Robeson Remembered
In the 150 years of domestic and international brass band performance and competition, no work by a black composer has ever been commissioned for use, or performed at a major international brass band festival. Llwydcoed Band wishes to address this, working in partnership with the renowned concert band composer Dr Quincy Hilliard to commission a work in memory of the renowned singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson.
Dr. Hilliard’s compositions for wind band are highly respected and published by a variety of well known international music publishers. In 2014, Hilliard received the prestigious Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award in the Classical Music Division. He was also recognized with a second Global Music Award for his work as a composer. In 2012, one of his pieces, Coty (clarinet and piano) was recorded on a CD that was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2008, he was commissioned by the Library of Congress to compose a work in celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. He is frequently commissioned to compose works, including one for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a score for a documentary film, The Texas Rangers. For many years, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has recognized him with annual awards for the unusually frequent performance of his compositions. Hilliard is regularly invited to conduct, demonstrate effective techniques, and adjudicate festivals throughout the world.
Because Hilliard, the composer, conductor, and educator, is also a scholar of Aaron Copland’s music and life, Copland estate administrators authorized Hilliard to publish the educational performance edition, Copland for Solo Instruments (Boosey and Hawkes, 1999). To train school band students, he wrote Superior Bands in Sixteen Weeks (FJH Music Company, 2003), Chorales and Rhythmic Etudes for Superior Bands (FJH Music Company, 2004), Scales and Tuning Exercises for Superior Bands (FJH Music Company, 2009), Theory Concepts, Books One and Two and is the co-author of the Skill Builders, Books One and Two (Sounds Spectacular Series, Carl Fischer, 1996). He is also the co-author of Percussion Time (C.L. Barnhouse Company) which is a collection of music written specifically for the beginning percussion ensemble. He has presented scholarly papers on music theory and analysis at meetings of the College Music Society and the Central Gulf Society of Music Theory (of which he is past president). He has published articles in Opera Journal, The Instrumentalist, School Musician, Bandworld, American Music Teacher, Florida Music Director, and Tennessee Musician.
Currently, Hilliard holds the position of Composer in Residence and is the Heymann Endowed Professor of Music at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Previous teaching positions were at Nicholls State University, Florida International University, North Marion High School (Sparr, Florida) and White Station Junior and Senior High School (Memphis, Tennessee).
He holds the Ph.D. in music theory and composition from the University of Florida where, in 1999, he was recognized as the Outstanding Alumnus of the School of Music. He holds the Masters of Music Education from Arkansas State University and the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Mississippi State University where he was designated College of Education 1998 Alumnus of the Year. Hilliard’s early music experience was as a trumpet player in the public elementary and high school of his native Starkville, Mississippi. Dr. Hilliard is also president of Hilliard Music Enterprises, Inc. a personal consulting firm, which has a corporate board of distinguished music educators. He and his wife Rubye have two sons.
The band have established contact with Dr. Hilliard who is incredibly keen to work with the band and realise the project. Funding is now being sought to realise the composition, in partnership with the Paul Robeson exhibition, to mark the 80th anniversary of the renowned black singer, actor and civil rights activist's most prominent connection to Wales, his starring role in "Proud Valley" in 1940.
The work will also form the centrepiece of additional projects between the band and exhibition marking:
- the 45th anniversary of Robeson's passing in 2021
- the 95th anniversary of Robeson's first encounter with Welsh miners, in London in 1927, in 2022
- the 65th anniversary of Robeson singing "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?" for the 1957 Miners' Eisteddfod in Porthcawl, via a trans-Atlantic telephone link from a studio in New York
The multiple North American National & Open Brass Band Champions Atlantic Brass Band of New Jersey, USA have also expressed an interest in working with Llwydcoed on this project, and recreating a transatlantic link between Wales and New York in memory
Examples of both Quincy Hilliard's work, and videos of the Atlantic Brass Band in performance, can be found below
Dr. Hilliard’s compositions for wind band are highly respected and published by a variety of well known international music publishers. In 2014, Hilliard received the prestigious Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award in the Classical Music Division. He was also recognized with a second Global Music Award for his work as a composer. In 2012, one of his pieces, Coty (clarinet and piano) was recorded on a CD that was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2008, he was commissioned by the Library of Congress to compose a work in celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. He is frequently commissioned to compose works, including one for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a score for a documentary film, The Texas Rangers. For many years, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has recognized him with annual awards for the unusually frequent performance of his compositions. Hilliard is regularly invited to conduct, demonstrate effective techniques, and adjudicate festivals throughout the world.
Because Hilliard, the composer, conductor, and educator, is also a scholar of Aaron Copland’s music and life, Copland estate administrators authorized Hilliard to publish the educational performance edition, Copland for Solo Instruments (Boosey and Hawkes, 1999). To train school band students, he wrote Superior Bands in Sixteen Weeks (FJH Music Company, 2003), Chorales and Rhythmic Etudes for Superior Bands (FJH Music Company, 2004), Scales and Tuning Exercises for Superior Bands (FJH Music Company, 2009), Theory Concepts, Books One and Two and is the co-author of the Skill Builders, Books One and Two (Sounds Spectacular Series, Carl Fischer, 1996). He is also the co-author of Percussion Time (C.L. Barnhouse Company) which is a collection of music written specifically for the beginning percussion ensemble. He has presented scholarly papers on music theory and analysis at meetings of the College Music Society and the Central Gulf Society of Music Theory (of which he is past president). He has published articles in Opera Journal, The Instrumentalist, School Musician, Bandworld, American Music Teacher, Florida Music Director, and Tennessee Musician.
Currently, Hilliard holds the position of Composer in Residence and is the Heymann Endowed Professor of Music at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Previous teaching positions were at Nicholls State University, Florida International University, North Marion High School (Sparr, Florida) and White Station Junior and Senior High School (Memphis, Tennessee).
He holds the Ph.D. in music theory and composition from the University of Florida where, in 1999, he was recognized as the Outstanding Alumnus of the School of Music. He holds the Masters of Music Education from Arkansas State University and the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Mississippi State University where he was designated College of Education 1998 Alumnus of the Year. Hilliard’s early music experience was as a trumpet player in the public elementary and high school of his native Starkville, Mississippi. Dr. Hilliard is also president of Hilliard Music Enterprises, Inc. a personal consulting firm, which has a corporate board of distinguished music educators. He and his wife Rubye have two sons.
The band have established contact with Dr. Hilliard who is incredibly keen to work with the band and realise the project. Funding is now being sought to realise the composition, in partnership with the Paul Robeson exhibition, to mark the 80th anniversary of the renowned black singer, actor and civil rights activist's most prominent connection to Wales, his starring role in "Proud Valley" in 1940.
The work will also form the centrepiece of additional projects between the band and exhibition marking:
- the 45th anniversary of Robeson's passing in 2021
- the 95th anniversary of Robeson's first encounter with Welsh miners, in London in 1927, in 2022
- the 65th anniversary of Robeson singing "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?" for the 1957 Miners' Eisteddfod in Porthcawl, via a trans-Atlantic telephone link from a studio in New York
The multiple North American National & Open Brass Band Champions Atlantic Brass Band of New Jersey, USA have also expressed an interest in working with Llwydcoed on this project, and recreating a transatlantic link between Wales and New York in memory
Examples of both Quincy Hilliard's work, and videos of the Atlantic Brass Band in performance, can be found below
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North American Partners - The Atlantic Brass Band of New Jersey, USA
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