The Ballad of the Brown King is a cantata composed by Margaret Bonds. It may be her most frequently performed work.[1] It was written in honor of the African king, Balthazar, with text written by Langston Hughes for Bonds.[2] The Ballad premiered in December 1954 in New York and was performed by the George McClain Choir.[1] This was a shorter version of the piece, which was subsequently expanded by both Hughes and Bonds to include full orchestration.[1] The longer version was performed on December 11, 1960 and televised in a CBS special called "Christmas U.S.A."[1] The 1960 performance was sung by the Westminster Choir.[3]

A new orchestration of the piece by conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather was recorded in 2018 by the Dessoff Choirs and released on November 1, 2019.[4] Margaret Bonds's original orchestration is unpublished and has never been recorded.

The cantata is made up of nine movements with parts for soprano, tenor, baritone and choir.[5] The composition includes "a combination of European, Jazz and Calypso music."[2] Other musical influences include four-part hymn and gospel music.[1] There are also "quasi-recitative sections" and blues influenced parts of the cantata.[3]

Ballad focuses on one of the Three Kings from the story of the birth of Jesus.[6] Hughes chose the African king, Balthazar, as a way to "reinforce the image of African participation in the Nativity story."[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Walker-Hill, Helen (2007). From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music. University of Illinois Press. pp. 162–163. ISBN 9780252074547. the ballad of the brown king.
  2. 1 2 "Harlem School of the Arts presents 'The Ballad of the Brown King' and the 'Black Nativity'". New York Amsterdam News. 88 (49). 4 December 1997. Retrieved 24 January 2016 – via EBSCO.
  3. 1 2 Ammer, Christine (2003). Unsung: A History of Women in American Music (2nd ed.). Amadeus Press. p. 177. ISBN 9781574670615.
  4. ↑ "MARGARET BONDS: The Ballad of the Brown King & Selected Songs". New Music USA. Archived from the original on 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  5. ↑ "Tuskegee University Lyceum Series to Feature Metropolitan Star for Holiday Concert". Tuskegee University. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Zick, William J. (4 December 2010). "'The Ballad of the Brown King' by Langston Hughes & Margaret Bonds in Long Beach Dec. 4 & 12". Africlassical. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  7. ↑ McLaren, Joseph (2007). "From Protest to Soul Fest: Langston Hughes' Gospel Plays". In Bloom, Harold (ed.). Langston Hughes. New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 9780791096123.
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