Hampton incorporates black history into recital

Kevin Hampton’s piano concert on Monday, Feb. 14 provided the audience with a double dose of culture by incorporating colorful pieces written by black composers with small history lessons to commemorate Black History Month.

Hampton, a clinician, adjudicator and associate professor of music at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga., dazzled the audience with a vast selection of music by black composers.

The first selection was “Piano Sonata No. 2,” written in 1953, composed by pianist George Walker. Hampton said he has admired the works of Walker since his college days.

“The piece I heard got three stars in my notes; I really liked [Walker] so I decided to look him up. I think all of his works are wonderful treasures,” Hampton said. “In the years during and after World War II, there was a flowering of the sonata style. There is a sense of a wave of sound to separate this kind of music from others.”

Going in reverse chronological order, the audience was next taken to the era commonly known as the Harlem Renaissance, which Hampton described as “a great flowering in culture for blacks.” Before playing William Grant Still’s “Three Visions,” Hampton described what the audience could be looking for. The first movement, “Dark Horseman,” sounded like a galloping horse because of the “galloping triplets.” “Summerland” followed and was the happiest-sounding of the three movements. “Summerland” was then followed by the final movement, entitled “Radiant Pinnacle.”

“I liked the uniqueness of the harmony the composer used in the piece,” said Freshman Philip Gubser.

“The ‘Summerland’ movement was so light and pretty-sounding,” added Freshman Laura Timmons.

Hampton’s next piece was Margaret Bonds’ “Troubled Water,” a spiritual. Hampton explained that spirituals were used by slaves to communicate important happenings such as a planned escape and not merely to pass the time while working in fields.

“Spirituals had not only a religious connection but also one that was social,” said Hampton.

To bring the concert to an end, Hampton selected R. Nathaniel Dett’s “Suite in the Bottoms.” According to Hampton, Dett wrote the piece to portray the life of blacks in the Louisiana Delta in the late nineteenth century. The final movement showcased a vast collection of rhythms and melodies,the most notable of which was the “Juba Dance.”

“I found the concert and the music selection to be very fitting for Valentine’s Day and for Black History Month as well,” Timmons said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 18 2005. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry