We’re excited to once again partner with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Hebron to sponsor a Martin Luther King Jr Day event. We invite you to join us on Sunday, January 19th for a very special concert featuring the music of 19th, 20th and 21st century African American composers.
The concert features music composed in the early 1800s by Sawney Freeman, an enslaved person who lived in CT. Sawney is one of the oldest known African American composers in the country. His music was discovered a few years ago by parishioners at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex who were exploring their community’s past — and discovered historical ties to slavery. The trail led them to Trinity College in Hartford where they found Sawney’s music in the archives, after more than 200 years of being lost. Anthony Pandolfe, St. John’s music director, took on the challenge of modernizing the music and assembling a group of musicians to perform it. Pandolfe will direct the music at the concert at St. Peter’s. The story of Sawney Freeman’s music inspired CT Public Broadcasting’s series Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery, that explores the lives and untold stories of African Americans in CT.
In addition to Freeman’s music, Andante Strings will also play music by 20th century
composer Florence Price, an American classical composer, pianist,
organist, and music teacher. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Price was
educated at the New England Conservatory of Music and was active in Chicago
from 1927 until her death in 1953.
The program will also include pieces by 21st century
composer Jessie Montgomery, an American composer, chamber musician, and
music educator. Her compositions focus on the vernacular, improvisation,
language, and social justice.
A reception will follow the concert in St. Peter’s parish hall. It will feature
heavy hors d’oeuvres and a panel discussion with Diane Orson, reporter and
producer with CT Public Broadcasting, who featured this story on the series Unforgotten,
Anthony Pandolfe, and the musicians.
Registration is requested since a larger than normal attendance is
expected. Ticket
donations, which may be made at the door, are $20 for adults and $5 for youth.
Please register for the concert here.
