Herbert Woodward Martin, guest speaker

Sunday, May 7, 2017

7:30 p.m.

Foundry Theater, Antioch College

Donations at the door benefit Yellow Springs Community Music

Please join us for the final concert of the Langston Hughes retrospective and memorial that we’ve been having in the village.  William Grant Still, the principal composer on the program, known as the “Dean” of African-American composers in the 20th century, studied for a time at Wilberforce University and Oberlin College, before moving to Harlem in the 1920s.  The orchestra will perform his First Symphony (the Afro-American) from 1930.  The chorus will showcase music on texts of Langston Hughes, set by Gwyneth Walker, Dave Brubeck and James Johnston.  Orchestra and chorus will join forces for Still’s rousing music for the ballet Sahdji, based on an authentic African folk tale.

We’re delighted also to welcome our guest speaker, Herbert Woodward Martin, an esteemed Dayton poet, performer and scholar, known for his dramatic readings of the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar.  He’ll be reading Dunbar poems connected with the symphony, and Hughes poems before each of the choral works.  He’s an extraordinary performer – not to be missed!