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Musing On British African Composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor And Africana Classical Music

Musing On British African Composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor And Africana Classical Music

Oct. 30 2020

by Kwaku

Prologue

The Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 100PM Collective (SCT100PMC) blog was set up in 2012 primarily to highlight the life and work of the British African composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (SC-T) in the centenary year of his death. The following year one post was published, which reported on our efforts to get SC-T's BTWSC NARM Role Model image unveiled in the former boardroom of Performing Right Society (PRS) in Berners Street. And in 2014 there was another post, on account of a feature in the PRS centenary brochure entitled 'A Century Of Song', which listed SC-T's 'Song Of Hiawatha' as the most popular composition of the 1920s decade.

The blog might have remained dormant, had it not been for the opportunity for me to make a brief presentation on the life of SC-T and his connection to the founding of the collection society in 1914. This contribution kicked off the PRS Presents Black History Month. Consequently, I've been on the look out for recent events, articles and resources that speak specifically to SC-T and generally about Africans and/or African influences in classical music.

Like PRS, it's heartening to see universities and the likes of Classic FM embrace African History Month (AHM) by featuring African classical composers and performers. I'm glad that the women, often missing in these narratives are mentioned here. Names such Shirley Thompson, Errollyn Wallen, Chi-chi Nwanoku, Eleanor Alberga and Hannah Kendall are mentioned below. However, I take it to upon myself to name to talented women I know personally who are often missing: composer Joy Sigaud and Soprano Nadine Benjamin. 

For those who hate reading but are interested in classical music events, you'll have to scroll down to find out about two upcoming events on Nov. 1 and 2. Additionally, the Xtra History Sessions, which we're organising, starts its series of weekly sessions on Monday Nov. 2 with 'Where Would Reggae Be If It Were Not For Migration?' and end ends on Dec. 7 with 'Black Music And A History Of Racism In Britain: Dec. 7 1507-Dec. 7 2020', which looks at today's music through a narrative that stretches back to the 16th century. Join us is you can - there's life outside of classical music.


In recent weeks, particularly during October, which is African History Month UK (AHM), there have been several posts and events on the African presence in classical music.

I had the honour of kicking off this year's PRS Presents Black History Month with a short video contribution on the life and work of the British African composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (SC-T), and explained how his death in 1912 influenced the formation of the Performing Right Society in 1914.

I did advise people to watch the videoed event, as I thought I had read somewhere that it was going to stay online for just a short while. Sure enough, just a I started writing this post, I found the video was unavailable on Youtube, and disabled on the PRS Presents microsite, where you can however find not just information on the performers and speakers, but will soon have links to the full versions of a couple of the documentaries sampled on the day. Since my presentation did not have music, should copyright issues be the reason why the content had a short online life, I'd hope to see my SC-T contribution online at some time.

In the meantime, you can click here to listen to the 'Remembering Samuel Coleridge Taylor; African British Musician And Pan-Africanist' podcast of a 2012 presentation I gave at the National Archives to mark the centenary of the death of SC-T and AHM.

Yesterday, the You Press community organisation's 'Voices Of Black Opera: Documentary Screening & Online Operatic Performance' on Youtube made a valiant attempt at redressing "the misperception among the public about Black people and opera" by presenting a pre-screening interview with producer/director Cathy Hassan, followed by the screening of her 'Voices Of Black Opera' documentary and an operatic treat by the British Nigerian composer and singer Juwon Ogungbe. Sadly, the content has not been left on Youtube.

Another event yesterday, which sadly I could not join due to having three simultaneous meetings to juggle, was University Of Aberdeen's AHM offer 'Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Music, Life, Legacy', which among other things was supposed to "consider the lack of diversity in classical music". Click here to read the event's details, which includes links to performances of SC-T's works and an exhibition on the website of the composer's alma mater the Royal College Of Music. (RCM) There are also links to current British composers such Hannah Kendall and Julian Joseph.

Last week, I screened my 'What They Said I Should Be: The Story Of Female Movers & Shakers' DVD as part of my 'Exploring The Legacies Of Dame Jocelyn Barrow And Other inspirational British African Women' presentation for Wandsworth Libraries' AHM programme. One of those featured in the DVD is Shirley Thompson, a classical composer, who like SC-T, has infused classical music with African sensibilities. 

Thompson is now a professor of music at University Of Westminster, where I studied and lectured on the music industry courses, You can click here to read on the university's website about her role as a consultant and featured artist in the recent Lenny Henry produced and fronted BBC documentary 'Black Classical Music: The Forgotten History'. A link from that page takes you to a story highlighting Thompson' double Black British Theatre Awards honours for the Book and Lyric Recognition Award, and she will also receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as a British Composer and Artistic Director.

Talking about the BBC, you can click here, though there's no guarantee the file may be available, for you to listen to the final part of composer Eleanor Alberga's three-part 'A History of Black Classical Music' programme, which touches on the impact of colonialism and immigration on classical music and considers the history of black composers in the UK. It starts with a couple of SC-T compositions. In addition to the presenter, the programme also highlights the works of female British African composers Thompson and Errollyn Wallen. One time UK resident Nigerian composer Fela Şowande is among those highlighted.

Last Sunday, Chineke! orchestra founder Chi-chi Nwanoku paid tribute to SC-T with 'Chi-chi Nwanoku On Samuel Coleridge-Taylor', which was screened on Sky Arts. BME Forum also organised an online screening of Jason Young’s animation short 'The Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Story Croydon'. By the way, Chi-chi presents 'Classical Champions', a one hour show that highlights composers and performers from AAME (African, Asian, Minority Ethnic) communities on Classic FM from 9pm on Sundays.

This Sunday Nov. 1, you are welcome to join Equiano Society's 'Charles Ignatius Sancho - An African Man of Letters', which will no doubt also cover Sancho the composer and musician - click here. And on Monday Nov. 2, you can watch RCM's 'In Focus: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor' documentary live from 7pm, if you are particularly interested contributing comments. If not, as it will be posted on the RCM microsite here, you can watch it later and instead join the first our Xtra History Sessions. Click here for details of 'Where Would Reggae Be If It Were Not For' and the other programmes. It ends on Dec. 7 with 'Black Music And A History Of Racism In Britain: Dec. 7 1507-Dec. 7 2020'.

The start date of that last event speaks to a specific incident involving John Blanke, the earliest African musician in Britain for whom we have a name, image and some incontrovertible documentary evidence. It's about Britain and music down the ages, including who people negotiated and survived or succeeded, in spite of racism.

Back Matter
Ousted By Nonentities, The Truly Great Black Britons: The Conservation Woman is most displeased that SC-T is not included in the newest version of of '100 Great Black Britons', as evidenced in the recently published eponymous book. So ends the critique by providing a short SC-T history

Memoirs Of A Londoner: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Rambling London Tours offers a short SC-T history.

The Sounds Of Croydon: From Samuel Coleridge-Taylor To Stormzy Online Exhibition: Past Futures has put up a very useful resource covering LB of Croydon's old to current music makers, covering from classical, rave to grime.

Classic FM's SC-T And Africans In Classical Music: This link provides access to several articles on the radio station's website that cover SC-T and other Africans in classical music.

+Whilst the SCT100PMC blog is an ad hoc hub for SC-T information, for a more extensive and regularly updated website that covers Africans in classical music you can try Africlassical here and SC-T here.