WILLIAM S. D. DANIEL
WMmikhail
WILLIAM S. D.DANIEL (1903-1988)
William D. S. Daniel was born on March 17, 1903 in Urmi, Iran. He was the
son of Hakim David S. Daniel, a prominent doctor and a patriotic Assyrian
who was instrumental in saving the Assyrian villagers of Gogtapa from the
Kurdish siege during the First World War, and went as far as giving his
life to serve his fellow Assyrians who had become refugees and had fallen
victim to sickness and disease.
He finished his primary education in missionary schools established for
the Assyrians in Urmi where he studied the Assyrian language alongside
regular courses. After the war William came to Hamadan and began studying
music. Even though he was in his late teens, he excelled in playing violin
under an Armenian master. Soon he was ready to move on, and went to Europe in
early thirties to pursue his musical education. There he studied in the
conservatory of music in Basil, Switzerland and became an accomplished
classical violinist, playing in symphonic orchestras in France and Switzerland.
While in Europe, he continued to study the Assyrian language on his own
and took to translating the French masterpiece "Cyrano De Bergerac" from
French to Assyrian, translating French verses into Assyrian verses.
William returned to Iran in 1937, and after a few years settled in Hamadan
and became the music instructor in Pahlavi High School. He held numerous
concerts for the benefit of the school and the Assyrian community there. He
later came to Tehran, where he turned his attention to composing original
Assyrian music. In 1943, when the Assyrians in Tehran were allowed to have
a weekly program on the national radio, William wrote songs that would be
broadcast weekly on the radio. Moreover, William organized a choir,
numerous plays and concerts, and taught classes in the Assyrian language
and literature.
In Tehran he started work on his lifelong ambition, writing the Assyrian
Epic of "Kateeny the Great" in verse. This vernacular tale of greatness,
passed on from one generation to the other by the Assyrian mountaineers of
Hakkiari, had been recounted to him earlier during his years in Urmi and
later in Tehran. He completed the first volume of the epic and also wrote
an Assyrian book of verse for children titled "Rameena the Naughty". Both
of these books were published in 1961 by the Assyrian Youth and Cultural
Society of Tehran. He also published his first book of songs called "the
Rays of Light".
William moved to the United States in 1952 and settled in Chicago. There
he continued to teach the Assyrian language, wrote music, organized plays
and choirs, wrote articles for Assyrian magazines and gave lectures at
various functions. He was the editor of the periodical "Mhadyana" in the
1960's. In 1970, his musical piece, "Juvenile Suite", won the Beblis
award. In Chicago he published:
• The second volume of the Assyrian Epic of "Kateeny the Great",
entirely handwritten by the author (published in 1974).
• "William Daniel's Creations" a comprehensive collection of his
Assyrian songs. This book is all handwritten including the musical
notations (published in 1978).
• A bilingual treatise titled "Assyrians of Today, Their Problems
and a Solution" written in both Assyrian and English. The Assyrian section
was entirely handwritten by the author (published in 1969).
• "Kismat", a bilingual play in Assyrian and English depicting the
widening generation gap between the Assyrian youth born in this country and
their parents born in the Middle East (written in 1967, published in San
Jose in 1988)
William came to San Jose in 1979 and lived there until his passing in 1988.
During his years in San Jose, William served as the Editor of the
Assyrian Star magazine, wrote numerous articles, poems, and musical pieces.
In 1983, he published the third and last volume of the epic of "Kateeny
the Great", immortalizing it in a compilation of over 7,000 verses, and
narrated Volume I and II of the Epic on tape. He also taught Assyrian
language and literature classes, organized a choir group, and was a regular
guest speaker and dignitary at Assyrian functions.
In 1992, his students in San Jose honored him posthumously by collecting
his previously unpublished poems in Assyrian and English in an illustrated,
full color book titled "Tapestry", which was published by the Assyrian
American Association of San Jose.
The Valley is also the eternal resting place of one of the most prominent
Assyrian personalities of this era; Mr. William Daniel, who lived in San
Jose from 1979 until his passing in 1988. Mr. Daniel is one of the
greatest Assyrian musicians and poets of our time. A master violinist,
trained in Symphony Orchestras in Switzerland, Mr. Daniel also wrote
authentic Assyrian songs and music. His collection of songs, titled
"William Daniel's Creations" has elevated Assyrian folk music to an
unprecedented level of artistry and sophistication. He also taught
Assyrian language and literature classes, organized a choir group, and was
a regular guest speaker and dignitary at Assyrian functions.
William Daniel's main literary and artistic works are:
1. His eternal masterpiece, the Assyrian epic of "Kateeny the Great",
is one of the finest literary works of the modern Assyrian language. He
immortalized this vernacular tale of greatness, passed on from one
generation to the other by the Assyrian mountaineers of the Hakkiari
region, in three volumes which comprise over 7,000 verses. The second
volume was entirely handwritten by the author.
2. Two sets of five tapes in total, in which the author himself
narrates Volume I and II of the Epic of "Kateeny the Great".
3. A bilingual treatise titled Assyrians of today, their problems and
a solution written in both Assyrian and English. The Assyrian section was
entirely handwritten by the author.
4. A book of children's adventures written in verse titled "Rameena
the Naughty".
5. "Kismat", a bilingual play depicting the widening generation gap
between the Assyrian youth born in this country and their parents born in
the Middle East.
6. A book of songs titled "William Daniel's Creations", embellishing
Assyrian folk music with unparalleled sophisticated beauty and artistry.
which contains the songs he composed for the weekly Assyrian radio program
in Tehran, Iran in 1943. This book is all handwritten including the
musical notations.
7. "Tapestry", a collection of his previously unpublished poems in
Assyrian and English. This book, produced in full color, was published
posthumously by his students in San Jose.
8. Four records which contain nineteen of his songs, some of them
performed by the artist himself playing the violin.
William was a talented musician even though he started studying music late
in his teens, he went to Europe to pursue his musical education and became
an accomplished classical violinist, playing in symphonic orchestras of
France and Switzerland.
Adapted from The 1995 Assyrian Directory of California Grafeex
San Jose, California