[Time listed in Eastern Daylight Time USA]

Lecture Recital at Oxford University - LiveStream Available
Jean E. Snyder (Speaker), Louise Toppin (Soprano),
Ann Sears (Pianist), Alan Williams (Bass-Baritone)

Harry T Burleigh was one of the most influential figures in the history of American song: an African American composer and singer whose works were performed far and wide and helped shape the sound of American music. Burleigh was hugely well-known as a singer (he travelled extensively in Europe and the UK, singing for King Edward VII and visiting Oxford) and he wrote songs that were widely admired and performed, but it was with the publication of his arrangement of the spiritual ‘Deep River’ that he achieved real celebrity status.

American scholar Jean E Snyder, Harry T Burleigh’s biographer, introduces this fascinating figure, firstly giving an overview of his life and the significance of his art songs. She then examines the immense fame that came with the publication of 'Deep River' and subsequent arrangements of spirituals, and the degree to which these arrangements overshadowed his original song compositions. Jean Snyder is joined by the eminent soprano Louise Toppin and pianist Ann Sears, both of whom are also experts in Harry Burleigh’s music.