For Independence Day celebrations, there few classical works that make the cut. You can usually count on hearing a John Philip Sousa march. Perhaps Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” And, if the presenters have the budget and/or a National Guard armory nearby, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” Time for a change I get it. “1812” […]
Adolphus Hailstork
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#ClassicsaDay #BlackMusicMonth Week 2
Since 1979, June has been African-American Music Appreciation Month. The Classics a Day team decided to adopt it for the June 2019 theme as well. Popular music genres will no doubt be well-represented by others. We’ll be focusing on the composers, conductors, and performing artists of color who have contributed to classical music. For my […]
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#ClassicsaDay #WeWriteSymphonies Annotated List – Week 3
I’m a regular contributor to the #ClassicsaDay feed on Twitter. At a speech in Poland on 7/6/17, the President said, “The world has never known anything like our community of nations. We write symphonies.” The next day #WeWriteSymphonies appeared on Twitter, citing all the non-Western — and non-white — composers who do indeed write symphonies. […]
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Adolphus Hailstork – An American Port of Call
American composer Adolphus Hailstork has been quietly building up an impressive catalog of well-crafted works. This new collection brings some of them to light. Hailstork’s Symphony No. 1 is an expansive work with plenty of energy. Hailstork’s melodies are always tuneful and rhythmic, which makes this symphony sparkle. For the most part, the work’s thinly […]