(The Nathaniel Dett Chorale and Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Founder and Conductor)
Thursday, Oct. 11 is the birthday of R. Nathaniel Dett, who is profiled at AfriClassical.com
Audio Samples of his music include: Listen to the Lambs sung by the VocalEssence Ensemble, Philip Brunelle, conductor; and Juba Dance played by the African American pianist Dr. William H. Chapman Nyaho, who is profiled at our website and at his own site, Nyaho.com
The Chattanooga Choral Society offers a series of events and programs to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Robert Nathaniel Dett, a most successful African American composer, pianist, conductor and educator. He is, perhaps, best known for his use of spirituals and idiomatic melodies and rhythms in composition. Dett was born, October 11, 1882, in Dummondville, Ontario, a termination point of the Underground Railroad, now part of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Dett taught at Sam Houston College (TX), Lincoln University (MO), Lane College (TN), Bennett College (NC), and Hampton Institute (VA) where he founded the school of music and conducted it’s famed choirs. Among his best known works are the anthem Listen to the Lambs and Juba Dance, from In the Bottoms, a suite for piano.
The Celebration of American Music begins with A Conversation with Elizabeth Houston. Ms. Houston is a Bennet College alumna who participated in the choir under the direction of Dr. Dett. She will chat with students in Patten Chapel on the campus of the University of TN at Chattanooga. Leon Bates will be guest of honor for a reception hosted by the Society on Wednesday evening October 10. Leon Bates will be guest artist for the Chattanooga Symphony opening subscription concerts, October 11-12. He will perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and Ellington’s New Word A-Coming on the program of American Music offered by the symphony and Maestro Robert Bernhardt.
On October 11, concert pianist Charles Pettaway, Jr. will perform and lecture on piano music of American composers which will include a performance of Nathaniel Dett’s In the Bottoms Suite. The lecture/performance will be held in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall on the UTC Campus at 1:40 PM.
The University Women’s and Men’s Choruses and the Chamber Singers will join the Chattanooga Choral Society and special guest chorus, The Wendell P. Whalum Community Chorus from Atlanta, in a program of Dett’s Choral music on Friday evening, October 12 at 8:00 PM. This concert is also in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall.
The celebration continues at 7:00 PM on November 1, with a lecture/performance in Bessie Smith Hall. Marilyn Thompson, soprano, with Roland Carter at the piano, will perform solo vocal music of Dett. The celebration culminates with a concert by the Nathaniel Dett Chorale of Toronto, on November 3, at the First Baptist Church – Golden Gateway, 5:00 PM. The celebration has been made possible by an agreement with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the National Endowment of the Arts, and the Southern Arts Federation with additional funding provided by the Lyndhurst Foundation and the UTC Holmberg Professorship of American Music. For additional information, please call 423-266-7738 or visit the Society’s web page at www.ccspaas.org
125th+Anniversary" rel="tag">125th Anniversary
Dett+birthday" rel="tag">Dett birthday
African+American" rel="tag">African American
Black+Composer" rel="tag">Black Composer
classical+music" rel="tag">classical musicDett+Chorale" rel="tag">Dett Chorale
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