*this event also takes place at 2pm, with a slight change to the programme. Head here if the early afternoon fits your schedule better*
the performers:
Chineke! Chamber Ensemble
the programme:
Coleridge-Taylor Four American Spirituals + Vaughan Williams Piano Quintet in C minor
about the music:
Born in Holborn and raised in Croydon, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is our city’s gem - or should be.
Hailed by iconic composers like Elgar, Sullivan, Stanford and Parry during his lifetime, he’s been largely overlooked until recent years, where a great deal of research has been done to find out about and honour neglected black composers. We’d recommend the BBC’s recent documentary on forgotten black classical musicians, available to watch here.
Chineke! Orchestra playing Coleridge-Taylor’s violin concerto at the Royal Festival Hall last year
Unfortunately, the first piece on this programme, Coleridge-Taylor’s Four American Spirituals, has never been recorded, and we’ve never heard of it being performed live. As a result, we can’t give you ideas about what to listen out for. What we can do is give you an idea about what to expect.
As a young composer, Coleridge-Taylor’s big influences were Dvorák and Grieg, both of whom were developing their own ‘national Romantic’ style while he was a student at the Royal College of Music.
Coleridge-Taylor studied collections of African and West Indian music in an effort to create a ‘romantic Nationalism’ of his own, combining the cultures of his Sierra Leonean father and English mother.
Try and listen out for his folk-influenced melodies, syncopated and exciting rhythms, and jazzy harmonies in this recording of another one of his chamber works, Nonet in F minor, played by Chineke!
The second piece in this concert is Vaughan Williams’ rarely performed Piano Quintet in C minor. This piece is amazing. The second movement bears many similarities to a wistful love song the composer had written earlier the same year, Silent Noon.
Listen out for the song’s melody in Vaughan William’s quintet. After hearing the song, maybe you’ll be able to hear the tune as an expression of intense young love.
the performers:
The Chineke! Foundation creates opportunities for established Black, Asian and ethnically diverse musicians, nurtures new talent by providing role models, and celebrates diversity in classical music. This concert features their fantastic chamber ensemble. Here’s Founder & Artistic Director Chi-chi Nwanoku introducing them:
the venue:
St John’s Smith Square is an amazing space, occupying the centre of Smith Square, Westminster. Starting life as a church, it was firebombed during the second world war and sold as a ruin to a charitable trust who have run it as a concert hall ever since. It’s an incredible venue, and only a short walk from the centre of Westminster.
St John’s Smith Square run a great Young Friends programme. Under 30s are able to become a member for free and grab £5 tickets to selected concerts. Find out how to sign up here.
the price:
£15 (£5 under 30s)