Delco Arts Week
William Grant Still (1895-1978)
Movements from Patterns (1960)
With support from the Delaware County Arts Consortium, William Grant Still Music, the Foundation for Delaware County, the Scholler Foundation, and the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra Association, Music Director Reuben Blundell initiated this project by typesetting (with permission from WGS Music) the music for this piece, which had only existed in manuscript copy. Creating a guide track (playing the string parts and conducting), Reuben sent it, along with individual music, to the LSO musicians, who recorded themselves at home. Reuben aligned, edited, and balanced the audio and video from the musicians.
Because of DelCo Arts, this project became an artistic collaboration with two other organizations that participate in the monthly meetings over Zoom – the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College, and the Delaware County Community College Art Museum. Many grateful thanks to everyone who participated in or supported this project!
These three movements can be viewed in any order. When playing, we recommend making the “View Full Screen” or “View on YouTube” options.
Chevalier de Saint-George (1745-99)
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 11
In preparation for Delaware County Arts Week 2020, and with support from the Foundation for Delaware, we prepared and performed this symphony by Classical French composer Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George, who was renowned across Europe (and even in America) as a celebrated violin soloist, master swordsman, and brilliant composer, especially in courtly Paris. President John Adams called him “the most accomplished man in Europe,” and his accomplishments are all the more impressive given that he was a Black composer working in 18th century Paris, and faced no small amount of discrimination.
Conducted by Music Director, Dr. Reuben Blundell, the musician’s performances were recorded at home, mostly with cell phone cameras, and were sent through Dropbox and other platforms, before being assembled by Blundell in Adobe Premiere.
The first video is the full presentation for the Delaware County Arts Week, with an introduction by Dr. Blundell and three musicians, the second video is the performance, alone.
Further research into the symphonies of the Chevalier de Saint-George led to the 2021 publication of the Chevalier de Saint-George’s two 1777 symphonies by Artaria Editions, with Reuben Blundell as guest editor.