The 12 professional voices of the Downtown Music Chorale celebrate the music of Anglo-African composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and his circle of colleagues including Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst. Considered a genius during his lifetime, Coleridge-Taylor made three tours of the United States and, in 1904, met with President Theodore Roosevelt at the White House. One of the most progressive composers of his day, Coleridge-Taylor embraced the use of traditional African melodies alongside more traditional techniques learned at the Royal College of Music in London.
Timothy Lewis, Artistic Director of Downtown Music, leads this program which includes commentary placing the music in historical context.
This concert is made possible by a gift from Nicole Jackson and Matt Jackson, in honor of their mother, Dorothy Jackson