Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Burlington Free Press: 'Remembering Samuel Coleridge-Taylor with Dr. William Tortolano' Jan. 12


[Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Anglo-Black Composer (1875-1912), Second Edition; William Tortolano; The Scarecrow Press (2002)]



"Kellogg Hubbard Library
135 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 
Phone: 802-223-3338 

Thursday, Jan. 12 7:00 p.m. 
Ticket Pricing: Free!

“An illustrated lecture on Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875-1912) an anglo-black composer; conductor and educator who greatly inspired the revival of black culture in America. Author of a biography about Coleridge-Taylor; Dr. Tortolano is a college organist and professor emeritus of fine arts and music at Saint Michael's College.”


Dr. William Tortolano writes in the Introduction to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Anglo-Black Composer (1875-1912), Second Edition:

Coleridge-Taylor had a great talent, a unique personal style, fine craftmanship in his harmony and orchestral color, eminently singable melodies, and rhythmic strength. The same attributes can be applied to other composers. But much of his music is related to his Negro background. An Anglo-Black composer is in itself a rarity, but when a composer of his talent arrives at a particularly opportune moment of history, a cultural renaissance is a potential. This potential was realized through his imaginative and distinctive use of Negro melody and rhythm from Africa and in particular from the United States. Coleridge-Taylor was so inspired by American Negro music and poetry that he in turn through musical compositions became a leader and shining light to an American Negro cultural renaissance. There is no other historical incident of this type.”


[Samuel Coleridge-Taylor(1875-1912) is featured at AfriClassical.com. He died Sept. 1, 1912, so the Centennial of his death is this year. Major observances are being planned by organizations including the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Foundation, http://www.sctf.org.uk/.]


Comment by email:
Hello William, This is great!  Thanks for posting this special program on your blog.  Rachel Senechal

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