[Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; Cedille 90000 055 (2000)]
AfriClassical is pleased to republish a birthday tribute to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor from ChoralNet.org
Friday, August 15, 2008
August 15th is Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's birthday, an English composer born in Croydon, England, on August 15, 1875. So why is he being mentioned on ChoralNet? Well, he's had quite an impact on American music. Read this about the composer from the Cambridge Choral Society's website: “In the United States Coleridge-Taylor's music and work inspired the establishment of the Coleridge-Taylor Choral Society. This was a choral society in Washington, DC composed of some 200 African American singers for the purpose of performing Coleridge-Taylor's works. This society sponsored Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's first visit to the United States where he conducted them in a concert at Constitution Hall.
--
“The paternity of Mr. Coleridge-Taylor and his love for what is elemental and racial found rich expression in the choral work by which he is best known (Hiawatha's Wedding Feast), and more obviously in his African Romances, Op. 17, a set of seven songs; the African Suite for the piano, Op. 35; and Five Choral Ballads, for baritone solo, quartet, chorus and orchestra, Op. 54 being a setting of five of Longfellow's Poems on Slavery. Also, in the foreword of his `Twenty-four Negro Melodies' Samuel Coleridge-Taylor thanks a number of people who have helped him find these melodies, but he mentions in particular, '...the late world-renowned and deeply lamented Frederick J. Loudin, manager of the famous Jubilee Singers, through whom I first learned to appreciate the beautiful folk-music of my race, and who did so much to make it known the world over.'" [Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is profiled at AfriClassical.com]
ChoralBlog by ChoralNet
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Afro-British Composer
Frederick J. Loudin
Jubilee Singers
24 Negro Melodies
No comments:
Post a Comment