Dawson, Ambassador Lodge, and others, Loyola, Spain [1956]

In 1956, the United States Department of State requested that Dawson represent the U.S. as a musical ambassador in an exchange program with Spain. During his time in Spain, he worked with choral directors to develop their choirs’ skills in performing African American folk music, using arrangements by R. Nathaniel Dett, H. T. Burleigh, and John W. Work in addition to his own. The purpose of the program was “…to establish a true knowledge of the beauty of . . . the Negro spiritual in Spain,” and to enable Dawson to “visit several cultural and artistic centers and . . . establish social and artistic contacts to promote a better understanding between the American and the Spanish peoples.” His work in Spain was extremely well-received, as evidenced by the glowing report: “the choral groups’ performances have been unsurpassable and Dawson’s work wonderful, both in its technical as well as its human aspects.” (archival materials)