Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004), African American Composer & Conductor

[Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004): A Celebration; Chicago Sinfonietta et al.; Paul Freeman, Conductor; Cedille 90000 087 (2005)]

The African American composer and conductor Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson was born on June 14, 1932. Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma is a specialist in African heritage in classical music, and has kindly made his research file on Perkinson available to AfriClassical.com: “Prior to his entrance in New York’s High School of Music and Art in 1945, he exhibited an interest in dance, studying with Pearl Primus and Ismay Andrews. Mentored in high school by his teacher Hugh Ross, he came to meet Igor Stravinsky. By the time of his graduation in 1949, when he won the LaGuardia Prize for music, he had begun composing.” Perkinson's 1948 composition And Behold won the High School for Music and Art Choral Competition.

Prof. De Lerma continues: “He majored in education for two years at New York University (1949-1951), then transferred to the Manhattan School of Music in 1951 (B.M., 1953; M.M., composition, 1954) where he was a composition major under Charles Mills and Vittorio Giannini, and conducting with Jonel Perlea.” “His interest in jazz was stimulated while enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music in association with classmates Julius Watkins, Herbie Mann, Donald Byrd, and Max Roach. He has been engaged as arranger and/or music director for Marvin Gaye, Lou Rawls, Barbara McNair, Donald Byrd, Max Roach (as pianist in the Roach Quartet, 1964-1965), Melvin Van Peebles, and Harry Belafonte.”

“In the summer of 1954 he studied conducting at the Berkshire Music Center. This was supplemented with additional study with Earl Kim at Princeton University from about 1959 to 1962. During his student days, he roomed with his good friends, Arthur LaBrew and Noel DaCosta. For three summers (1960, 1962, and 1963), he studied in the Netherlands with Dean Dixon and Franco Ferrara in conducting at the Netherlands Radio Union in Hilversum, spending part of the 1960 summer at the Mozarteum. He also studied with Dimitri Mitropoulos, Lovro von Matacic, Franco Ferrara, Dean Dixon and Clarence Williams.”

Perkinson also wrote the themes for the television shows Room 222 and Get Christie Love! Perkinson co-founded the Symphony of the New World, which he conducted from 1965-70 and directed for the 1972 season. Prof. De Lerma lists some of the many teaching, conducting and performing positions he held in his career: “1959-1962 Conductor, Brooklyn Community Symphony Orchestra; Faculty, Brooklyn College; 1961-1963 Conductor, New York Mandolin Orchestra; 1964-1965 Pianist, Max Roach Jazz Quartet; 1965-1970 Co-Founder and Associate Conductor of the Symphony of the New World (serving as its Director for the 1972-1973 season); 1966-1967 Music Director, Jerome Robbins’ American Theater Lab; 1968-1969, 1978 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; 1997-1998 Indiana University”.

From 1998 until his death in 2004, Perkinson was affiliated with the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College Chicago. In the year following the death of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, a wide-ranging overview of his music was issued on Coleridge- Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004): A Celebration, Cedille 90000 087 (2005). Paul Freeman conducts the Chicago Sinfonietta and members of the New Black Music Repertory Ensemble. The works include Sinfonietta No. 1 for Strings (15:17), Grass: Poem for Piano, Strings & Percussion (16:08), Quartet No. 1 based on “Calvary” (Negro spiritual) (17:04), Blue/s Forms for Solo Violin (7:26), Lamentations: Black/Folk Song Suite for Solo Cello (15:38), Louisiana Blues Strut (A Cakewalk) (2:49) and Movement for String Trio (3:56). The compositions are in chronological order, beginning with a work written in 1954-55 and ending with one produced in 2004.

Julius P. Williams, African American Composer & Conductor

The African American composer, conductor and professor Julius Penson Williams was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1954. He was educated at Lehman College of the City University of New York, Hartt School of Music and the Aspen School of Music. Williams has held faculty posts at several colleges and universities and is now Professor of Composition and Conducting at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is also a co-director of the Videmus Recording Company. His website is http://www.juliuspwilliams.com/ and he is profiled at AfriClassical.com

Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma is Professor of Music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. He has generously made his research entry on Julius Penson Williams available to this Website. Here is an excerpt on the conducting career of Williams: “His conducting debut was in Carnegie Hall, at the 1989 initial concert of the Symphony Saint Paulia. He has served as assistant conductor under Lukas Foss of the Brooklyn Philharmonic and American Symphony Orchestra. Artistic director of Spain’s Costa del Sol Festival. Conductor and composer of Connecticut Arts Awards on PBS and the Nutmeg Ballet Company. Artistic Director of the New York State Summer School of the Arts choral section and President at the University of Vermont. Guest at the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra in Yugoslavia. On faculty at Berklee.”

Williams conducted the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic's recording of his works Is It True? (3:36) and Meditation from the Easter Celebration (5:54) with tenor Everett McCorvey on Troy 104 (1994). The liner notes observe: “The Cantata Easter Celebration was written in early 1993, as part of Williams' residency at Shenandoah University and Conservatory (Winchester, Virginia). There he served as Visiting Associate Professor and Jesse Ball duPont Scholar (academic year 1992-93). The Cantata is scored for orchestra, chorus, gospel choir, tenor, and dancers, and was premiered at Shenandoah, April 11, 1993.” “In addition to his symphonic compositions, Williams has written in a variety of mediums and genres, including dance, musical theater, opera and movies.”

The composer's Web site lists several performances of his works, including these: “He has served as Composer-in-Residence of Connecticut’s Nutmeg Ballet Company, which premiered his ballet, Cinderella. His Norman Overture was premiered by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta. The opera Guinevere was performed at the Aspen Music Festival and at Dubrovnik Music Festival in Croatia. He is composer of the score for the film What Color is Love?, the score for the play In Dahomey and the choral piece A Journey to Freedom for the Reston Choral and Festival Orchestra in Virginia. The moving tribute to the victims of September 11, In Memorium was premiered by the Detroit Symphony. Maestro Williams has served as conductor-composer of the Connecticut Arts Award for Public Television. His film score for Lifetime TV’s Fighting for our Future won the Gracie Allen Documentary Award in 2003.

Thomas Wilkins Leads Philadelphia Orchestra in Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert

Monday, January 21, 2008, 7:00 pm - FREE!
Martin Luther King High School
6100 Stenton Ave, Philadelphia, PA

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
THOMAS WILKINS conductor
CHARLOTTE BLAKE ALSTON speaker
PHILADELPHIA ALL-CITY CHOIR
Dorina Morrow director

The musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra are graciously donating their services for this concert.

Celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this free community concert. Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the Orchestra, joined by the Philadelphia All-City Chorus. Combining the traditions of African-American culture and Western classical music, the concert pays tribute to Dr. King’s religious beliefs, his vision of a society free of prejudice and racial divisions, and his belief in the power of music to effect change.

The Machine: Kind Words from the Conductor of the Detroit Symphony

Chelsea Tipton told Rashida N. Black, Founder/Executive Director of The Myrtle Hart Society, <http://www.MyrtleHart.org/>, that he had a message for the band called The Machine. It began “What a gas it was to work with you guys.” His remarks were published in the MHS eNewsletter for January 2008, and were quoted by AfriClassical.

It is now clear Maestro Tipton's message has been received by The Machine, because his comments have appeared at the website, <http://www.themachinelive.com/whats_new/>

with a link to the AfriClassical post.

Darin Atwater, Soulful Symphony & Baltimore Symphony: 22nd Annual Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

As the country pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., join Soulful Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in remembering his life and legacy on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 8:00 p.m., at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Building on three wildly successful seasons, Conductor and Artistic Director Darin Atwater will again lead the Soulful Symphony, a 75-piece African American orchestra and chorus, in the Annual Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Loved by audiences, Soulful Symphony's engaging combination of classical music, jazz, gospel and soul is sure to uplift and inspire you.

Thomas Wilkins & Detroit Symphony Orchestra Perform “Exegisis” by Augustus Hill

Classical Roots Celebration VIII will take place Saturday, February 23, 6:00 p.m. with Denyce Graves, mezzo-soprano, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by its Resident Conductor, Thomas Wilkins.

Since 1978, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s annual Classical Roots Concert has been a celebration of African-contributions to classical music and a proud partnership with Detroit’s own Brazeal Dennard Chorale. The Celebration also honors select African-American composers, musicians and educators for lifetime achievement, with proceeds supporting the DSO’s African-American music and musician development programs.

This year, joining DSO Resident Conductor and crowd favorite, Thomas Wilkins, for the Classical Roots Celebration VIII concerts is acclaimed mezzo-soprano, Denyce Graves. The program will feature Exegisis, a work by African-American composer Augustus Hill, Berlioz’s Cleopatra and Detroit’s own Brazeal Dennard Chorale.

For more information, please call 313-576-5072 or e-mail cdodd@dso.org

Maestro Leslie B. Dunner & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Celebration of Black History

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; Leslie B. Dunner, Conductor; Carolyn Sebron, Soprano; and the Asante Children's Theatre Kwanzaa Community Choir will perform a Celebration of Black History Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.

The ISO’s annual Celebration of Black History concert celebrates the significant impact of African-American culture on classical and symphonic music, as well as the superb artistry and creativity of black artists, composers, and conductors. This year’s program reflects that focus with music by Indianapolis native and jazz legend Dr. David Baker, Maestro Dunner, Dorothy Rudd-Moore, and arrangements of traditional spirituals. Free and Open to the public.

Sponsored by The Indianapolis Recorder. Media Sponsor: Radio One.

Myrtle Hart Society: Maestro Tipton in Atlanta and Cleveland

Myrtle Hart Society eNewsletter, January 2008:

Maestro Tipton in Atlanta and Cleveland

Continuing with my random facts, I came across a little bit about Maestro Chelsea Tipton II, who has conducted many orchestras around the world. You can read about all those accomplishments in his bio, but here's something you won't read: he also conducted (and really enjoyed conducting) the premier of The Machine & Symphonic Pink Floyd with the Detroit Symphony in July 2007. I love PF, so I found it especially refreshing that Maestro Tipton did too! You must respect a conductor who invites variety into his life.

Here's what he said:
"If you would pass this along to the guys in the Machine. What a gas it was to work with you guys. As a Classical musician it is great to dig in and make new musical discoveries. I had heard the music of Pink Floyd however this experience allowed me a chance to examine the music in depth and what great music. You all were good fun to work with, dedicated and the audience LOVED IT! The orchestra loved it. Best wishes to you all in the upcoming season. I look forward to our next encounter."
Peace to you all,
Chelsea, 2

You won't get Pink Floyd arrangements, but Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 16^th annual Gospel Christmas "King Celebration" honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not one to be missed! Maestro Tipton is joined by Andrew Young and the Morehouse/Spelman Glee Clubs. Program includes William Dawson's "Ain't That Good News." Thursday, January 17 at 8:00 PM, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309.

---

From ATL to CLE, Maestro Tipton is definitely racking up on the frequent flier miles. Catch him with the Cleveland Orchestra, Central State University Chorus and Martin Luther King Celebration Chorus on Sunday, January 20 at 7:00 PM, Severance Hall for Cleveland Orchestra's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concert. This event is free.

[African American Harpist Rashida Naomi Black is Founder/Executive Director of The Myrtle Hart Society, whose website is http://www.MyrtleHart.org]

Myrtle Hart Society: Maestro Dunner conducts Alabama Symphony

Maestro Leslie B. Dunner grew up in New York, Harlem and the South Bronx in a working class family. His father worked for the city and his mother worked as a social worker and community activist. He grew up taking African dance and was the youngest performer at the 1964 New York World's Fair. In addition, he has toured nationally and internationally performing on his clarinet. I've seen him conduct the Joffrey Ballet, and I can tell you, he's so involved with every nuance, he emotes the music often letting it move his body around on the podium. His is a natural love of classical music that was nurtured and allowed to grow. This is the result.

Maestro Dunner will conduct the Alabama Symphony Orchestra with soloist Timothy Jones, bass baritone. "A Community Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." January 20 at Alys Stephens Center, Jemison Concert Hall (Birmingham) at 3:00 PM.

Rudolph Dunbar Story Aired on BBC Radio 4

Rudolph Dunbar, the Black conductor and clarinettist from Guyana, was profiled at On An Overgrown Path on April 23, 2007, in a post entitled Berlin Philharmonic's first black conductor. The link was later published in the eNewsletter of the Myrtle Hart Society, which promotes composers and musicians of color. Response to the post was unusually heavy, according to Pliable, and it is now linked to Wikipedia. He adds:

Dunbar's inspirational story needs to reach a wider audience, so I was delighted to find BBC Radio 4 broadcasting the Strange Story of Rudolph Dunbar today (August 7 2007). Here is the BBC blurb:

Strange Story of Rudolph Dunbar
Tuesday 7 August 2007 11:30-12:00 (Radio 4 FM)
Wayne Marshall tells the story of Rudolph Dunbar.

Born into poverty in British Guiana, Dunbar became a well-known jazz and classical clarinettist as well as having a European career as a classical conductor.

Despite becoming the first black man to conduct at the Royal Albert Hall and having conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra just days after the end of the Second World War, Dunbar ended his life in obscurity in Britain, convinced that the BBC in particular had barred his way to greater things.

You can to listen to the BBC programme on demand until August 15 here. Following my article as you listen to the broadcast is really quite interesting.