Julius P. Williams, Serena Creary & Jonathan Holland Premiere Black History Works, Winchester, MA

[TOP: Jonathan Bailey Holland; CENTER: Serena Creary; BOTTOM: Julius Penson Williams]

The Taunton Gazette
Taunton, Massachusetts
Black History Month: Winchester's Alcyon Chamber Ensemble pays tribute to civil rights strides
By Staff reports
GateHouse News Service
Posted Jan 28, 2010
Winchester, MA

“Winchester’s Alcyon Chamber Ensemble ushers in Black History Month with a children’s concert of music for string quartet. The concert, titled 'Making History,' will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31, at Parish of the Epiphany, 70 Church St., Winchester. The program features premiere performances by three area African-American composers, Julius P. Williams, Jonathan Holland and Serena Creary.

“Williams, noted conductor, composer, recording artist, educator and author is a professor at Berklee College of Music. He was born in the Bronx, N.Y., and graduated from the High School for the performing arts in New York City. He began playing the drums when he was eight years old, adding violin, clarinet and keyboards as he became older. By the time he was 20, he was recording with Fifth Dimension. His composition, written for the Alcyon String Quartet’s celebration of Black History Month 2010, is titled 'Black Symbols in the Sand.' Williams likens it to 'writings in the sand of life.'

“Holland’s work, 'Meditation,' is a newly created arrangement of his 'Etudes for Brass and Strings,' originally written for Cleveland Orchestra youth concerts. He describes it as 'representing calmness' and 'floating,' manifested by constantly rising notes with slowly shifting chords above them. Holland is a prolific composer, with commissions from diverse performing organizations and residencies throughout the country.

“Creary is currently a student at Natick’s Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Also a prolific composer, her latest piece is for string quartet and narrator. The piece is titled 'Thomas and His Imagination,' and is a charming story about a young lad who learns to trust his imaginings. Performers will include Shufang Du and Randy Hiller, violins; Joan Ellersick, viola; Shannon Snapp, cello; and Serena Creary, narrator. The concert will be repeated on Feb. 6 at 10:30 a.m., at the Class of 1959 Chapel on the Harvard Business School campus in Boston, and on Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. at Creative Arts in Reading.” [Julius Penson Williams (b. 1954) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

'Ellington & The Modern Masters' (1999) Still Available from Detroit Symphony Orchestra

[Ellington & The Modern Masters; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Järvi and Leslie B. Dunner, conductors; Ursula Oppens, piano; DSO-1003 (1999)]

Ellington & The Modern Masters was issued in 1999, “Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the DSO UNISYS African-American Composers Residency”. We contacted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and asked if the CD was still available. The Retail Sales Manager, Paul Yee, replied in an email: “The CD retails for $12.99 and we have plenty on hand. If you like, I can take your order over the phone and mail a copy to you. We accept all major credit cards for payment.” Mr. Yee's email address is pyee@dso.org and his phone number is 313-576-5115.

Olly Wilson (b. 1937) was Unisys Composer-in-Residence for 1997-98. His work on the CD is Shango Memory (8:33). Michael Fleming says in the liner notes, “The composer provided the following note for the world premiere of Shango Memory, performed on February 5, 1995, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Neeme Järvi: 'Shango Memory is inspired by the Yoruban deity Shango, the god of thunder and lightning...'” Anthony Davis (b. 1951) was Unisys Composer-in-Residence for 1995-96 and composed Notes From the Underground (9:11). He says in the liner notes that the work was commissioned by the American Composer's Orchestra and Francis Goelet, and was composed in 1988. Davis elaborates: “The work premiered in April of that year at Carnegie Hall, and is dedicated to Ralph Ellison (1913-94), the author of the landmark novel Invisible Man.”

Jonathan Holland (b. 1974) was Unisys Protégé Composer for 1995-96. Michael Fleming writes that Fanfares & Flourishes on An Ostinato (3:44) was commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Neeme Järvi in cooperation with the 1995 Unisys African-American Composers Residency. He adds that Martha's Waltz (5:20) was inspired by the two couples dancing at the start of Act II of the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, by Edward Albee.

Alvin Singleton (b. 1940), Unisys Composer-in-Residence for 1996-97, wrote BluesKonzert (14:37). In the liner notes, Michael Fleming says: “Alvin Singleton's BluesKonzert was a triple commission by the Detroit, Houston and Kansas City symphony orchestras, made possible by a grant from the Meet the Composer/Reader's Digest Commissioning Program, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund.” The piano soloist is Ursula Oppens, while the conductor is Leslie B. Dunner, of whom the liner notes say: “Between 1988 and 1998, Dr. Leslie B. Dunner held the posts of assistant, associate and resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.” Michael Fleming and Tiffany Dziurman Stozicki provide an overview of the many compositions of Duke Ellington (1899-1974), whose work on the recording is Three Black Kings (17:55). Its movements are: I. King of Magi, II. King Solomon, and III. Martin Luther King.