Classically Black took place at Kings Place, London on October 19, exploring the contribution of black and global majority composers and performers.
The sold out event was more than a concert – it was a celebration of diversity and a push for greater representation in classical music.
Black Lives In Music (BLiM) was set up to address racial inequality in the music industry and create opportunities for Black, Asian and ethnically diverse musicians and professionals. They announced ‘Classically Black’ earlier this year as a symposium one-day event, exploring the cutting edge of classical music.
Produced by BLiM, and sponsored by ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), this ground-breaking event explored the experience of being a minority in classical music and championed the works of Black music artists and creators past and present, while asking ‘what is classical now?’
The event demonstrated that despite often being erased from its history, these artists are forging the future of classical. Using their own culture and music experience, they are shaping the music by bringing jazz, funk and more, along with technology, into classical.
Held at the multi-arts venue Kings Place, renowned for curating world-class shows and festivals which engage a breadth of different communities, the venue felt like a fitting home for Classically Black.
Two newly commissioned works by British Black composers Pete Letanka and Jason Yarde were performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Letanka’s ‘Return To History’ and Yarde’s ‘Give Five’ reflected the commission’s call for the pieces to draw on wider cultural influences in harmony and melody and include technology. Pete Letanka is a renowned jazz pianist who has composed for everyone from jazz trios to symphony orchestras. Jason Yarde is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, producer and music director with a similar eclectic approach, composing in progressive jazz, classical, hip-hop fusion, free improvisation, broken beats, R&B, reggae, soul and more.
There was also a new violin concerto by British jazz legend Julian Joseph and Classical-Soul pioneer Alexis Ffrench will also deliver a keynote address and lead ‘Composers in Conversation.’
There were also two sessions – ‘Being Black in Classical Music’ and a Children and Youth Music Workshop in collaboration with MiSST (Music in Secondary Schools Trust) and Islington Music Services. The CYP workshop was led by Pete Letanka, who rehearsed with the children over three Saturday morning rehearsals. They delivered their unannounced grand finale to an audience of parents and ticket holders which was received with high praise.
The late afternoon showcase for emerging talent sponsored by Warner Classics, saw networking opportunities, interactive discussions, panels, music workshops, and much more. Chosen by a panel, Classically Black showcased young talent including – pianist Amiri Harewood, pianist, Composer, Arranger Gabriel Adedeji, violinist/Composer Rebekah Reid, violinist Sagnick Mukherjee and percussionist Toril Azzalini-Machecler.
Created by performer and conductor Dwight Pile-Gray, the Hidden Symphonies exhibition was launched at Classically Black. Displayed throughout the day, his exhibition highlights two centuries of overlooked Black composers, from Chevalier St George to contemporary stars like Hannah Kendall and Daniel Kidane.
The evening climaxed with a bespoke show with multi-talented singer/songwriter, cellist, pianist, composer, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, who has collaborated with Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Andrea Bocelli, Jools Holland and Peter Gabriel. Titled The Sound of Classically Black: Ayanna Witter-Johnson & Friends, the cellist, singer, songwriter and more showcased works commissioned by Solem Quartet, the Philharmonia, London Symphony Orchestra and performed with her band and members of world renowned orchestras, highlighting how her classical tone weaves its way through her musical roots of reggae, soul and jazz.
Ayanna’s inspirational concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds – Wednesday, 23rd October.
Roger Wilson, Co-Founder and Director of Operations at Black Lives in Music says:
We’re delighted to have held the first ever Classically Black symposium. It was a wonderful event with something for everyone – and everyone came! Selling out as quickly as it did shows the desire we as a community have to learn about our collective musical heritage while celebrating the very clear and evident talent of these great and relatively unknown creative forces. Classically Black celebrates what has gone before, what is now, while saluting the future. In taking place on our fourth birthday, the event heralded the fifth year of BLiM’s existence. Here’s to many more years of BLiM, here’s to many more years of Classically Black.
BLiM recently stepped up the effort to diversify major orchestras in the UK with the announcement of a landmark agreement for a 10 Point Orchestral Plan, introduced by BLiM, Musicians’ Union (MU) and Association Of British Orchestras (ABO). 33 organisations have signed up in total, with leading orchestras including the five BBC Orchestras and BBC Singers, London Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra.
The 10 Point Orchestral Plan for inclusive recruitment in orchestras calls for new measures including maximum lengths of trial periods, inclusivity training for audition panellists, candidates to audition from behind a screen to ensure an anonymised application process, auditions both in person and online for those who cannot travel, a full record of decisions taken from auditions and a reasonable amount of excerpts to be played so less experienced candidates can warm to the task.