Researching Sheet Music for Cello and Bass by Composers of African Descent

[Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Conducting the New Black Music Repertory Ensemble. Photo courtesy of the Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College, Chicago]

The Guest Book at AfriClassical.com has received an entry from Dr. Kenneth Slavett. On Saturday, 8/7/10 he wrote: “I am the cello and bass instructor at Hampton University in Virginia. I am interested in finding material written for cello or bass to be performed by my students. I found your web site very enjoyable and informative about Afro-American composers. From: Williamsburg, VA”

The following are just a few examples of works for cello or bass, taken from the many Works Lists at AfriClassical.com which have been compiled over the past four decades by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of Lawrence University Conservatory.

Works List for Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson:

Lamentations; Black folksong suite, for violoncello (1973). New York: Tosci Music. 1. Fuging tune; 2. Song form; 3. Calvary ostinato; 4. Perpetual motion. Première [partial]: 1973/VI/5; New York, Alice Tully Hall; Ronald Lipscomb, cello.

Works List for William Grant Still:

Lyric suite, string quartet (1960). Mission Viejo CA: WGS Music.

Pages from a mother's diary, for orchestra. Instrumentation: 2222 (p bcl), 4330, timp, 2 perc, cel, harp, strings. Première: 1954/I/08; Santa Clara County Symphonette; Edward Azhderian, conductor. Duration: 14:30.

Sahdji, for dancers, bass, SATB & orchestra, in 1 scene (1930). New York: Carl Fischer. Scenario: Richard Bruce Nugent [pseud. Richard Bruce] and Alain Locke. Instrumentation: 2222 (2p) Eh Ebcl bcl, 4221, timp, 3 perc, strings. Première: 1931/V/22; Rochester; Eastman Theatre; Thelma Biracree, solo dancer; Howard Hanson, conductor. Dedication: Howard Hanson. Duration: 45:00. Library: Columbia (incomplete lead sheet, 2p.), Library of Congress (LC 65-80155/M), Yale (manuscript).

A very informative source for sheet music of William Grant Still is:

William Grant Still Music, http://www.williamgrantstill.com An example of sheet music for cello is:

Summerland, An excerpt from THREE VISIONS for piano. Arrangements of this piece are also available for cello and piano, for organ, for 2 pianos, for str. quartet, and for orchestra. Publisher: WGSM.

Sheet Music
Cello & Bass
Composers of African Descent
Dominique-René de Lerma
William Grant Still
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson

Comments by email:

My Fantasia for Cello and Piano is an earlier work, but which your inquirer might find interesting. He should look up our listing at http://africarts.org/AMP/ FredO (Dr. Fred Onovwerosuoke, African Musical Arts, Inc.)

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I have some information for Dr. Slavett that I can forward to him on cello music of black composers...TWH (Dr. Timothy W. Holley, Assistant Professor of Music, North Carolina Central University)

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“Blues Impromptu for Solo Cello” by Gary Powell Nash on a CD “Music from Mt. San Angelo,” produced by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts is an absolutely splendid work.

Regards, Mike (Michael S. Wright, ISAAM)