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World Premiere of Mammy – a Rediscovered Work by Nathaniel Dett

Nov. 21, 2022

World Premiere of <em>Mammy</em> – a Rediscovered Work by Nathaniel Dett

On November 4, the BBC Philharmonic gave the world premiere of Nathaniel Dett's Magnolia Suite Part Two: No 4 “Mammy” under the baton of Jack Sheen. Nathaniel Dett (1982-1943), a Canadian-born descendent of slaves who composed and devotedly championed the music of African-American composers, was a talented composer who grew up reading Shakespeare and the Bible, singing spirituals, and eventually received a Masters degree from the Eastman School of Music where British scholar Dwight Pile-Gray uncovered this previously lost score. Pile-Gray noted, “Dett used his knowledge of spirituals and created a fusion with western art music. Through his collections of spirituals, expertise and comprehensive experience, his contribution not only to the musical life of America but to the classical music world has been enormous.” 

Pile-Gray is involved with an Arts and Humanities Research Council scheme, part of a collaboration with BBC Radio 3 that is putting “a spotlight on rarely performed music by composers of diverse ethnic backgrounds.”

He says, “Western art music is created by white European men … In the 21st century, there must be room for composers who aren’t white European men. It’s as simple as that. For our art to continue, to flourish and to grow, then we must be more reflective and representative of society that we live in.”

To learn more about Nathaniel Dett, visit: schott-music.com.

Nathaniel Dett
Mammy (1912)
from "The Magnolia Suite"
for chamber orchestra
3'

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