Will Marion Cook (1869-1944)
Artis Wodehouse of MELODEON:
Rain Song
Published on Apr 22, 2013
Soprano Marti Newland performs Rain
Song by Will Marion Cook 4/7/13 live in concert presented by MELODEON.
She is accompanied by Artis Wodehouse, pianist. This video was filmed
during the 3rd in a series of concerts presented by MELODEON at Church
of the Epiphany, NYC during 2012-13. MELODEON performs American music
from the 19th and early 20th century.
Rain Song was written by
Will Marion Cook (1869-1944), one of the most important figures in
pre-jazz African-American music. Born in Washington D.C. of free,
educated Afro-American parents, Cook's early musical promise was such
that Frederick Douglass helped organize a fundraiser to send him to
study in Europe. There he studied at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik
with Joseph Joachim, the famous violinist and associate of Brahms. He
later studied with Dvorak when that famous European composer visited the
US.
However, Cook of necessity turned to popular music as his
classical career was not successful in the US. He became one of the most
important early Afro-American composers of musicals and reviews
featuring pre-jazz ragtime and related Afro-American vernacular styles.
The popularity of his music was such that in 1912 G. Schirmer issued a
collection of Three Negro Songs by Cook: Exhortation (from In Dahomey),
Rain Song (from Bandanna Land), and Swing Along! (from the musical of
the same name). As mentor and teacher, Cook influenced a generation of
young African-American musicians, including jazz composer and performer
Duke Ellington and singer/choir director Eva Jessye,
Audio and video by Whitney Slaten.
Comment by email:Bill, Great music, great performer, thanks! Artis Wodehouse
Comment by email:Bill, Great music, great performer, thanks! Artis Wodehouse
No comments:
Post a Comment