So Lit Song Lit

This episode offers a taste of a few different songs from the anthologies that we've been talking about all season, all of which would be a great addition to everyone's library. Those anthologies are:     An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs     Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers     A New Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers     The Second Anthology o...

This episode is an eclectic mixture of pieces and composers, starting with two song cycles by Dorothy Rudd Moore! Born and raised on the East Coast, she studied with Nadia Boulanger, and was one of the co-founders of the Society of Black Composers. Her music has enough dissonance to bring out the colors of the texts beautifully, while still being very accessible to an audience. Jonathan Bailey Hol...

On this episode we focus on some songs of Rosephanye Powell and Betty Jackson King , both amazing women with some fabulous songs to their credit. All of these songs are sure to be accessible and exciting to audiences, while offering enough challenge to performers to make their songs worth digging into! Our guest today is Dr. Sonya Baker , Professor of Voice at James Madison University. Sonya perfo...

Adolphus Hailstork is an active, award-winning composer with a great output of art songs - and he's another name in our growing list of fabulous composers who studied with Nadia Boulanger! His works blend African, American, and European musical traditions in a unique way that is satisfying to both performers and audiences. We also have personal stories about Hailstork today from countertenor Darry...

Robert Owens (1925-2017) funded his musical studies in Europe on the GI bill after serving in the military. He lived most of his adult life in Germany and in addition to composing, he was also a much-sought-after actor! All of his scores are available at Classical Vocal Reprints , and he has lots of songs in English, French, and German to choose from. Recordings featured in this episode, performed...

Valerie Capers (b. 1935) was Juilliard's first blind student pianist, earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees there, and at the encouragement of her brother has gone on to become a noted jazz pianist (if you want to hear her play, check out this YouTube video ). Song of the Seasons is her only song cycle, and it definitely should be in the standard repertoire! She also composed an operato...

John D. Carter's Cantata was premiered in 1959 by Leontyne Price and David Garvey. A great pianist in his own right, Carter's song cycle is challenging for the pianist as well as the singer, with rhythmic displacements and dissonances that bring the melodies of the spirituals he chose into the classical realm. Our guest today, Dr. Casey Robards , earned her doctorate with a dissertation on John D....

H. Leslie Adams (1932-2024) is best-known for his vocal compositions, with a large output of art songs and song cycles to choose from, and his works have been performed all over the world. His music is accessible to audiences and performers alike, and our guest today, countertenor Darryl Taylor , of the African American Art Song Alliance , offers amazing insight into Leslie as a person and a compo...

Margaret Bonds (1913-1972) is probably best known for her setting of "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands", but has an extensive repertoire of art songs, which have a lot more crunch than most people expect! Our special guest hosts today are baritone Lester Lynch , who balances his international career with teaching at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and composer M. Roger Holland II , from...

Zenobia Powell Perry (1908-2004) decided to become a classical pianist when she heard Hazel Harrison (the first Black musician to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic) in concert, and went on to study with R. Nathaniel Dett! She became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, who helped fund her studies. Her songs have a distinct sound, with some dissonance and notes of counterpoint and a level of interest...

Howard Swanson (1907-1978) studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and went on to study at Fontainebleau with Nadia Boulanger. He was close with poet Langston Hughes and his settings of Hughes' texts are considered definitive. Swanson has a unique sound, which makes his music well-suited for more mature musicians, but is still very accessible for an audience.  Recordings featured in this episo...

Undine Smith Moore (1904-1989) was a classical pianist who trained at several prestigious universities, and despite her professors urging her to become a professional, she chose to become a public school music teacher and professor. She preferred to compose vocal music; her songs have a sweep and line to them that make them a joy to play and sing. Recordings featured in this episode, performed by...

Known as a symphonic composer, Florence Price was the first African-American female to have one of her composition performed by a major orchestra in the US. Her music was rediscovered in 2009 in her old summer home, which has led to many of her works being recently published and premiered. Also an excellent pianist, her art songs include some virtuostic playing for the pianist, along with melodies...

William Grant Still (1895-1978) was the first African-American to have a symphony performed by a major US orchestra (Symphony No. 1-" Afro-American" in 1931), to have an opera performed by a major US opera house ( Troubled Island by New York City Opera in 1949), to conduct a major US orchestra (the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra in 1955), and to have an opera performed on television ( A Bayou Lege...

R. Nathaniel Dett was a Canadian-American composer and concert pianist with a degree from Oberlin College. His arrangements of spirituals use the piano to great effect in bringing out the text--he also has an extensive repertoire of choral music. Hall Johnson was a professional violinist/violist who formed many choirs, the most famous of which (the Hall Johnson Choir) sang on over 30 major motion...

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was a British composer and conductor with strong ties to the United States. His songs have a very "salon-music" feel to them, romantic and accessible for audiences. His daughter Avril was also a composer-conductor and we would love to find out how to access her music, so if anyone knows, please reach out! Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Donovan Elliot Smit...

Harry Thacker Burleigh was the first Black composer to have a major influence on classical music, both by his own compositions and by his influence on Antonín Dvořak. His art songs were composed before his collection of spirituals and have recently been collected and edited by Louise Toppin , Ann Sears and Jean Snyder (who also wrote a biography of Burleigh ) into 47 Art Songs by Harry T. Burleigh...

Season 3 drops starting August 20th, this time on Tuesdays! This season, Toni Marie and Ellen focus on Black composers, with an incredible array of guest hosts and performers. Make sure to subscribe and tell all your friends, colleagues, and students, you won't want to miss this season! So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative . You can learn more about its network of podcasts...

American composer Craig Bohmler has an extensive list of musicals as well as operas, art songs, concerti, etc. He has at least ten song cycles to his credit, and his music is highly accessible for audiences while still giving musicians as fun challenge to perform! His cycles Love Letters and Quatre Petites Chansons pour le Petit Déjeuner are available from Sheet Music Plus as well as many other ou...

Another student of Nadia Boulanger, Louise Talma was an American composer who taught at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau as well as Hunter College. She was the first American female composer to have a full-scale opera performed in Europe. Terre de France uses traditional harmonies, but in the 1950s Talma started experimenting with serial techniques. The score to Terre de France is availa...

Laura Kaminsky is the composer of the opera As One , which has become one of the most performed operas since it premiered in 2014. Her music is many-faceted, with dissonance and harmony, as well as rhythmically interesting moments. Laura's works can be purchased through Bill Holab Music . Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist...

Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks studied composition with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Nadia Boulanger, among other teachers. In addition to  songs, she also composed several operas and orchestral works, and worked as a music critic for the New York Herald Tribune for a time. Mimic Heaven , or 5 Songs to texts by A.E. Housman , is available through the Australia Music Center or through Inte...

Augusta Holmès was a French composer of Irish descent in the 19th century. Her music was received negatively by many famous male composers of the time as being "too virile", so she published some early works under a pseudonym. The songs in this episode are in French but with a distinct Spanish flair to them. A huge shout-out to Allen Armstrong, Nicole Asel, and Deborah Popham for researching and b...

American composer David del Tredici is considered a pioneer of neo-Romanticism, and his art songs definitely show that. With many art songs, song cycles, vocal chamber works, and compositions for voice and orchestra, it is well worth perusing his website (which also lists clips to hear the pieces!) to check out the rest of his output. His volume Songs for Baritone and Piano (with 11 songs, includi...

Juliusz Wertheim was a Polish composer, pianist, and conductor from the turn of the last century who was close friends with Arthur Rubinstein. His songs are lovely and lilting, accessible for an audience, and definitely should be a part of the standard repertoire! His music is available online through a website that is working to keep more Polish music available. Because of this, they have made hi...