Composers
Zenobia Perry
1908 - 2004About
Zenobia Perry (1908 – 2004) born in Boley, Oklahoma is an African American female composer, pianist, and educator of African-American and Creek Indian descent. She was encouraged by her mother to pursue her musical taste and studied piano with local Mayme Jones, who referred her to R. Nathaniel Dett in 1931. Though she wanted to fully commit to music, Perry made a promise to her father to pursue teaching and did not return to her studies as a pianist and composer until she continued her studies at University of Wyoming under Darius Milhaud. Therefore, she did not start composing seriously until her forties. Throughout her career, Zenobia maintained teaching positions at institutions such as University of Arkansas and Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio while various performing ensembles performed her works. Perry stands rightfully beside the black composers of her generation, leaving behind a collection of works that includes art song, piano music, choral music, chamber music, and opera.
Related Information
http://www.zenobiapowellperry.org/compositions.html, http://bmrcsurvey.uchicago.edu/collections/2553
Works by Zenobia Perry
Title | Collection | Voice Type | Range | Poet |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alien | Atmospheres | Voice | D4 - A5 | Donald Jeffry Hayes |
Benediction | Atmospheres | Voice | C#4 - F#5 | Donald Jeffry Hayes |
Drizzle | Cycle of Songs | Voice | F#4 - F#5 | Paul Lawrence Dunbar |
Hallelujah To The Lamb | Cycle of Songs | Voice | D4 - A5 | Paul Lawrence Dunbar |
I (O Sun of Spirit) | The Hidden Words | Soprano | D4 - G5 | Baha'u'llah |
II (O Sun of Being) | The Hidden Words | Soprano | G4 - Ab5 | Baha'u'llah |
III (O Children of Men) | The Hidden Words | Soprano | E4 - A5 | Baha'u'llah |
IV (O Friends Abandon Not) | The Hidden Words | Soprano | G4 - B5 | Baha'u'llah |
Life | Cycle of Songs | Voice | D4 - G5 | Paul Lawrence Dunbar |
Mary Had a Baby | Soprano | D4 - A5 | Optional B5 | Biblical | |
On a Clean Book | Cycle of Songs | Voice | D4 - A5 | Paul Lawrence Dunbar |
Pastourella | Atmospheres | Voice | D4 - Ab5 | Donald Jeffry Hayes |
Poet | Atmospheres | Voice | E4 - G#5 | Donald Jeffry Hayes |
Rhapsody | Voice | C#4 - D5 | William Braithwaite | |
Sinner Man So Hard, Believe | Cycle of Songs | Voice | D4 - E5 | Paul Lawrence Dunbar |
Spring Song | Cycle of Songs | Voice | D#4 - A5 | Paul Lawrence Dunbar |
Sunset | Cycle of Songs | Voice | E4 - G#5 | Paul Lawrence Dunbar |
Threnody | Atmospheres | Voice | D4 - Ab5 | Donald Jeffry Hayes |
V (O Companion of My Throne) | The Hidden Words | Soprano | E4 - G5 | Bah√°'u'll√°h |
VI (Oh, O Pressers on Earth) | The Hidden Words | Soprano | F#4 - F#5 | Bah√°'u'll√°h |
Title | Published | Size | Solo with Ensemble | Duration Range | Level | Orchestration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansia | No | String Orchestra | Professional | str | ||
Cake Walk | Yes | Chamber | under 5 | Professional | 1[pic]111-2211-timp-perc(3)-str | |
Chariot | No | Full Orchestra | Professional | |||
Echoes from the Journey | No | Chamber | Soprano | Professional | 1111-1000-2perc-pno-str | |
Fire Music | Yes | Chamber | under 5 | Professional | 1[pic]111-2211-timp-perc(3)-str | |
Jumping Over the Broom | Yes | Chamber | under 5 | Professional | 2111-2211-timp-perc(3)-str | |
Overture to Tawawa House | Yes | Chamber | under 5 | Professional | 1[pic]111-2211-timp-perc(3)-str | |
Pastels | Yes | Full Orchestra | 5-10 | Professional | 222[1.2/Bcl]-4231-Timp-Str | |
Prelude to Act II of Tawawa House | Yes | Chamber | under 5 | Professional | 1[pic]111-2211-timp-perc(3)-str | |
Ships That Pass in the Night | No | Chamber | 5-10 | Professional | Baritone-pic-fl-asx-tsx-trpt-perc-pf | |
Sinner Man - from Tawawa House | No | Full Orchestra | Tenor | Under 5 | Professional | |
Sunday Dance Tune | Yes | Full Orchestra | under 5 | Professional | 1[pic]111-2211-timp-perc(3)-str | |
Tawawa House Suite for Orchestra | No | Full Orchestra | 5-10 | Professional | ||
Tranquility and Commotion | No | Full Orchestra | 10-20 | Professional |
Composer | Title | Work | Instrumentation | Level | Number of Movements | Accompanied | Size | Duration Range |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zenobia Perry | Homage | Piano | 1 | No | Solo |