Clark University: 'A Great Cry of Soul: a musical program for African American History Month'

[Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-1972), African American Composer and Pianist]

Clark University
A Great Cry of Soul: a musical program for African American History Month

Clark University's Music Program will present "A Great Cry of Soul" at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 11, in Daniels Theater in Atwood Hall on Downing Street in Worcester. The event is free and open to the public. Deeply committed to study of the rich heritage of Black American music, David Howse and Ben Moritz have planned programs highlighting the music of Black American composers to raise awareness of their contributions to the musical fabric of our country.

This 60-minute concert features early Negro spirituals, gems of the Harlem Renaissance, and rarely-performed classical art songs of Black American composers such as William Grant Still, Margaret Bonds and Harry T. Burleigh. The event will explore the musical and historical significance of music and poetry, including works by black poets such as Langston Hughes. Through guided listening, call and response singing, and rhythmic clapping, participants will tap into powerful music from the past and present—music that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit. [Works Lists and Bibliographies for Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-1972), Henry “Harry” Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949) and William Grant Still (1895-1978) have been compiled by Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma and may be found at AfriClassical.com]

Clarksdale Press Register: 'William Grant Still exhibit on display through January 16'

[William Grant Still: Inspired to Inspiring Exhibit, Clarksdale Press Register, Clarksdale, Mississippi]

Musician Still exhibit at library

William Grant Still exhibit on display through January 16

By ANDY ROSS

Staff Writer

Thursday, January 8, 2009 2:16 PM CST

Between the Delta Blues Museum, Theo's Rock 'n' Roll Museum, various Blues Trail markers and other cultural hotspots around Coahoma County, there is no shortage of information for those seeking out the rich musical heritage of Mississippi. The newest exhibit now on display at Carnegie Public Library is yet another location. William Grant Still: Inspired to Inspiring, tells the story of the Woodville, Miss. born composer who was the first African–American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra. Made up of eight free-standing panels, the exhibit begins with Still’s childhood in Miss. and Ark. and runs through his time working with W.C. Handy in Memphis, all the way to his years in Los Angeles creating musical scores for popular TV shows and movies. In addition to writing more than 150 compositions in his lifetime, Still is also known as one of the first composers to merge blues and jazz themes into traditional European classical forms. One of Still’s quotes displayed in the exhibits exemplifies this approach to music. In referring to his best known piece, Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American” Still writes: “I knew I wanted to write a symphony; I knew that it had to be an American work; and I wanted to demonstrate how the blues, so often considered a lowly expression, could be elevated to the highest musical level.” Inspired to Inspiring will be at Carnegie Library through Jan. 16. The exhibit is owned by Delta State University and will be on tour through various other libraries and academic institutions throughout Mississippi this year. [William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]