Sunday, December 2, 2007

L. Viola Kinney, African American Composer of “Mother's Sacrifice”


[Soulscapes: Piano Music by African American Women; Mother's Sacrifice (5:21); L. Viola Kinney, composer; Maria Corley, piano; Troy 857 (2006)]


Pianist Maria Corley was the subject of a November 1, 2007 post on AfriClassical. Her latest CD is Soulscapes: Piano Music by African American Women. The first work on the recording is Mother's Sacrifice (5:21), composed by L. Viola Kinney. Little information is available on her life and music, but the liner notes provide this brief account:

L. Viola Kinney was born in Sedalia, Missouri, a city associated with ragtime giant Scott Joplin. She studied harmony and choral music with Robert G. Jackson at Western University in Quindaro, Kansas. Upon graduation, she returned to Sedalia, married, and taught music and English for 35 years. “Mother's Sacrifice” is her only extant composition.


Viola+Kinney" rel="tag">Viola Kinney
classical+music" rel="tag">classical music
Black+Composer" rel="tag">Black Composer
African+American" rel="tag">African American
Maria+Corley" rel="tag">Maria Corley
Racial+Heritage" rel="tag">racial heritage

2 comments:

  1. I just heard this music on KUSC, the classical music station in Los Angeles, and I cannot believe that this composition is not more well known. I was really moved listening to it and was sure that the DJ would inform me afterwards that it was Chopin or Schubert. It is a beautiful piece that deserves to be played the world round.

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  2. I totally agree having just heard it on the BBC -- but where can I get the score

    jeremy Holmes

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