Dear Friends,
My
name is Zanaida Robles, and I am a DMA candidate in Choral Music at the
USC Thornton School of Music. I hope all is well with you.
If
you are receiving this message, it is because you have played an
important role in my musical life. Either you taught me, you encouraged
me, you gave me a chance to perform, you helped me earn funding for my
education, or you've been an inspirational figure in my life. So first, I
want to thank you for all you've done for me and for other aspiring
students and musicians who, without your support, might not otherwise
have achieved so much or
come so far. With a husband who is a professional singer and two young
daughters on the side, I make my living solely as a classical music
performer and teacher. And I will be the first in my family to earn a
doctoral degree of any kind. My gratitude for so many blessings is
immeasurable.
I am writing to inform you of my intent to write my doctoral dissertation on the choral music of Samuel Coleridge Taylor. African British composer
Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875-1912), was affectionately referred to in his time
as the African “Mahler.” His most popular work, Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast for soli, chorus and orchestra, is a
shining example of his command of musical form, texture, harmony, and
orchestration, which resulted in overnight fame and respect among colleagues
that few men of color could have hoped to enjoy in the early twentieth century.
Because of his incredible success in a field dominated by white males at a time
when racism in America was peaking, Coleridge Taylor’s influence on African
American artists and intellectuals was powerful and far-reaching. After Hiawatha, Coleridge-Taylor is most known
for his 24 Negro Melodies, his violin
concerto, a host of chamber music and several art songs - his compositional
output is substantial and varied. The purpose of my dissertation will be to examine the construction, style, character, historic value, and contemporary
relevance of the choral music of Samuel Coleridge Taylor, a body of repertoire
that has heretofore been virtually neglected.
With an opus of at least twenty known works for chorus, including
two sets of part songs, five choral ballades, two major cantatas, seven smaller
cantatas, eight anthems, and a Morning
and Evening Service, Coleridge Taylor’s contribution to the choral genre is
significant but seriously underexplored. Recordings of this highly regarded
composer’s choral works are hard to come by, and few scholarly sources offer much insight
into his choral music beyond merely acknowledging its existence in lists and
catalogues. Research and analysis is
necessary so that knowledge of this music might increase and
performances and
recordings of these works might resume after a century of neglect.
Coleridge
Taylor was one of the earliest composers of African decent whose music
was
revered, not for any Afro-centric novelty, but for being well crafted
and wholly
original yet distinctly Victorian. With this research on Samuel
Coleridge
Taylor, the compositional voices of past and contemporary African
American
composers might also be more distinctly heard and appreciated, not just
for the
novelty of spirituals and crossover works, but for their genuinely fine
craftsmanship and distinctly classical American sound. To that end,
Samuel Coleridge
Taylor can still lead and inspire the American musical community, just
as he
did a century ago.
So,
I invite your thoughts on Coleridge Taylor. A preliminary bibliography
has been created, and I am continuing to gather resource in preparation
for writing my paper this spring. Any advice or information you can
offer is most welcome. In addition to finishing this dissertation, my
goal over the next few years is to perform and record Coleridge
Taylor's music with my choir, the San Gabriel Valley Choral Company,
based in Monrovia, CA. I hope for the opportunity to present
performances of Coleridge Taylor's music at concerts, festivals, and
conferences in the near future. Many thanks for your continued support!
Finally,
if you live in the Southern California area, let me also invite you to
attend the San Gabriel Valley Choral Company's "Winter Portrait" concert
on Saturday, December 21at 7:30pm at Monrovia First Presbyterian
Church. Enjoy
a festive, musical collection of seasonal favorites and choral gems
including music by Sweelinck, Rutter, Basler and Baker. With a holiday
sing-along and special guest brass quintet, The Oakwood Brass Outreach
Project, it's a musical portrait to stir up your holiday cheer! Reply to
this message, and I'll be delighted to provide you complimentary
tickets.
I wish you all the best for a glorious holiday season!
Sincerely,
Zanaida
--
Zanaida Robles, Artistic Director
San Gabriel Valley Choral Company
Vocal Music Faculty
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts
DMA Choral Music (ABD)
University of Southern California
Thornton School of Music
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