[ABOVE: William Grant Still (Photo is the sole property of William Grant Still Music, and is used with permission.) BELOW: All In; Helix Collective; Miniatures For Flute, Oboe and Piano; Blue Griffin Records BGR 133 (2009).]
William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, where a complete Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of Lawrence University Conservatory is found. In our post for his birthday on May 11, we noted: “In March 2010, All In by the trio known as Helix Collective released its version of the Miniatures For Flute, Oboe and Piano on Blue Griffin Records BGR 133 (2009).” The disc is available from major online retailers, from the trio and from the record label.
The Helix Collective, http://helixcollective.net, consists of Sarah Robinson, flute; Phil Popham, oboe; and Meghan Schaut, piano. All In is the trio's debut album. Tracks 5-9 are devoted to the Five Miniatures of William Grant Still. The liner notes tell us:
"Our thoughts on the Miniatures...
Still wrote the Five Miniatures for Sir John and Evelyn Barbirolli in celebration of their North American tour. Although Still has many compositions in the contemporary style, by this time in his career he had incorporated more folk concepts into classical forms. The bareness of markings on his score gives great freedom to the performers to find a personal rendition, much like a folksong. However, one of the most exciting aspects of these movements is their varied countries of origin. Just like the touring Barbirollis, the trio must quickly travel from the folk characteristics of one country to the next, capturing the unique quality of each into a musical snapshot.”
All InHelix Collective
Blue Griffin Recording
Five Miniatures
William Grant Still
African American Composer
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