Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (Aug. 15, 1875 - Sept. 1, 1912) was born in London, England, to Alice Hare Martin, an English woman, and Dr. Daniel Peter Hughes Taylor, from Sierre Leone. They were not married, and Daniel Taylor returned to Africa before 1875, not even knowing he had a son. Martin named her son after the poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and was raised in Croydon, Surrey by his mother, and her father. Coleridge-Taylor studied violin at the Royal College of Music, and was later on appointed a professor at the Crystal Palace School of Music, and conducted the orchestra at the Croyden Conservatory.

Coleridge-Taylor was greatly admired by African-Americans; a chorus was founded in his name in Washington DC in 1901, and he received great acclaim during his three visits to the United States. White orchestral musicians named him "the African Mahler". His compositional output is quite substantial; he wrote cantatas, chamber works for various instruments, songs, and solo works, among many more.

His one movement work Romance in G for Violin is one of several works he wrote for the instrument. It's a lyrical showpiece, eschewing technical wizardry in favor of rich melodies, and lush, opulent lines. Beautiful melodies, generous use of double stops, and the use of the violin's full range contribute to this work's richness and opulence.


Here is a  recording of this gorgeous piece for you to enjoy!

Lorraine McAslan