Donald Craig

I first became aware of Donald Craig in March of 1971 when he was the choral director of the Southwest Division Regional Music Festival sponsored by the Connecticut Music Educators Association.  I was a senior in high school at the time and little did I know that he would be the man I would be auditioning for when I decided to pursue a degree in Music Education (voice) at Western Connecticut State University.  In all honesty, I'm not sure if I auditioned before or after this concert.

Mr. Craig was a phenomenal choral director and he really knew his stuff.  He came to Wesconn a couple of years before I arrived from Ithaca College where he had been the director of the Ithaca College Choir.  I don't think we had him at his peak but, none the less, he made a huge impression on me and he was without doubt, the best choral director I had ever worked with.  I'm sure he had a magnificent voice (a real basso) when he was younger but that voice, for the most part, was gone during my Wesconn years.  I coached with him a couple of times on solos I was performing with the Concert Choir and he helped me tremendously.  As much as I loved Mr. Furman (see earlier post) I probably would have learned more technique from Mr. Craig. However,  since I felt changing teachers would be perceived as a betrayal by Mr. Furman, I didn't pursue this action.

Don Craig was a real showman.  When the choir would tour he would have the host read all of his bio info and then he would run down the aisle to the stage.  Talk about making an entrance. He had several works which were published by Plymouth Music (Don Craig Choral Series) and also was very well respected in the choral world.

Mr. Craig auditioned for the conductorship of the Waterbury Chorale, which I was singing with, in the late 1970s when the current conductor decided to pursue other interests.  I thought he did a wonderful job and I am confident that he would have gotten the job but he decided to withdraw his application.  I have no idea how old he was when he died.  A friend sent me the obituary but I just can't remember the details.  He gave me many solo opportunities when I was a student at Wesconn and even called me back to sing the baritone solos in Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana"  (hence, "wafnaguy").

It amazes me that I can find virtually nothing about him on the internet.  How sad . . .  out of sight and out of mind.  There are a few mentions of his association with Robert Shaw and Fed Waring but that's about it.  Luckily I have the program of that Southwest Division and I will scan his biographical notes and paste them below.

Mmmm . . .  interesting that there is no mention of Ithaca College.  Below you can see a picture of him conducting the Ithaca College Concert Choir in 1963 which I did find on the internet.  I "borrowed" another picture (completely out of character) from my friend Stacey Severn of him at an alumni cookout.

Ithaca College Concert Choir

May 1, 1963

Donald Craig, Conductor

Don Craig like I never saw him.  Thanks, Stacey!