Society of Black Composers and beyond: Keynote lecture with Dr Harald Kisiedu

Dr Harald Kisiedu lectures on the Society of Black Composers and the legacies of Dorothy Rudd Moore, Talib Rasul Hakim, Alvin Singleton and Olly Wilson.

Part of our Always, Already There weekender, this keynote lecture with musicologist and author Dr Harald Kisiedu explores the birth and legacy of the Society of Black Composers, founded in 1968 by figures including Dorothy Rudd Moore and Talib Rasul Hakim. Drawing on his work as co-author of Composing While Black with George E Lewis, Kisiedu considers the avant-garde ideals and ambitions that shaped the movement and its lasting influence. He also explores Alvin Singleton’s long artistic engagement with Europe and Olly Wilson’s significance as both composer and music theorist, tracing how their ideas and legacies continue to resonate in music today.

Always, Already There is the first UK edition of George Lewis’s Afrodiasporic Incubator project. Curated by vocalist and composer Elaine Mitchener, in partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama. It explores the radical, varied and richly experimental work of Afrodiasporic composers, past and present.