Reviving the Legacy of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a Black British Composer

As Braimah Kanneh-Mason played the violin concerto of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the audience was transported to a different era, one where a Black British composer was celebrated for integrating European Romantic style with musical traditions of his West African heritage. Born 150 years ago, Coleridge-Taylor's legacy has dimmed over time, but efforts are underway to revive his music and make him a household name again. The recent concert by the London Mozart Players, which featured Coleridge-Taylor's Violin Concerto in G minor, was a testament to the enduring power of his compositions.

Key Takeaways:

• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was a Black British composer who blended European Romantic style with musical traditions of his West African heritage, creating a unique sound that has influenced generations of musicians.
• Coleridge-Taylor's most famous work was the trilogy of cantatas "The Song of Hiawatha," which was widely celebrated in the United States and inspired the formation of the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Choral Society in Washington.
• Despite his successes, Coleridge-Taylor's star has dimmed over time, with very little of his music existing today in a performable, published format.
• A Grammy-winning conductor, Michael Repper, has released an album featuring three newly discovered works by Coleridge-Taylor, which he and his collaborators excavated through meticulous research and note-by-note transcriptions of the composer's original manuscripts.
• Repper has also published free scores for Coleridge-Taylor's pieces, making them more accessible to musicians and audiences worldwide.
• Coleridge-Taylor's music, particularly his arrangements of African folk music and spirituals, reflect his ability to balance his own cultural background with the language of Western classical music.

Statistics:

• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was born in London in 1875, 150 years ago.
• He sold the music for "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast" to a publisher for 15 guineas, the equivalent of a couple of thousand dollars today.
• Over 100,000 copies of "Hiawatha" were sold, but Coleridge-Taylor received no royalties.
• Very little of Coleridge-Taylor's music exists today in a performable, published format, with only a few performances given annually.
• Michael Repper and his team spent a year and a half excavating Coleridge-Taylor's original manuscripts in the Library of Congress and the British Library.
• Repper has published free scores for three pieces from the album, which have been downloaded by two orchestras in California for upcoming concerts.

Sources:

• Kanneh-Mason, B. (Interview).
• Repper, M. (Interview).
• Harrison, L. (Musicologist).
• Jegede, T. (British Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and composer).
• Repper, M. (Grammy-winning conductor and music director).
• Universal History Archive/Getty Images FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES.