[Darryl Taylor]
On Dec. 20, 2009 AfriClassical posted: “'Out of the Margins' With Darryl Taylor Feb. 15 California State Long Beach.” We posted the complete program, and linked to the AfriClassical.com pages on H. Leslie Adams and George Walker, whose works are included. We received the program from John Malveaux, who has alerted us to this article as well. Visit http://www.DarrylTaylor.com for details on the Feb. 23, 2010 performance "Daryl Taylor & Friends: A Fresh EnCounter."
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/13/2010
“Singer Darryl Taylor performs Monday.
LONG BEACH -- This week, in conjunction with several African-American Heritage Month events, two very different styles of music will be performed. On Monday, countertenor Darryl Taylor will present a show featuring selected pieces from under-represented African-American composers at Cal State Long Beach. And on Thursday at Long Beach City College, a couple of "roots" performers, poet Sufia Giza and reggae veteran Claudius Linton, will play an outdoor concert. The idea of presenting two divergent forms of African-American music was intentional, according to John Malveaux, who helped broker the events.
“Taylor's performance, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gerald Daniel Recital Hall at Cal State Long Beach, will feature a wide range of music from arrangements of Negro spirituals, such as 'Guide My Feet,' as well as work by trailblazer George Walker, the first African-American composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1996. According to Taylor, black composers are producing world-class music that 'gets neglected or relegated to one or two scant performances that are not done well.' Similarly, Taylor's countertenor voice is often relegated to baroque music, none of which is in his show.
Comment by email:
Thank you for the excellent review of Darryl Taylor's performance at Long Beach U. Delighted to know my art songs were so well received. H. Leslie Adams
2 comments:
Dr. Darryl Taylor's recital at Cal State Long Beach can be described with one word, PERFECTION. His masterful vocal skills and visual presentation met the highest standards in art music. The small audience of about 50 greeted Dr. Taylor will some reservation during the first two selection by composers George Walker and Mark Fax. The next two selection by composer Howard Swanson began the gradual increase in appreciation and applause. During the next four selections by composer Robert Owens, the audience was fully aware of the significance of the evening with full appreciation of Dr, Taylor and Lukas Swidzinski(pianist). Dr. Tayor mentioned the third set of five songs were composed by H. Leslie Adams who received his masters at CSULB. During this set, the audience was completely engaged and displayed unrestrained appreciation and spirit. The final set of three songs and the encore were Negro spirituals that provided a heighten climax and made a very clear point. The rich treasure of art songs by Black composers, when performed with perfection,are little known and neglected for reasons other than pure art.
Dr. Taylor shared brief comments about composer George Walker as first African American to receive Pulitzer Prize, the passing of Hale Smith who also should have won a Pulitzer Prize, the life of Robert Ownens, and several humorous international travel stories about ethnicity and Negro spirituals. Dr. Taylor's concluding set of spirituals included arrangements by George Walker, Robert Morris and Jacqueline Hairston
Post a Comment