United Kingdom BBC Proms 2025 [27] – Coleridge-Taylor, Coleman, Lee, Shostakovich: Chineke! Orchestra / Jonathon Heyward (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London. 5.9.2025. (CSa)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – The Bamboula
Valerie Coleman – Fanfare for Uncommon Times
James Lee III – Visions of Cahokia
Shostakovich – Symphony No.10 in E minor
Chineke! Orchestra, founded in 2015, is Europe’s first professional orchestra with a majority of Black and ethnically diverse musicians. It takes its name from the Igbo language of Nigeria which roughly translated means ‘the spirit of creation’. The exclamation mark was added to emphasize the energy and urgency with which it pursues its mission: to champion change and celebrate diversity in classical music. By questioning the status quo – largely white musicians playing the works of white composers to white audiences – Chineke! gives a platform to those from unrepresented backgrounds.
The orchestra is no stranger to the BBC Proms. The first half of their concert featured a miscellany of pieces by Black composers: The Bamboula by the Afro-British Samuel Taylor-Coleridge, and two compositions never previously heard by British audiences: Fanfare for Uncommon Times by Kentucky born Valerie Coleman, and Visions of Cahokia by Baltimore-based James Lee III.
Coleridge-Taylor, nicknamed ‘The African Mahler’, was a hugely popular late- nineteenth century composer whose work was rooted in the late Romantic tradition. He said of himself ‘What Brahms has done for the Hungarian folk-music, Dvořák for the Bohemian, and Grieg for the Norwegian, I have tried to do for the Negro melodies’. Bamboula, a brightly lyrical work, was written in 1910, and described as a ‘Rhapsodic Dance’. Although named after a Haitian Voodoo drum and said to have been inspired by African dance, you would need to listen hard to discern ceremonial tribal rhythms or sacred drumbeats. It is almost entirely Western light classical in feel, and more reminiscent of an overture to an Edwardian operetta. Nonetheless, driven by the metronomic beat and elegant flourishes of conductor Jonathon Heywood (a late substitute for an indisposed Sir Simon Rattle) it made for an excellent way to showcase the talents of all sections of the band and a festive start to the evening.
The platform then emptied, leaving 11 brass players, 2 percussion players and a timpanist to sound Fanfare for Uncommon Times. Lasting for six minutes it was composed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and shortly after the outbreak of civil unrest unleashed by the death of George Floyd. In a nod to Aaron Copeland’s iconic ‘Fanfare to the Common Man’ Coleman weaves together the threads of anxiety, restlessness and proud defiance to express the unified cry of the African American community at a time of crisis and political unrest.
The history of the tribal peoples and their lost Mississippian culture and religion inspired James Lee’s Visions of Cahokia – the site of an ancient city of 300,000 Native American souls. Vividly and fully orchestrated conversations between woods, strings and percussion in each of the three movements – ‘Cahokia’s Dawn’, ‘Na Yimme’ (or ‘faith’ in Choctaw Indian dialect) and ‘Chkoshkomo’ (‘frolic’ in the Chickasaw tongue) – drew heavily on the soundworld of Stravinsky and Ravel.
One mighty work occupied the concert’s second half: Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony. Written in 1953, immediately after the death of Stalin, it is an explosive act of defiance – in turns bitter, ironic, and tragic – to years of fear and oppression. Dark rumbling double basses herald the theme of desolation which permeated the relentless opening Moderato, punctuated by anguished wailing and shrieking cries from the woods. A frenzied, violent second movement Allegro – arguably a musical pen portrait of the deceased leader in all his terrifying brutality was played with conviction. In a dramatic contrast, the dance-like, enigmatically lyrical Allegretto – its coded motif dedicated to his beloved pupil and confidante Elmira Nazirova – was delicately spelt out by the horns. The Andante, Allegro finale unfolded nervously and slowly built to a seemingly triumphant conclusion. It was distinguished by some excellent ensemble playing. For all that, Heyward’s energetic physicality and precise gesturing, he failed to communicate directly with these fine players. Entries could sometimes be ragged, and solo passages lacked the sculptural shaping and emotional depth that some interpreters bring to the podium. One felt that had the creative spirit of Chineke! been fully harnessed, an impressive performance could have been a great one.
Chris Sallon
Featured Image: Jonathon Heywood conducts Chineke! at the BBC Proms © BBC/Andy Paradise