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Here is an episode I have been dreaming of putting together since the very early days of the podcast: Black Bach, an historical survey of the solo vocal music of Johann Sebastian Bach as performed by African American singers. In nearly the entire first half of the Twentieth Century, the performance of Black singers was restricted primarily to the concert platform. Even young singers of color who were first making their mark in the 1950s barely dared to aspire to a career in opera. In such a context, the work of Bach. One of the first such singers was the great Marian Anderson, who leads off the episode. Other featured singers were sometimes renowned for their performances of Bach (Adele Addison, Carol Brice, Kathleen Battle), while others (Leontyne Price, George Shirley, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Shirley Verrett) were less so. There is, additionally, a tribute to our late beloved friend Roberta Alexander, a discussion of accessibility to all audiences of the music of Bach and performances by two great Black countertenors, a refreshing interlude by the exquisite Delcina Stevenson (pictured; still with us at the age of 93), and a surprise appearance by Nina Simone, whose entire musical life was inspired by and dedicated to, the music of Bach. This is the first of two episodes on the “Black Bach” theme; the next will follow later in the summer and will feature a new roster of great singers. The entire episode is dedicated to the memory of the great African American dramatic tenor Limmie Pulliam, who died unexpectedly this week.
Countermelody is the podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody’s Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
