He was a choral singer, arranger and composer born in Pemberville, Ohio who grew up in Toledo, Ohio and studied at Mount Union College and the New England Conservatory of Music. He remained at the Conservatory as a conducting teacher after graduation before moving to New York to pursue his career.
He composed and arranged several choral works, such as “Wedding Blessing” and “Dink’s Blues” with many still being performed by various church choirs and professional groups. He was also the founder and musical director of his own The Dusing Singers.
As a singer he appeared with many choral ensembles led by Robert DeCormier, Norman Luboff and Robert Shaw.
Not confined to choral ensembles he performed nationally and internationally as a singer in several Broadway shows and concerts with artists such as Pearl Bailey and Harry Belafonte. He also often worked with the composer Peter Schickele, aka P.D.Q. Bach. in a cabaret song program and in the film industry he can be heard on many movie soundtracks.
He was a co-founder of Muse Machine productions in Dayton, Ohio, with the director and choreographer Nat Horne and worked for 20 years as a music director and co-director of the majority of the Muse musicals, was the co-director and music arranger of Muse summer concerts.
Recordings he performed on and/or wrote and arranged for include his own Rags and Riches and Cool of the Day: The Music of Jean Ritchie by The David Dusing Singers along with The Jekyll & Hyde Tour by P.D.Q. Bach, A Victorian Christmas, Oh! You Beautiful Doll and Christmas Songs from Around the World by The Robert DeCormier Singers, Anima Mundi by Philip Glass, Kodaly & Vaughan Williams: Missa Brevis/Mass in G Minor by the New York, Choral Society, Robert DeCormier and Anthony Newman, Listen to the Silence by George Russell and Christmas Garland by St. Michael’s Choir School.
He died peacefully at home in New York City from Parkinson’s disease in 2014 when he was 71 years old.
Robert DeCormier Singers and Ensemble recordings
Blessed Be That Maid Mary (Traditional 15thC English/George Ratcliffe Woodward)
Arabesque Z6525 (CD – A Victorian Christmas’)
Conductor and arranger – Robert DeCormier
Jingle Bells (as “One Horse Open Sleigh”) (James Lord Pierpoint)
Arabesque 6526 (A Victorian Christmas)
Conductor – Robert DeCormier
Soloist – David Dusing
Soloist – Maureen Haley
Soloist – Richard Scott
Soloist – Sandra Arida
Sources:
- https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/david-dusing-obituary?pid=171093535
- https://www.musicroom.com/david-dusing-wedding-blessing-mixed-choir-and-cf39202563
- https://www.stantons.com/sheet-music/title/dinks-blues/392-02529/
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0246970/
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1471811-David-Dusing
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-dusing-mn0001689596/credits