 1924 symphonic poem by American composer William Grant Still.

[1] The composition, exploring themes of sorrow, hope, and prayer, is a work derived from Still's studies with the modernist composer Edgard Varèse.

[3] A description of the symphonic tone poem is as follows: Darker America, as its title suggests, is representative of the American Negro.

His serious side is presented and is intended to suggest the triumph of a people over their sorrows through fervent prayer.

Strongly contrasted moods follow, leading up to the triumph of the people near the end, at which point the three principal themes are combined.