During Black History Month, I thought it would be good time to share this archived episode of “The Lost Chord,” the first of a four-part series celebrating the efforts of conductor Paul Freeman in reviving 200 years’ worth of neglected repertoire by composers of color.
The Black Composer Series was originally issued on Columbia Records back in the 1970s, its individual volumes much sought-after by collectors. I almost passed out when I found it had finally been reissued on compact disc as a boxed set, though with astonishingly little fanfare, by Sony Classical. I hadn’t seen anything about it until I discovered it on the shelf at Princeton Record Exchange.
Some of the composers have since found a toehold on the fringes of the concert repertoire – William Grant Still, George Walker, and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges are being heard with more frequency these days – but there are still many fascinating discoveries to be savored.
The series originally aired on WWFM – The Classical Network in 2019. I’ll post another segment each Saturday in February. Or you can just binge on all four now.
Part One features selections by Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Olly Wilson, and Fela Sowande. Follow the link, click “listen,” and enjoy.
https://www.wwfm.org/post/lost-chord-february-3-black-future