Mark Taggart, ECU music professor, describes his experiences in composing Symphony of Spirituals for performance by Louise Toppin and the ECU Symphony:

“I will never forget the exhilaration I experienced when I first heard Louise Toppin perform spirituals.  She sang with a joy and breadth of expression that made me feel like I was hearing these familiar melodies for the very first time. When I expressed my gratitude after her performance, she asked me to set some spirituals for her and piano trio.

Sometime along the way, I had the great pleasure of conducting Louise in a performance of Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, one of Heitor Villa-Lobos’s most well-known and beloved works.  The depth of expression she brought to the Aria section of this gorgeous piece overwhelmed me.  I thought that I knew this work quite well, but once again, Louise’s performance made me feel like I was experiencing it for the very first time.

In the meantime, Louise would occasionally, patiently nudge me, inquiring how my work on the spirituals was going.

Then 9/11 hit.  Like so many others, I was stunned. I was desperate to try to find a way to comprehend and express the horror of this attack. As I saw the video of New Yorkers trudging through the streets in ash-darkened skies, strains of “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless  Child” came to me.  This poignant melody seemed to capture the pain we were all experiencing. I then thought that “Balm in Gilead” would be effective in trying to begin the healing process.When I tried to find a way connect these two melodies, I remembered Louise’s heartfelt performance of the vocalize in Villa-Lobos’s Aria.  This movement, later to be titled “Peace,” was premiered in the soprano and piano trio version in October of 2001.

Louise and I then thought about expanding the project and setting it for orchestra.  “Peace” would be bookended with a movement containing two spirituals that are special to Lee Ann and me (Let Us Break Bread Together and God is a God) which I entitled “Love.”  I wanted to use the middle movements to express my gratitude and appreciation to two friends and colleagues who were so helpful to me over the years, Catherine A. Rigsby, (“Hope,” which uses “O Peter Ring Dem Bells” and “Guide My Feet,”) and Linda Allred (“Faith,” employing “Git On Board” and “Welcome to the Dyin’ Lamb.”)  Unfortunately, Linda passed away during the rather long gestational period of this work, and it is my hope that her movement could also serve as a tribute to her memory.

Finally, this work could not come into being without the magnificent artistry (and patience) of Louise Toppin and the electrifying musicianship of Jorge Richter and the ECU Symphony Orchestra.”

Interestingly, Dvořák was also influenced by spirituals in writing the New World Symphony, the other work on the program:

 "I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called Negro melodies. These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in the United States. These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk songs of America and your composers must turn to them."

For performance dates, locations, and repertoire, please view our Current Season page.

For more information on the orchestra, contact:
Jorge Richter, Conductor [richterj@ecu.edu]

ECU Symphony Orchestra

East Carolina University

School of Music

Greenville, NC 27858

252-328-6340