大象传媒

Donald Macleod explores Coleridge-Taylor鈥檚 place in society and invites us behind his front door.

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 five years, showing how excited today's performers are to rediscover his delightful music.

Today, we step inside Coleridge-Taylor鈥檚 house to examine his place in society, as a father, as a composer and as a Black British man at the turn of the 20th century. Hiawatha has made him an overnight celebrity, but sometimes he still gets turned away at the door at his own performances. We get a glimpse of his routine and home life, away from the crowds, and how a new group of friends begins to profoundly influence his outlook and music.

Hiawatha鈥檚 Wedding Feast: 鈥淵ou shall hear how Pau-Puk-Keewis鈥︹��
Welsh National Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Kenneth Alwyn, conductor

Othello Suite
Chineke! Orchestra
Fawzi Haimor, conductor

Forest Scenes for piano (i. The lone forest maiden; ii. The phantom lover arrives)
Waka Hasegawa, piano

Symphonic Variations on an African Air
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Grant Llewellyn, conductor

African Romances (A starry night; Dawn)
Elizabeth Llewellyn, soprano
Simon Lepper, piano

Produced by Amelia Parker for 大象传媒 Audio Cardiff