A Celebration of Black Music III
About this event
»Hope in the Night«: The title of the third part of Thomas Hampson’s »A Celebration of Black Music« is taken from the middle movement of William Levi Dawson’s »Negro Folk Symphony«. Dawson made use of well-known spiritual tunes in this pioneering work, and the premiere was accorded an enthusiastic welcome in 1934. The first half of this concert programme revolves entirely around the genre of the traditional spiritual, be it gentle arrangements of the originals, like those by Hale Smith, or as inspiration for the operas of William Grant Still. The influence of spirituals is heard in both vocal or instrumental pieces on this programme: rhythms and melodies get under one’s skin with their portraits of shattered dreams and dreams come true, of farewells and new starts, of courage and hope. An evening full of superb musical treasures!
In collaboration with the Hampsong Foundation.
Supported by the Kühne Foundation, the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media, Stiftung Elbphilharmonie and the Förderkreis Internationales Musikfest Hamburg.
This stream is available to watch until June 6, 2022.
Programme
1. Concert – approx. 120 min programme
Repertoire
1. Valerie Coleman: Umoja / Anthem for Unity
2. William Grant Still: Golden Days / from the opera »Costaso«
A Dream Wasted / from the opera »Highway One, USA
«What does He know of Dreams / from the opera »Highway One, USA«
Duett aus der Oper »Highway One, USA«
3. George Walker: Lyric for Strings
4. Hale Smith: Four Negro Spirituals
There Is a Balm in Gilead
5. Margaret Bonds: He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
6. William Levi Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony
This performance was filmed at the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany.
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