Video
Historical Narrative
This arrangement, Way By an’ By (JP 401), is dedicated to Fred Thomas—an individual whose musical career and connections to the African‐American choral tradition offer plausible links to Betty Jackson King’s network of professional collaborations. Fred Thomas’s archival papers indicate that he was active in the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) and maintained correspondence with the Chicago Music Association. For example, his collection includes letters related to a 1971 NANM National Convention announced by the Chicago Music Association. digitalcommons.colum.edu+2NYPL Archives+2
Given King’s long‐time involvement with NANM (including serving as president) and the Chicago Music Association, this dedication suggests that Thomas and King were colleagues within the African‐American choral/educational community. King likely composed or arranged Way By an’ By as a tribute to Thomas’s contributions or in partnership with a choir he directed. The work thus stands as a link between King’s compositional legacy and Thomas’s service in the Black choral tradition, representing the collaborative spirit of NANM and its Chicago‐based networks.
Musical Description
Written in G major (one sharp), Way By an’ By opens with the marking Lento, establishing a contemplative, dignified mood. The voice (solo or principal) begins with the phrase “Way by an’ by,” supported by a sparse piano part that places emphasis on sustained harmony and text clarity. As the work progresses, King introduces a gentle rise in dynamic and harmonic tension, using subtle modulations and expressive melodic shapes to convey a sense of spiritual journey and anticipation.
Mid-section shifts to Con moto, where the pace gently increases and the harmony grows richer, reflecting the text “My God spoke unto me / Brothers and sisters all.” Here King employs richer chord clusters and a more active accompaniment to underscore collective affirmation and call to community engagement. Throughout, the voice writing is idiomatic and respectful of the spiritual-choral tradition: the melodic line is singable, the harmonies accessible yet evocative, and the overall texture conveys both sincerity and aspiration. Way By an’ By exemplifies King’s mature style of blending classical discipline with the expressive immediacy of the spiritual tradition—it invites the singer and accompanist to maintain clarity of text and rhythmic