Langston Hughes (1902-1967)(Wikipedia identifies this as a 1936 photo by Carl Van Vechten)
Today we present excerpts from messages received from Jim Mastracco:
I'm a member of the Washington Men's Camerata - how can we engage young singers to champion repertoire of Langston Hughes among others?
My thoughts about this,
perhaps better stated - what is to become of the male choral repertoire -
particularly when the 'instruments of performance' are fewer and
farther between?
I came across a recording that featured Sydney Poitier reading
poetry of Langston Hughes and others:
(link about it here -
http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/04/22/specials/hughes-abused.html
-
and here
and went out and got the recording. My admiration for Poitier
going back to seeing To Sir With Love as kid, which for sure
influenced my interests in becoming a teacher, - aside - I was
interested in what came of the men's chorus that was also on the
recording. It occurred to me, that it would be interesting to
redo - the recording - perhaps as a roadcast, or something with
an assortment of actors - to the extent that I would be in a
position to do this, as a mechanism, or vehicle to interest
younger singers.
Years ago in college, my glee club sang in a massed chorus with
Wendell Whalum directing. The Camerata, some years ago (as I
may have written) gave a full concert dedicated to Hughes' poetry,
so I do have some understanding of the history - and connections,
but for sure am by no means a scholar - and your blog is
extraordinary. ( I found it purely researching the life of
Henry Lewis.)
I taught at an urban arts school for a brief period a few years
ago, and I was struck that my rudimentary knowledge of this music
(not to mention jazz) was better than young people growing up in
and or near the birthplace of Duke Ellington.
Jim
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