The Baltimore City Colored Orchestra
The links below lead to more information related to each Feature Article in MBC’s instrument books, allowing students to further explore the rich history and vibrant present day of Black classical music making.
- Feature Articles in MBC Violin Volumes
- “Black Orchestras: Forging Another Path” – Violin Volume 1
- “The Violin: An Instrument of Black Leaders” – Violin Volume 1
- “Classical Scenes of the African Diaspora: New Orleans” – Violin Volume 2
- “Indigenous African Fiddles” – Violin Volume 3
- Feature Articles in MBC Flute Volumes
- “Black American Concert Wind Ensembles, Past and Present” – Flute Volume 1
- More to come! (see the MBC Projects Timeline)
Links about Feature Article Topics
“Black Orchestras: Forging Another Path”
(article appears in MBC Violin Volume 1)
- Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
- Chicago Sinfonietta
- Chineke!
- Colour of Music Festival Orchestra
- Gateways Music Festival Orchestra
- Orchestra Noir
- The Recollective Orchestra
- Soulful Symphony
- South Side Symphony
- Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
“The Violin: An Instrument of Black Leaders”
(article appears in MBC Violin Volume 1)
Resources related to Solomon Northup:
- Solomon Northup in Encyclopedia Britannica
- Northup’s book, Twelve Years a Slave, on Amazon.com
- The film, Twelve Years a Slave, on Amazon
Resources related to Frederick Douglass:
Books by Frederick Douglass:
- PDF of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave
- The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass on Amazon
- My Bondage and My Freedom on Amazon
- Frederick Douglass: Selected Speeches and Writings on Amazon
Resources related to George Washington Carver:
- George Washington Carver in Encyclopedia Britannica
- George Washington Carver at Tuskegee University
- George Washington Carver National Monument
- Information about Carver and the National Historic Chemical Landmark dedicated to him
- Books about George Washington Carver on Amazon
Resources related to Coretta Scott King:
- Coretta Scott King in Encyclopedia Britannica
- Coretta Scott King at the National Women’s History Museum
- Video of Coretta Scott King speaking at Harvard in 1968
- Coretta Scott King’s autobiography, Coretta: My Life, My Love, My Legacy on Amazon
- Coretta Scott King’s book, My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr. on Amazon
- Other books on Amazon related to Coretta Scott King
Resources related to Sheila Johnson:
- Sheila Johnson on Forbes.com
- About Sheila Johnson’s philanthropy
- Sheila Johnson’s profile at her Salamander Hotels & Resorts
- YouTube video of Sheila Johnson talking about Success, Family, and Perseverance
Resources related to Minister Louis Farrakhan:
- Minister Louis Farrakhan at Encyclopedia Britannica
- Minister Louis Farrakhan’s profile at the Nation of Islam
- YouTube video of Minister Louis Farrakhan playing an excerpt of the second movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto
- Books on Amazon about Minister Louis Farrakhan
“Classical Scenes of the African Diaspora: New Orleans”
(article appears in MBC Violin Volume 2)
“Indigenous African Fiddles”
(article appears in MBC Violin Volume 3)
- Wikipedia article on African fiddles
- African Musical Instruments: Colouring Book
- Video of the gonje of the Talensi people of Ghana and Burkina Faso
- Video of Karim Dembele demonstrating the nyanyeru in Burkina Faso
- Video of Ayuko Opanga and his band playing the Luo orutu to celebrate Christmas Day in Kenya
- Video of the benga (Kenyan popular music) band Kenge Kenge, including an orutu
“Black American Concert Wind Ensembles, Past and Present”
(article appears in MBC Flute Volume 1)
Resources related to Francis Johnson:
- Article about Francis Johnson from the Smithsonian Magazine
- Biography of Francis Johnson from Song of America
- Article about Francis Johnson from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Resources related to Alton Augustus Adams:
- Biography from the Center for Black Music Research
- A digital book of The Memoirs of Alton Augustus Adams Sr.: First Black Bandmaster of the United States Navy
- A performance of Adams’s “Spirit of the USN” march, performed by the United States Navy Band
- A performance of Adams’s “The Governor’s Own” march, performed by the United States Marine Band
Resources relating to wind ensembles at HBCUs:
- HBCU National Band Directors Consortium
- Video: FAMU Wind Symphony | “Black History Month Concert” (2024)
- Video: Southern University Wind Ensemble 2024 “Paprikash”
- Video: Wind Ensemble Fall Concert | Tennessee State University (2021)
Resources relating to the Nashville African American Wind Symphony
Resources relating to Imani Winds:
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