The Ballad of the Brown King

The Ballad of the Brown King is a cantata composed by Margaret Bonds. It may be her most frequently performed work.[1] It was written in honor of the African king, Balthazar, with text written by Langston Hughes for Bonds.[2] The Ballad premiered in December 1954 in New York and was performed by the George McClain Choir.[1] This was a shorter version of the piece, which was subsequently expanded by both Hughes and Bonds to include full orchestration.[1] The longer version was performed on December 11, 1960 and televised in a CBS special called "Christmas U.S.A."[1] The 1960 performance was sung by the Westminster Choir.[3]

A new orchestration of the piece by conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather was recorded in 2018 by the Dessoff Choirs and released on November 1, 2019.[4] Margaret Bonds's original orchestration is unpublished and has never been recorded.

The cantata is made up of nine movements with parts for soprano, tenor, baritone and choir.[5] The composition includes "a combination of European, Jazz and Calypso music."[2] Other musical influences include four-part hymn and gospel music.[1] There are also "quasi-recitative sections" and blues influenced parts of the cantata.[3]

Ballad focuses on one of the Three Kings from the story of the birth of Jesus.[6] Hughes chose the African king, Balthazar, as a way to "reinforce the image of African participation in the Nativity story."[7]

References
  1. Walker-Hill, Helen (2007). From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music. University of Illinois Press. pp. 162–163. ISBN 9780252074547. the ballad of the brown king.
  2. "Harlem School of the Arts presents 'The Ballad of the Brown King' and the 'Black Nativity'". New York Amsterdam News. 88 (49). 4 December 1997. Retrieved 24 January 2016 – via EBSCO.
  3. Ammer, Christine (2003). Unsung: A History of Women in American Music (2nd ed.). Amadeus Press. p. 177. ISBN 9781574670615.
  4. "MARGARET BONDS: The Ballad of the Brown King & Selected Songs". New Music USA. Archived from the original on 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  5. "Tuskegee University Lyceum Series to Feature Metropolitan Star for Holiday Concert". Tuskegee University. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  6. Zick, William J. (4 December 2010). "'The Ballad of the Brown King' by Langston Hughes & Margaret Bonds in Long Beach Dec. 4 & 12". Africlassical. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  7. McLaren, Joseph (2007). "From Protest to Soul Fest: Langston Hughes' Gospel Plays". In Bloom, Harold (ed.). Langston Hughes. New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 9780791096123.
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