Composers

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

1875 - 1912

About

Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875 - 1912) is a black, English composer who had success in England and the United States. At the age of five, Samuel began playing the violin and joined the choir of a Presbyterian church in Croydon, where H.A. Walters guided his progress and arranged his admittance to the Royal College of Music in 1890, where Ralph Vaughan William and Gustav Holst were his contemporaries. While still a student, he published  anthems with Novello & Co, starting an association which was to last the whole of the composer’s life. Coleridge-Taylor won the Lesley Alexander composition prize two years running (1895 and 1896), and he met his best friend at the time, William Hurlstone, who died early in 1906, and who was a major influence on his taste. Furthermore in 1896, he became conductor of an amateur orchestra in Croydon and began teaching, guest conducting, recital work, and judging at music festivals to support his wife and two children. Taylor’s creative gifts were more apparent in his various colorful instrumental works as he continued to compose and gained early success at the Gloucester Festival with an orchestral Ballade in A Minor (1898), which was followed by his outstanding achievement, the Longfellow trilogy for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra of Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast (1898), The Death of Minnehaha (1899), and Hiawatha’s Departure (1900). In these and numerous other works, including incidental music, choral works, and a violin concerto (1911), influences from Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, and Grieg appear along with a spontaneity derived from appreciation of African American folk music, in which Coleridge-Taylor was a pioneer. His works like Hiawatha’s Wedding were a substitute for African American experience. Works like Twenty-Four Negro Melodies reveal the influence of the African American poet, Dunbar while Taylor’s understanding of race and racial conflict in the USA was gleaned from conversations with his friends and from the works of such writers as Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, and he himself felt apart of that narrative as he struggled against the racial prejudices in English society. He states in the preface to Twenty-Four Negro Melodies he writes: “What Brahms has done for the Hungarian folk music, Dvorak for the Bohemian, and Grieg for the Norwegian, I have tried to do for these Negro melodies.”

Related Information

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Coleridge-Taylor, https://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/blackeuro/pdf/coleridge.pdf

Works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Title Collection Voice Type Range Poet
A Corn Song Voice D4 - G5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
A Lament Voice F4 - G5 Christina Rossetti
A Prayer African Romances, Op. 17 Voice D#4 - G5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
A Starry Night African Romances, Op. 17 Voice E4 - G5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
A Vision Voice D#4 - F#5 Louise Alston Burleigh
Alone with Mother Five Fairy Ballads Voice C4 - E5 Kathleen Easmon
An African Love song African Romances, Op. 17 Voice F4 - Ab5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
Ballad African Romances, Op. 17 Voice F4 - G5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
Big Lady Moon Five Fairy Ballads Voice Ab3 - Eb5 Kathleen Easmon
Dawn African Romances, Op. 17 Voice F4 - Ab5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
Explanation Voice D#4 - G5 W. Leatned
Fairy Roses Five Fairy Ballads Voice C4 - E5 Kathleen Easmon
Genevieve Voice E4 - G5 Samuel Taylor Coleridge
How Shall I Woo Thee African Romances, Op. 17 Voice Gb3 - Gb5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
I Shot An Arrow Into The Air Voice F#4 - G5 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
If I could love thee Voice Eb4 - G5 Louise Alston Burleigh
Keep Those Eyes (Duet) Soprano | Tenor Eb4 - Ab5; | G3 - G4 Thomas Moore
Life and Death High | Medium | Low E4 - Ab5 | B3 - Eb5 | B3 - Eb5 Jessie Adelaide Middleton
Love's Mirror Voice F#4 - F#5 F. Hart
Love's Questionings Voice F4 - Ab5 Alice Parsons
My lady Voice G4 - A5 E. R. Stephenson
No. 2: Canoe Song Op. 37 Low Bb3 - Eb5 Isabella Crawford
No. 3: A blood Red Ring Op. 37 Low G3 - C5 Barry Dane
No. 4: Sweet Evenings Come and Go Love Op. 37 Low F4 - Ab5 George Eliot
No. 6: Elëanore Op. 37 Low E4 - F5 Eric Mackay
No. 6: Elëanore Op. 37 High F#4 - G5 Eric Mackay
O Roses for the Flush of Youth Sorrow Songs, Op. 57 Voice Bb3 - Eb5 Christina G. Rossetti
O What Comes Over the Sea Sorrow Songs, Op. 57 Voice A3 - E5 Christina G. Rossetti
Onway! Awake, Beloved from The Cantata: Hiawatha's Wedding Feast Tenor F3 - Bb4 H. W. Longfellow
Op. 79: The Willow Song Voice C4 - F5 Shakespeare's Otello
Over the Hills African Romances, Op. 17 Voice D4 - F#5 Paul Laurence Dunbar
She Sat and Sang Always Sorrow Songs, Op. 57 Voice G3 - Eb5 Christina G. Rossetti
Solitude High Eb4 - Ab5 Lord Byron
Song of the Nubian Girl African Romances, Op. 17 Voice A3 - E5 Thomas Moore
Sweet Baby Butterfly Five Fairy Ballads Voice A3 - F5 Kathleen Easmon
The Gift Rose High C#4 - F#5 Dr. Frederic Petersen
The Oasis Voice E4 - G5 Adrian Ross
The Rainbow Child Songs of Sun and Shade Voice B3 - E5 Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
The Shoshone's Adieu Voice C4 - F5 Brice Fennell
The Stars Five Fairy Ballads Voice Bb3 - Eb5 Kathleen Easmon
The Three Ravens (Die Drei Raben) Voice B3 - D5 Wilhelmine GrotJohann Dohrn
This Is The Island of Gardens Songs of Sun and Shade Voice Bb3 - F5 Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
Thou Art Voice C4 - F5 | Optional A5 M. Tulloch
Thou Art Risen My Beloved Songs of Sun and Shade Voice C4 - F5 Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
Thou Hast Bewitched Me Beloved Songs of Sun and Shade Voice E4 - F5 Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
Too Late for Love Sorrow Songs, Op. 57 Voice B3 - Eb5 Christina G. Rossetti
Unmindful of the Roses Sorrow Songs, Op. 57 Voice A3 - D5 Christina G. Rossetti
Until Voice E4 - G5 Frank Dempster Sherman
When I am Dead My Dearest Sorrow Songs, Op. 57 Voice C4 - Eb5 Christina G. Rossetti
Who Calls from Endymion's Dream (Opera in One Act for Soprano, Tenor, SATB, and Orchestra) Tenor F3 - A#4 C. R. Barrett
Title Published Size Solo with Ensemble Duration Range Level Orchestration
Ballade for Violin and Orchestra, op. 4 Yes Full Orchestra Violin 10-20 Professional 2222-4230-tmp-str
Ballade, op. 33 in A minor Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 2[1.2/pic] 222-4231-timp-perc-str
Bamboula, op. 75: Rhapsodic Dance Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Professional 3[1.2.pic] 222-4231-timp-perc(3)-str
Christmas Overture, from The Forest of Wild Thyme, op.74 no.5 Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Collegiate or above 2122-2230-timp-perc(2)-hp-str
Danse negre, from African Suite, op. 35, no. 4 Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Collegiate or above 3[1.2.pic] 222-4230-timp-perc(3)-str
Five "Negro Melodies" Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Professional 2222-4231-tmp-hp-str
Four Characteristic Waltzes, op. 22 Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 3222-4231-timp-perc(2)-str
Haytian Dances op. 52 Yes String Orchestra Professional Perc(1 opt)-str
Hemo Dance from Herod, op. 47 Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Professional 3[1.2.pic]222-4230-tmp-perc(1)-str
Hiawatha: Suite from the Ballet Music, op. 82 Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 2222-4231-tmp-perc(4)-hp-str
Hiawatha’s Departure (The Song Of Hiawatha cantata no. 3), op. 30 no. 4 Yes Full Orchestra and Chorus Sop, Tenor, Bari. 20+ Professional 3[1.2.pic] 222-4231-timp-perc(2)-hp-str SATB chorus
Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast (The Song Of Hiawatha cantata no. 1), op. 30 no. 1 Yes Full Orchestra and Chorus Tenor 20+ Professional 3[1.2.pic] 222-4231-timp-perc(3)-hp-str SATB chorus
Idyll Op. 44 Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 2222-4231-tmp-hp-str
Keep Me from Sinking Down, for Violin and Orchestra Yes Chamber Orchestra Violin 5-10 Professional 2222-2000-tmp-str
Legend from the Concertstück, Op. 14 Yes Full Orchestra Violin 5-10 Professional N/A
Nero: Orchestral Suite, op. 62 Yes Full Orchestra 20+ Professional 2222-4231-tmp-perc-str
Novellette, op. 52, no. 1, A major Yes String Orchestra 5-10 Collegiate or above Perc(1 opt)-str
Novellette, op. 52, no. 2, C major Yes String Orchestra 5-10 Collegiate or above Perc(1 opt)-str
Novellette, op. 52, no. 3, A minor (Valse) Yes String Orchestra 5-10 Collegiate or above Perc(1 opt)-str
Novellette, op. 52, no. 4, D major Yes String Orchestra Under 5 Collegiate or above Perc(1 opt)-str
Othello: Orchestral Suite, op. 79 Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Collegiate or above 3[1.2.pic] 222-42[2-crt]30-timp-perc(3)-str
Overture to "The Song Of Hiawatha", op. 30 no. 3 Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Professional 3[1.2.pic] 222-4231-timp-perc(2)-str
Petite suite de concert, op. 77 Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Collegiate or above 3[1.2.pic] 222-4230-timp-perc(3)-str
Romance in B major Yes String Orchestra Professional str
Romance in G, op. 39 Yes Full Orchestra Violin 10-20 Professional 2222-4231(opt)-tmp-str
Scenes from an Everyday Romance, op. 41 Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 3[1.2.3/pic] 222-4230-tmp-perc(2)-hp-str
Scenes from an Imaginary Ballet, from The Forest of Wild Thyme, op.74 no.1 Yes Full Orchestra 10-20 Professional 2[1/pic.2/pic]2[1.2/EH]22-4231-tmp-perc(1)-hp-harm(opt)str
Solemn Prelude, op. 40 Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Professional 2222-4231-tmp-pers(1)-str
Symphonic Variations on an African Air, op. 63 Yes Full Orchestra 20+ Professional 2[1.2/pic] 2[1.2/Eh] 22-4231-timp-perc(2)-hp-str
Symphony in A minor, op. 8 Yes Full Orchestra 20+ Professional 2222-4231-tmp-str
The Death of Minnehaha (The Song Of Hiawatha cantata no. 2), op. 30 no. 2 Yes Chorus and Orchestra Soprano and Baritone 20+ Professional 3[1.2.pic] 222-4231-timp-perc(2)-hp-str SATB chorus
Thelma or The Amulet, Op.72 Yes Full Orchestra Professional 3[1.2.pic] 222-4331-timp-perc(2)-hp-str
Three Dream Dances, from The Forest of Wild Thyme, op.74 no.2 Yes Full Orchestra 5-10 Professional 3222-4231-timp-perc-hp-str
Violin Concerto in G Minor Op. 80 Yes Full Orchestra Violin 20+ Professional 2222, 4230, timp, str
Zara’s Earrings 0p. 7 Yes Full Orchestra Soprano Professional 2222-4000-tmp-perc(1)-str
Composer Title Work Instrumentation Level Number of Movements Accompanied Size Duration Range
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Arietta Organ 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor At the Dawn of Day (Loko ku ti ga) Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Deep River Piano Advanced 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Didn't my Lord Deliver Daniel? Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Don't be Weary, Traveler Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elegy Organ 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Going Up Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor I Was Way Down A-yonder (Dum-a-lum) Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor I'm Troubled in Mind Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Impromptu Organ 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Let Us Cheer the Weary Traveler Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Many Thousand Gone Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Melody Organ 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor My Lord Delivered Daniel Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor O lo ba Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Oh, He Raise a Poor Lazarus Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Petit Suite de Concert Piano 4 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Pilgrim's Song Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Run, Mary, Run Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Song of Conquest (Ringendjé) Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Steal Away Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Take Nabandji (Thata Nabandji) Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor The Angles Changed my Name Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor The Bamboula (African Dance) Piano Advanced 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor The Stones are Very Hard (Maribye ma nonoha ngopfu) Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor They Will Not Lend me a Child (A ba boleki nwana!) Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Three Dream Dances Piano 3 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Wade in the Water Piano 1 No Solo
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Warriors' Song Piano 1 No Solo