Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Essentials

Born in 1875 to an English mother and Sierra Leonean father, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was enormously popular in the Edwardian England of his day. In particular, his cantata Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast was a huge hit, the music of which sold hundreds and thousands of copies—yet, somehow, in the intervening years his legacy has dwindled. Happily and deservedly, however, the past couple of decades have witnessed something of a resurgence of interest in Coleridge-Taylor’s music. In this, the composer’s 150th anniversary year, this playlist offers some of his best-known works alongside some equally ravishing rarities. Across his instrumental, choral, chamber and orchestral music you’ll hear music that’s expressive and refined in the Brahmsian tradition (as is much of the music of his contemporaries). But be sure, also, to listen out for the uniqueness of Coleridge-Taylor’s composing voice, often influenced by the traditional melodies and rhythms of his African roots.