Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 01 | 20120910 | 20161017 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a composer who enjoyed world-wide popularity and acclaim until his death 100 years ago this year. Coleridge-Taylor's father came from Sierra-Leone, and his son Samuel, named in recognition of the poet, called himself Anglo-African. His musical talents were recognised early on by his family and by local musical benefactors, and he went on to study at the Royal College of Music where he was soon recognised as a composer of real talent. Hiawatha's Wedding Feast - opening verses Orchestra and Chorus of Welsh National Opera, Kenneth Alwyn (conductor) ARGO 430 356-2 CD1 T1-2 Nonet in F minor Op. 2 Mary Ashley Barret, Oboe; Kelly Burke, Clarinet; Lynn Huntzinger Beck, horn; Michael Burns, bassoon; Andrew Harley, piano; John Fadial, Violin; Scott Rawls, Viola; Brooks Whitehouse, cello; Craig Brown, bass. Centaur CRC2691 T9-12 From the Green Heart of the Waters; Oh Mariners out of the Sunlight BBC Singers, Richard Pearce (piano), Paul Brough (conductor) Hiawatha's Wedding Feast - first part ARGO 430 356-2 CD1 3-6. Donald Macleod introduces the life and music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. | |
| 2012 | 02 | 20120911 | 20161018 (R3) | Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Coleridge-Taylor composed his setting of Longfellow's poem Hiawatha's Wedding Feast in 1898 when he was only 23, and it remained a hugely popular part of the choral reperoire throughout his life and long after his death in 1912. However, although his reputation will always be associated with this piece, which made his name famous throughout the musical world, it has sometimes overshadowed the beauty of much of his other work, such as his elegant and original Clarinet Quintet, composed while he was still a student. Symphony in A Minor Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Douglas Bostock (conductor) Classico ClASSCD684, tr 5 Drake's Drum BBC Singers, Richard Pearce (piano), Paul Brough (conductor) Hiawatha's Wedding Feast - ending Orchestra and Chorus of Welsh National Opera, Kenneth Alwyn (conductor) ARGO 430 356-2 CD1 T 7 -10 Nash Ensemble Hyperion GCD12311 Tr 6 - 9. Donald Macleod focuses on Coleridge-Taylor's early successes. | |
| 2012 | 03 | 20120912 | 20161019 (R3) | Donald Macleod continues his examination of the life and music of the Anglo-African composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, an internationally renowned figure in late Victorian times. As part of Radio 3's commitment to connecting audiences with pioneering music and culture, this week we're exploring issues of diversity and access in classical music with a Diversity and Inclusion in Composition Conference at RNCM and a celebration of a wide range of performers and composers in our programmes, including Composer of the Week. Coleridge-Taylor's mixed race heritage was unusual in Victorian Britain, but his talents as a musician seemed to protect him from much of the racism which might have been expected to come this way. However, when he fell in love with an English girl her family were outraged at the prospect of a 'mixed marriage'. Donald Macleod tells the story of the romance between Samuel and Jessie, and plays some of the music that they worked on together. Romance in G Major; Ballade in D minor Michael Ludwig (Violin), Virginia Eskin (Piano) Koch 3-7056-2 H1 Tr 5 The Lee Shore; The Sea Shell BBC Singers, Paul Brough (conductor) Spirituals - Going Up; Take Nabadji; Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child Koch 3-7056-2 H1 Tr 6, 7, 10 The Death of Minnehaha Orchestra and Chorus of Welsh National Opera, Helen Field (Soprano), Bryn Terfel (Baritone), Kenneth Alwyn (conductor) ARGO 430 356-2 CD1 Tr 15 - 19. Donald Macleod on the story of the romance between Coleridge-Taylor and Jessie Walmisley. | |
| 2012 | 04 | 20120913 | 20161020 (R3) | Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is best remembered for his choral masterpiece Hiawatha's Wedding Feast. However, despite the fact that his best-known work meant that he kept returning to large-scale choral composition throughout his life, he was also a prolific composer of incidental music for the stage, and the chamber music that had marked him out as a remarkable student at the Royal College of Music. Donald Macleod explores some of his lesser-known music, with specially recorded contributions from the BBC Singers. Othello - dance New Symphony Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent (conductor) Pearl GEMM CD 9965 1 Sea Drift BBC Singers, Paul Brough (conductor) Violin Sonata David Juritz (Violin), Michael Dussek (Piano) Dutton CDLX 7127 Tr 1 Spirituals - Deep River & Run Mary Run Virginia Eskin (piano) Koch 3-7056-2 H1 Tr 8, 9 Piano Quintet in G minor Nash Ensemble Hyperion CDA67590 Tr 1 & 2 Dead in the Sierras BBC Singers, Paul Brough (conductor). Donald Macleod explores some of Coleridge-Taylor's lesser-known music. | |
| 2012 | 05 LAST | 20120914 | 20161021 (R3) | When Samuel Coleridge-Taylor died, aged only 37, a century ago on 1st September 1912, he was one of the most famous names in the musical world. He had been become a household name in Britain and America thanks to the success of his choral masterpiece Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, and the popularity of that work lived on well into the 1920s and 30s with huge sell-out annual festival performances in the Albert Hall. In the last of this week's programmes on Coleridge-Taylor's life and legacy, Donald Macleod looks at the final years of his life and his contemporary reputation, and includes a complete performance of his Violin Concerto. Petite Suite de Concert Op. 77 - Un Sonnet D'Amour. Virginia Eskin (Piano) Koch 3 7056 H1 tr 3 Characteristic Waltzes Op. 22 - Valse Bohemienne Performer: New Symphony Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent (conductor) PEARL GEMM CD-9965 Tr 7 Hiawatha's Departure - ending Orchestra and Chorus of Welsh National Opera, Helen Field (Soprano), Bryn Terfel (Baritone), Kenneth Alwyn (conductor) ARGO 430 356-2 CD2 Tr 12 - 14 The Evening Star; Whispers of Summer BBC Singers, Paul Brough (conductor) Violin Concerto in G major BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Anthony Marwood (violin), Martyn Brabbins (conductor) Hyperion CDA 67420 Tr 1-3. Donald Macleod focuses on the final years of Coleridge-Taylor's life. | |
| 2022 | 01 | Going Up | 20221031 | Donald Macleod follows Coleridge-Taylor's first steps up the musical ladder. 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, Donald puts us in the shoes of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor as he was growing up. The young composer was used to turning heads - not only was he a mixed-race boy being raised in a white family with an absent father - he was the only boy in his school to play an instrument, and his musical talent was plain to see. But when he had to leave school at 13 to get a job, what would become of him now? Harold Wright, piano Fantasiestucke, Op 5 (Serenade and Humoresque) Catalyst String Quartet Clarinet Quintet in F sharp minor, Op 10 (iv. Finale) Anthony McGill, clarinet Catalyst Quartet Magnificat in F major The Choir of Exeter College, Oxford Christopher Holman, conductor Miles Swinden, organ Piano Quintet, Op 1 (i. Allegro con moto; ii- Larghetto) Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective Symphony, Op 8 (iii. Scherzo) Aarhus Symphony Orchestra Douglas Bostock, conductor Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Cardiff | |
| 2022 | 02 | Wedding Feast | 20221101 | Donald Macleod follows the twists and turns of Coleridge-Taylor's wedding story. 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, life imitates art as Coleridge-Taylor faces obstacles whilst trying to marry his beloved Jessie Walmisley. Her family vehemently disapproves of the match. And during this period of turmoil, he's writing a piece all about a wedding - Can he write his own `happy-ever-after`? Petite Suite de Concert, Op 77 (iii. Un sonnet d'amour) Chineke! Orchestra Anthony Parnther, conductor Nonet (ii. Andante con moto) Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble African Romances, Op 17 (An African Love Song; Ballad; Over the Hills; How shall I woo thee?) Elizabeth Llewellyn, soprano Simon Lepper, piano Hiawatha Overture RTE Orchestra Adrian Leaper, conductor Hiawatha's Wedding Feast (excerpt) Arthur Davies, tenor Welsh National Opera and Chorus Kenneth Alwyn, conductor Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Cardiff | |
| 2022 | 03 | At Home | 20221102 | Donald Macleod explores Coleridge-Taylor's 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's 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's Wedding Feast: `You shall hear how Pau-Puk-Keewis - ` 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 BBC Audio Cardiff Donald Macleod explores Coleridge-Taylor's place in society, and steps inside his home. | |
| 2022 | 04 | Weary Traveller | 20221103 | Donald Macleod follows Coleridge-Taylor on his adventures across Britain and America. 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, Coleridge-Taylor is living out of a suitcase. To earn his keep, he's constantly travelling up and down Britain, conducting his music and getting into some rather quirky situations as a competition adjudicator. But when a Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Society of Black choral singers is set up in the USA, and they invite him over the pond, his most powerful public encounters are yet to come. Canoe Song Elizabeth Llewellyn, soprano Simon Lepper, piano Ballade in C minor Elena Urioste, violin Tom Poster, piano Nonet (3rd and 4th movements) Kaleidoscope Chamber Ensemble Romance of the Prairie Lilies (arr. P.E. Fletcher for orchestra) RTE Orchestra Adrian Leaper, conductor The Bamboula for piano Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano African Suite (iv. African Dance, orch. Chris Cameron) Chineke! Orchestra Kevin John Edusei, conductor Don't be weary, traveller Pilgrim's Song Frances Walker, piano Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Cardiff | |
| 2022 | 05 LAST | Steal Away | 20221104 | Donald Macleod reflects on Coleridge-Taylor's premature death and the renewed impact of his legacy. 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, Coleridge-Taylor collapses suddenly on a train platform, at the age of only 37. Donald tells the nerve-wracking story of the ensuing days, and what would be the composer's final moments. We hear about the overwhelming impact he had had on those that knew and looked up to him, only for his legacy to fall out of our collective memory for decades, until a new generation of musicians has brought his music back into the light. Big Lady Moon Elizabeth Llewellyn, soprano Simon Lepper, piano Summer is gone The Lee Shore The Ionian Singers Timothy Salter, conductor Violin Concerto, Op 80 (ii. Andante semplice; iii. Allegro molto) Lorraine McAslan, violin London Philharmonic Orchestra Nicholas Braithwaite, conductor Hiawatha's Departure (excerpt) Bryn Terfel, baritone Welsh National Opera Chorus and Orchestra Kenneth Alwyn, conductor Deep River (arr. Kanneh-Mason Trio) The Kanneh-Mason Trio Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Cardiff Donald Macleod reflects on Coleridge-Taylor's premature death and his legacy. |