Join us this Friday (2/15 at 8 pm) for the next episode in the bi-monthly series PostClassical featuring PostClassical Ensemble in a special edition honoring Black History Month. Bass-baritone Kevin Deas is the soloist for this program, called Deep River: The Art of the Spiritual, featuring the music of Harry Burleigh, Nathanial Dett, William Dawson and others. Mr Deas is also joins the trio of regular hosts as special guest. This webcast contains 20+ minutes of material not heard in the broadcast!
PostClassical Music Director Angel Gil-Ordonez, historian and PostClassical co-founder Joseph Horowitz, Bill McGlaughlin (host of the Exploring Music) and David Osenberg are your hosts.
Listening Guide:
PART ONE:
00:16: “Steal Away” (arr. Burleigh) sung by Kevin Deas (Horowitz, piano)
14:41: “Sometimes I Feel” (arr. Burleigh) sung by Deas (Horowitz, piano)
20:40: “Deep River” (arr. Burleigh) sung by Marian Anderson
25:25: The history of “Deep River,” an obscure upbeat spiritual first slowed down by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1905)
29:37: The Fisk Jubilee Singers’ recording of “Swing Low” (1909)
34:08: The Fisk upbeat “Deep River” (1876), as reconstructed by Gil-Ordonez
37:30: Maud Powell’s recording of the Coleridge-Taylor “Deep River” (1911)
42:00: In sequence, Burleigh’s “Deep River” (SATB), Burleigh’s “Deep River” (TTBB) with “Dvorak” introduction; Dvorak/Fisher “Goin’ Home” (all with Washington National Cathedral Choir, Gil-Ordonez conducting)
57:48: “The elephant in the room”: cultural appropriation
1:07:00: Burleigh sings “Go Down, Moses” (1919); Sir Michael Tippett’s choral arrangement of “Go Down, Moses” (Deas, Gil-Ordonez, Cathedral Choir)
1:15:30: “My Lord, What a Morning” (arr. Burleigh) sung by Cathedral Choir, Gil-Ordonez conducting
PART TWO:
00:00: Nathaniel Dett: “Oh Holy God” (National Cathedral Choir, Gil-Ordonez)
02:55: How classical music in America “stayed white,” penalizing black composers
15:26: Dett’s The Ordering of Moses (conclusion) with James Conlon conducting the Cincinnati Symphony
20:49: Dett: “Listen to the Lambs” sung by Cathedral Choir, Gil-Ordonez conducting
31:08: William Dawson: “There is a Balm in Gilead” with Deas, Cathedral Choir, Gil-Ordonez
37:10: “Where You There” (arr. Burleigh); Bach: “Mache dich” from St. Matthew Passion with Deas, Cathedral Choir, PostClassical Ensemble, Gil-Ordonez conducting
51:28: Bach: “Ich habe genug” (movement 1) with Deas, PCE, Gil-Ordonez
(Igor Leschishin, oboe)
1:01:29: Bach: Air from Third Orchestral Suite with PCE, Gil-Ordonez
