 Classically Black:
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
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Music of African-Americans Inspired British Composer
British composer
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was inspired by the black folk
music of America, incorporating spirituals and other black
melodies into classical music. He, in turn, became an inspiration
for African-Americans in the late 1890s as a symbol of what free
black men could achieve.
WILL-FM’s Roger Cooper looks at Coleridge-Taylor’s life and music in this
year’s Classically Black.
Coleridge-Taylor, who frequently traveled to the United States to
hold workshops for black musicians and composers, had a large
influence on the music and philosophical views of the composers
associated with the Harlem Renaissance.
The worldwide recognition he achieved for his accomplishments was a
source of pride for W.E.B. DuBois and other American blacks.
Coleridge-Taylor was best known for his Hiawatha’s
Wedding Feast, which incorporated
the spiritual “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” in its
overture. By using the melodies of traditional American and
African black songs in his compositions, Coleridge-Taylor wanted
to do for black folk music what Brahms did for Hungarian folk
music, Dvorak did for Bohemian music and Grieg for Norwegian
music.
“It’s
interesting because he wasn’t American or a descendant of
slaves, but he identified closely with American black music,”
says Roger. “He was also a conductor, and conducted a lot of
groups with white musicians. He had some problems, but he was
eventually accepted and that was a big breakthrough.”
Coleridge-Taylor’s music was extremely
popular during his lifetime, but dropped out of favor after his
death at the age of 37 in 1912. Today, his music is undergoing
somewhat of a much-deserved revival, says Roger.
The Coleridge-Taylor program, the newest in Roger’s Classically Black series showcasing outstanding classical musicians
of African descent, will be distributed to public radio stations
around the country by Public Radio International.
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Cooper
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