Byron Hanson: Fela Sowande's Work 'Six Nigerian Miniatures' Was Commissioned by Thor Johnson and Premiered at Peninsula Music Festival August 14, 1960

[Fela Sowande in 1946 Theatre Organ World (From Alan Ashton)]

The Nigerian composer, organist and professor Fela Sowande (1905-1987) is featured at AfriClassical.com.  He is called the "Father of Nigerian Art Music" by his biographer, Bode Omojola.

Byron Hanson, Archivist of Interlochen Center for the Arts, writes about the little-known origin and history of Fela Sowande's six Nigerian Miniatures:

The continued attention to the music of Fela Sowande reminds me that he was among the many contemporary composers that Thor Johnson (1913-1975) nurtured during Thor's years conducting the Cincinnati Symphony, the Peninsula Music Festival and while he was teaching at Northwestern University and Interlochen. On August 13, 1957, he included Akinia from African Suite in a selection of Music from Six Continents that opened a Young People's concert at the Peninsula Music Festival in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. That fall Sowande was invited to guest conduct the Cincinnati Symphony, and Thor commissioned him to write a work for the Peninsula Music Festival, the six Nigerian Miniatures which Thor premiered on August 14. 1960.

I was not present for any of these events but I did perform in the PMF 1968-1992 and assisted in compiling a number of anniversary program books which included the works played since the Festival began in 1953. Since I've neither heard the Nigerian Miniatures performed nor seen reference to them anywhere else, I can only say that the six movements listed in the 1960 program are: In the Village, An Evening Procession, The Young Expatriate, Children at Play, Anike's Problem, and The New Environment. Heuwell Tircuit, the program annotator, mentions that five of the miniatures are based on Yoruba folk songs while the third one, referring to a European born in Nigeria, depicts him by a "minuet a la Handel", a style Tircuit claims would be established favorites among Nigerian music lovers. He identifies Anike's problem is that she is trying to lullaby her baby to sleep, and the final miniature refers to the contrast in life style between the quiet Nigerian village and the "busy bustling town" of modern times.

Heuwell likely saw a score or talked with the composer in order to make his descriptions, particularly for the 6th miniature where he finds that the folk tune from "In the Village" and an unspecified (new?) motif are "caught up by the modern trend, and are hardly recognizable in their 'New Environment.' " .

Now, since I don't find "Nigerian Miniatures" mentioned anywhere I'm interested in learning what we can about them. Of course the Folk Symphony was performed only two months later and the miniatures could understandably have been overshadowed by the more significant event.

As always I welcome any observations, facts, and/or insights that would uncover this music. The PMF orchestra was a small ensemble at the time with 8 woodwinds, 5  brass, 24 strings, percussion, keyboard and harp. If the miniatures can be located, they would certainly be accessible to most orchestras.

Byron Hanson

Archivist

Interlochen Center for the Arts


Dominique-René de Lerma replied:

Many, many thanks for all of this additional information, which will be very helpful in all our research and repertoire projects!

  
Additional References

On Saturday, 27 October 2007 The Myrtle Hart society, founded by Rashida Black, posted an article on Fela Sowande, written by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma,

http://myrtlehart.org/content/view/188/166/  Its Works list includes:

Nigerian miniatures, for orchestra. London: Performing Right Society. Duration: 20:00.

In 1996 Greenwood Press published the book Brass Music of Black Composers: A Bibliography by Aaron Horne.  Page 9 has a Works list with this entry:NIGERIAN MINIATURES (AN ORCHESTRAL SUITE) – Orchestra. Publisher: PRS.

Another source appears to be: The Free Library,http://www.thefreelibrary.com/African+musicology%3A+a+bibliographical+guide+to+Nigerian+art+music...-a0223285665

We have provided the three sources to Byron Hanson, who has replied:

Thank you, Bill. The first reference is reassuring, as is the information I've noticed elsewhere that Sowande wasn't much concerned about publishing his work at that time. I had looked at a site that looked very much like myrtlehart, and didn't notice the miniatures listed, but there they are, plain as day - thank you!

Byron Hanson

Dominique-René de Lerma, www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com, is completing a manuscript on another composer, but indicates he will turn his attention to Fela Sowande next, and expects to have something to add to the above information.