So why is he being mentioned on ChoralNet?
Well, he's had quite an impact on American music. Read this about the composer from the Cambridge Choral Society's website:
In the United States Coleridge-Taylor's music and work inspired the establishment of the Coleridge-Taylor Choral Society. This was a choral society in Washington, DC composed of some 200 African American singers for the purpose of performing Coleridge-Taylor's works. This society sponsored Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's first visit to the United States where he conducted them in a concert at Constitution Hall.
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The paternity of Mr. Coleridge-Taylor and his love for what is elemental and racial found rich expression in the choral work by which he is best known (Hiawatha's Wedding Feast), and more obviously in his African Romances, Op. 17, a set of seven songs; the African Suite for the piano, Op. 35; and Five Choral Ballads, for baritone solo, quartet, chorus and orchestra, Op. 54 being a setting of five of Longfellow's Poems on Slavery.
Also, in the foreword of his `Twenty-four Negro Melodies' Samuel Coleridge-Taylor thanks a number of people who have helped him find these melodies, but he mentions in particular, "...the late world-renowned and deeply lamented Frederick J. Loudin, manager of the famous Jubilee Singers, through whom I first learned to appreciate the beautiful folk-music of my race, and who did so much to make it known the world over."
Hear one of his famous piano compositions, inspired by the Fisk Jubilee Singers:
1 comment:
How wonderful to see that I am not alone in celebrating the life of such a great man. On 1st September I attended a Nash Ensemble performance of his Clarinet Quintet and its heartwarming to see the blogs on the BBC Radio 3 site saying that they were new to Coleridge-Taylor and were totally blown away by how absolutely wonderful the piece is. Bit of an oversight, however, that there was no mention of the date of the performance being the 96th anniversary of Coleridge-Taylor's tragically premature death. I wish you every success in bringing the work of this great man to the fore.
With very best wishes from
Charles Elford
(Author of Black Mahler: The Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Story)
www.blackmahler.com
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