by Caiti Beth McKinney
Hello everyone!
This month I want to introduce another outstanding orchestral composer, Avril Coleridge-Taylor (1903-1998). While you may recognize her surname thanks to the increasing popularity of compositions written by her father, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), the works of his equally-skilled daughter have yet to gain proper recognition. Avril had unique access to quality music education thanks to a combination of musical parents; her mother, Jessie Walmisley, was a talented singer. Avril was born into challenging circumstances due to racial bias; the Walmisley family disapproved strongly of Jessie’s marriage to Samuel due to his African ancestry (his father was a Creole man from Sierra Leone, while his mother was white). The Coleridge-Taylor family experienced frequent financial hardship, and after Samuel’s passing in 1912 when Avril was only nine years old, Jessie banned music in the household.
Despite these devastating circumstances, young Avril taught herself piano by practicing works left behind by her father, and she eventually won a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music in London to study music. While in school, she studied with another composer whose name should be familiar to horn players, Gordon Jacob (1895-1984). The entirety of Avril’s life is a testament to resilience and fortitude in the face of adversity; a loveless marriage, racial discrimination (she was forced to flee a music tour in South Africa after her heritage came to light), as well as bias towards her gender. Even so, she became the first woman to conduct the Royal Marine Band, and she guest conducted ensembles like the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Orchestra.
In addition to her accomplishments on the podium, her compositions are likewise outstanding. My personal favorite—and one that feels especially timely—is a work entitled Sussex Landscape, Op. 27. (Here is mvt. 1, Largo, from this work.) This twelve-minute tone poem, despite its idyllic and pastoral sounding name, was actually written about Avril’s heartbreak at the outbreak of World War II. Coleridge-Taylor uses horns and brass to great timbral effect in this work, including a variety of chorales and solo moments that allow the performers to show off a variety of tone colors and moods. Deeply emotional and moving, Sussex Landscape is a valuable and noteworthy addition to our orchestral repertoire.
