Discover the story of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a composer of mixed race regarded as a musical genius at the turn of the 20th century. A prolific composer of 100+ works, who died at the young age of 37, he was a transatlantic sensation lauded by the British Royal Family and welcomed to the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt. Yet he is only now emerging as one of Britain’s best-kept musical secrets. Works by Florence Price, Franz Schubert, Antonín Dvořák, and Kris Bowers (of Bridgerton fame) round out the program. Playwright and poet Roy Lewis tells Coleridge-Taylor’s story in a part fact, part fiction narrative. Performed by London Symphonia Chamber Players.
Recorded live at Metropolitan United, London, Ontario, February 22, 2025.