Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, from his first steps up the musical ladder, to his premature death at the age of 37 and the legacy left behind.

At the turn of the 20th century, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor could have been described as the most famous Black person in Britain. His cantata trilogy, the Song of Hiawatha, was an overnight success, and by the age of 25 he had packed out the Royal Albert Hall with a thousand performers, let alone the audience. His fame took him all around Britain and America as choral societies from Worcester to Washington DC all wanted to sing his music, and Coleridge-Taylor became a role-model, especially for African-Americans. But tragically, just over a decade later, he would be dead. He remained a household name into the 1930s, only for his flame to flicker out much sooner than he deserved. All this week, Donald re-visits his fascinating story, with recordings predominantly released in the last 5 years, showing how excited today's performers are to rediscover his delightful music.

Music Featured:

Going Up Clarinet Quintet in F sharp minor, Op 10 (iv. Finale) Magnificat in F major Piano Quintet, Op 1 (i. Allegro con moto; ii- Larghetto) Symphony, Op 8 (iii. Scherzo) Nonet (ii. Andante con moto) African Romances, Op 17 (Ballad) Hiawatha Overture Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast (excerpt) Othello Suite Nonet (3rd and 4th movements) Romance of the Prairie Lilies (arr. P.E. Fletcher for orchestra) The Bamboula for piano African Suite (iv. African Dance, orch. Chris Cameron) Big Lady Moon Summer is gone Violin Concerto, Op 80 (ii. Andante semplice; iii. Allegro molto) Hiawatha’s Departure (excerpt) Deep River (arr. Kanneh-Mason Trio)

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Amelia Parker

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dfvp

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z