Composer of the Week: Coleridge-Taylor

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Composer of the Week

Music: Classical

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An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

An informative and accessible guide to composers' lives and their music.

Composer of the Week: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912): At Home

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Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

BBC Radio 3 - Composer of the Week, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), At Home

Donald Macleod explores Coleridge-Taylor’s place in society, and steps inside his home.

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – today, exploring his place in society and where he belonged, from his own house to a new friendship group.

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

Composer of the Week: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Donald Macleod presents an in-depth survey of the life and work of this week's composer.

Donald Macleod presents an in-depth survey of the life and work of this week's composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

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Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

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