Hale Smith
John Malveaux of MusicUNTOLD.com writes:
Composer Hale Smith (1925-2009) RITUAL and INCANTATIONS suffer benign
neglect. Hale Smith desired that his works be evaluated for their merit
and not featured exclusively for African American programs. However, he
was proud of his heritage. " I am a Black composer who has extensive
experience in jazz and non-jazz areas. When I write of these
experiences, my way of sensing rhythm, pitch relationships, formal
balances, and so on, are influenced by my background. The fact that a
lot my music would come off much better if it were played by performers
with jazz backgrounds doesn't mean that I'm writing jazz, but it does
mean that it's written by a person who had that type of experience, who
thinks that way". Hale Smith is a contemporary American composer. Paul
Freeman conducted the Houston Symphony Orchestra in the 1974 premiere of
RITUAL and INCANTATIONS. Hale Smith makes extensive use of West African
drumming throughout the composition suggesting an atmosphere of mystery
and impending evil. Two recordings of RITUAL and INCANTATIONS, both
conducted by Paul Freeman, may be heard on YouTube and purchased. Visit
Sony Music remastered, Detroit Symphony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoBca6SlJo4 and/or Chicago Sinfonietta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxLvsVESQSM. For detailed bio of Hale Smith, see https://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Smith.html
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