“For its second of three big concerts, the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra players sounded like they were settling in,” writes Adam Parker in Monday’s (10/27) Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina). Colour of Music presents professional black classical musicians, often with a focus on works by black composers. “The orchestra tackled a challenging and diverse program, and it delivered the goods. One of the great pleasures of the festival, which over the course of several days has programmed organ, piano and vocal recitals, chamber concerts and lectures in addition to large-scale evening performances, has been the introduction of music by a few living composers.… Nkeiru Okoye’s ‘Voices Shouting Out,’ which opened the program, was the composer’s response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Okoye, a New Yorker born of a Nigerian father and African-American mother, produced a short, arresting work in A-B-A form whose forceful beginning and end, and lyrical middle section, leaves the impression not of a mournful community but a determined one celebrating life. Dominique Legendre’s ‘Le Genie Humain’ began the second half.” Other works on the program were Victor Herbert’s Cello Concerto No. 2 and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, “played with vigor under the able baton of festival music director Marlon Daniel.” The festival ended on Sunday with the Verdi Requiem.
Posted October 28, 2014
