Vernon Perdue Davis Chronological Review

The 1940s


Deep In My Soul's Still Sadness
This piece, titled Deep in My Soul's Still Sadness, was written in 1943 and dedicated to Mrs. Sadler, who became acquainted with Dr. Davis while he was teaching at the former Stuyvesant School in Warrenton, Virginia. It is a solo song for soprano voice and piano and was written after Dr. Davis accepted a position at Woodberry Forest School in Orange County, Virginia. This short, through composed piece is in a sonorous key (e-flat minor) and bespeaks the tristful absence of a loved one.
Processional in F
Processional was written in 1945 while Dr. Davis was teaching at Woodberry Forest School in Warrenton, Virginia. This organ work, keyed in F-major, contains similar introductory and epilog material that frames a standard A-B-A form; material found at the start of the piece is played again at the end with a contrasting section (in this case, in the key of f-minor) between them.
Piano Quartet
The Piano Quartet, written in 1948, is the only piece of its kind in Vernon Perdue Davis' oeuvre. It is dedicated to Amy and Earl [sic] Vaughan. Mrs. Carl Vaughan was a mezzo-soprano and pianist with whom Dr. Davis played many pieces for two pianos through the years. Davis was a graduate student at Princeton University studying with Randall Thompson when he wrote this piece. Piano Quartet displays modern and passionate qualities not found in many of his other instrumental chamber works.
 

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