Abstract:
This document will be used to bring awareness to the eclipsed music of historical composers of African lineage between the Classical and 20th century Periods in Western Music History. As classical musicians we learn about famous composers from periods ranging from antiquity to the 20th century. We learn of their contributions ranging from the theoretical to the artistic. This gives us a digestible amount of material to learn over the course of a four-year degree program with possibility for more in-depth investigation should one decide to pursue a higher degree or a two-year graduate program. The information on composers of African lineage is not presented until the 20th century when the discussion turns to jazz and blues. However, composers of African lineage have been published since the early 1700s. This document will focus on the works of four composers of African lineage: Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780); Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799);from the Classical Period in Western Music History. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), who composed during the Romantic Period in Western Music History, and the fourth Margaret Bonds (1913-1972) who composed during the 20th century. The focus of this project is to transform works of these composers into new works for solo tuba, adding to the number of works by black composers. I strongly believe that these works have a place in the tuba repertoire, and I intend for them to be shared amongst people like myself.
