[Afro-American Symphony; William Grant Still; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Karl Kruger, conductor; Bridge 9086 (1999)]
Charleston City Paper
Chamber Music Charleston: Eclectic Elegance
“This group’s members come from the ranks of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and all have a great big yen for the more intimate setting found in chamber ensembles. Ably led by bassoonist Sandra Nikolajevs, CMC presented a complex program which, with only a few minor tuning issues, created quite a special evening.”
“Next up on our bill of fare? Circle Unbroken, a powerful and heart-warming mix of music by William Grant Still, the words of local author Margot Raven, and the illustrations from her book of the same title by E. B. Lewis. All of this was put together by Sandra in a two year project. Both author and illustrator were in attendance. Narration of this tale through time was provided by Rachel Dowling. As Rachel read the book (the account of an African-American family’s journey from Africa as slaves to the present day), the weaving of sweetgrass baskets formed a cross-generational link; the unbroken circles of the baskets mirroring the unbroken circle of family. Mr. Lewis’ illustrations, projected on a screen beside our musicians, aptly brought life to the words, and captured an “air” of Lowcountry life most locals either miss or take for granted. But the music! Sandra had chosen bits from two of Still’s string quartets to accompany our story, and once again, it hit home for me what a thoughtful treasure of American music there is in this composer’s work. It’s outward seriousness and delicious delicacy reveals a wealth of knowing sorrow, as well as wink-in-the-eye joy. Definitely my highlight for the evening! [Full Post] [William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]
Chamber Music Charleston
Margot Raven's Circle Unbroken
William Grant Still
African American Composer
Sandra Nikolajevs
Treasure of American Music
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