Orchestra of the Swan Premieres 'Peace for our Time' by Philip Herbert, Black Composer

BirminghamPost.net

Orchestra of The Swan unveils new piece at Armistice concert

Nov 6 2008

“One of the highlights of the Orchestra of the Swan’s Armistice Day concert in Stratford-upon-Avon on Tuesday will be the world premiere of A Dream of “Peace for our Time” by the Leicester-based composer Philip Herbert.” “As a black composer Philip has much to speak about, and he is continually aware of his cultural heritage.”

“'Last year marked the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade, and the Oxford Companion to Black British History was launched. It was edited by scholars from the University of Warwick’s Centre for Caribbean Studies, and I was invited to contribute biographies of black classical musicians and composers. That tied in with a report from the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that said that too little attention is given to the black and multi-ethnic aspects of British history.' This experience inspired Philip to devise the concert programme 'Lost Chords, Unsung Songs', drawing on the Harlem Renaissance, with spirituals, jazz and blues melded with classical forms. The line-up of composers represented includes the reasonably well-known (Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, William Grant Still), but there are many less familiar: Margaret Bonds, Undine Smith Moore, Betty Jackson King, Julia Perry and Florence Price – not only black composers, but women as well.  [Full Post]  [Margaret Allison Bonds, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence B. Price and William Grant Still are profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Peace for our Time
Philip Herbert
Black Composer
Premiere Performance
Orchestra of the Swan
Classical Music