Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 31 - Black History Month
A short hop across the channel to find some music with a French theme.
October is Black History Month.
https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/
Recently I watched an excellent documentary about Black Classical composers.
"Broadcasters Lenny Henry and Suzy Klein celebrate black classical composers and musicians across the centuries whose stories and music have been forgotten." (iPlayer)
The programme also features our own Nadine Benjamin towards the beginning and again near the end.
Watching this fascinating programme was quite an education for me and gave me the idea of focussing on black classical composers this week.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000n18w/black-classical-music-the-forgotten-history
Lots of useful information also at
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/black-composers-who-made-classical-music-history/
Note: The accompanying notes this week come from ClassicFM and Wikipedia.
Monday October 12
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745 – 1799)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevalier_de_Saint-Georges
Known as ‘le Mozart noir’ (‘Black Mozart’), the Chevalier de Saint-Georges is remembered as the first classical composer of African origins.
Bologne was a champion fencer, classical composer, virtuoso violinist, and conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris. Born in the French colony of Guadeloupe, he was the son of George Bologne de Saint-Georges, a wealthy married planter, and Anne dite Nanon, his wife's African slave.
Symphony No. 1 in D major 1st movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-sIoTQfio&feature=emb_logo
Tuesday October 13
William Grant Still
William Grant Still Jr. (1895 – 1978) was an American composer of nearly 200 works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works for solo instruments.
Often referred to as the "Dean of Afro-American Composers", Still was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major opera company, and the first to have an opera performed on national television. Still was the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera. He is known primarily for his first symphony, Afro-American Symphony (1930), which was, until 1950, the most widely performed symphony composed by an American.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Grant_Still
Afro-American Symphony - 1st Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OXmKehGDmE&feature=emb_logo
Wednesday October 14
Scott Joplin (1868 – 1917)
Dubbed the ‘King of Ragtime’, Scott Joplin was one of the most important and influential composers at the turn of the 20th century. His ideas around harmony, as well as his complex bass patterns and sporadic syncopation, are still imitated by composers today.
During his brief career, he wrote over 100 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and has been recognised as the archetypal rag.
Maple Leaf Rag (played by Scott Joplin himself)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc
Here is an interesting novelty
Maple Leaf Rag Jazz style
Thursday October 15
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 – 1912)
Born in London of mixed race birth, Coleridge-Taylor achieved such success that he was referred to by white New York musicians as the "African Mahler" when he had three tours of the United States in the early 1900s. He was particularly known for his three cantatas on the epic poem, Song of Hiawatha by American Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Coleridge-Taylor premiered the first section in 1898, when he was 22.
Here is yet another great musician who died in their 30s. (Gershwin 38, Mozart 35, Schubert 31)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Coleridge-Taylor
Opening to Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmVThSTaMZQ
As performed at Voices for Hospices in 2013 by 300 singers including Tonic Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMBfskImD4I
Friday October 16
Florence Price (1887 – 1953)
Florence Beatrice Price was an African-American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognised as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra (1933). Born in Arkansas, Price was a deeply religious person, and brought the music of the African-American church into her music – as well as influences from the likes of Dvořák, Tchaikovsky and other European romantic composers.
Clementine
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=298918184219889
Weekend October 17/18
Chineke! Orchestra
Chineke! was founded in 2015 by the double bass player, Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, to provide career opportunities for young Black, Asian and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Chineke!’s mission is: ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’.
https://www.chineke.org/chineke-orchestra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chineke!_Orchestra
Coleridge-Taylor's Othello Suite, II. Children's Intermezzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzukJir3nYc&feature=emb_logo
Jukebox Extra
Chineke! at the BBC Proms 2017 (highlights)
https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/
Recently I watched an excellent documentary about Black Classical composers.
"Broadcasters Lenny Henry and Suzy Klein celebrate black classical composers and musicians across the centuries whose stories and music have been forgotten." (iPlayer)
The programme also features our own Nadine Benjamin towards the beginning and again near the end.
Watching this fascinating programme was quite an education for me and gave me the idea of focussing on black classical composers this week.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000n18w/black-classical-music-the-forgotten-history
Lots of useful information also at
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/black-composers-who-made-classical-music-history/
Note: The accompanying notes this week come from ClassicFM and Wikipedia.
Monday October 12
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745 – 1799)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevalier_de_Saint-Georges
Known as ‘le Mozart noir’ (‘Black Mozart’), the Chevalier de Saint-Georges is remembered as the first classical composer of African origins.
Bologne was a champion fencer, classical composer, virtuoso violinist, and conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris. Born in the French colony of Guadeloupe, he was the son of George Bologne de Saint-Georges, a wealthy married planter, and Anne dite Nanon, his wife's African slave.
Symphony No. 1 in D major 1st movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-sIoTQfio&feature=emb_logo
Tuesday October 13
William Grant Still
William Grant Still Jr. (1895 – 1978) was an American composer of nearly 200 works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works for solo instruments.
Often referred to as the "Dean of Afro-American Composers", Still was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major opera company, and the first to have an opera performed on national television. Still was the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera. He is known primarily for his first symphony, Afro-American Symphony (1930), which was, until 1950, the most widely performed symphony composed by an American.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Grant_Still
Afro-American Symphony - 1st Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OXmKehGDmE&feature=emb_logo
Wednesday October 14
Scott Joplin (1868 – 1917)
Dubbed the ‘King of Ragtime’, Scott Joplin was one of the most important and influential composers at the turn of the 20th century. His ideas around harmony, as well as his complex bass patterns and sporadic syncopation, are still imitated by composers today.
During his brief career, he wrote over 100 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and has been recognised as the archetypal rag.
Maple Leaf Rag (played by Scott Joplin himself)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc
Here is an interesting novelty
Maple Leaf Rag Jazz style
Thursday October 15
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 – 1912)
Born in London of mixed race birth, Coleridge-Taylor achieved such success that he was referred to by white New York musicians as the "African Mahler" when he had three tours of the United States in the early 1900s. He was particularly known for his three cantatas on the epic poem, Song of Hiawatha by American Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Coleridge-Taylor premiered the first section in 1898, when he was 22.
Here is yet another great musician who died in their 30s. (Gershwin 38, Mozart 35, Schubert 31)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Coleridge-Taylor
Opening to Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmVThSTaMZQ
As performed at Voices for Hospices in 2013 by 300 singers including Tonic Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMBfskImD4I
Friday October 16
Florence Price (1887 – 1953)
Florence Beatrice Price was an African-American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognised as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra (1933). Born in Arkansas, Price was a deeply religious person, and brought the music of the African-American church into her music – as well as influences from the likes of Dvořák, Tchaikovsky and other European romantic composers.
Clementine
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=298918184219889
Weekend October 17/18
Chineke! Orchestra
Chineke! was founded in 2015 by the double bass player, Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, to provide career opportunities for young Black, Asian and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Chineke!’s mission is: ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’.
https://www.chineke.org/chineke-orchestra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chineke!_Orchestra
Coleridge-Taylor's Othello Suite, II. Children's Intermezzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzukJir3nYc&feature=emb_logo
Jukebox Extra
Chineke! at the BBC Proms 2017 (highlights)