The Town Hall and Con Edison to Celebrate Black History Month With Virtual, On-Demand Curriculum

The Town Hall and Con Edison will celebrate Black History Month with a virtual, on-demand curriculum aimed at enriching arts education of the nation's students.

Celebrating the centennial of The Town Hall and their 25th anniversary of Black History Month offerings, this all virtual, on-demand curriculum celebrates Black excellence. This year, they have collaborated with Harlem School of the Arts, founded by soprano Dorothy Maynor, who made her debut at The Town Hall and was a dedicated advocate of accessible arts education and world-class training.

In the past, The Town Hall would host an in-person concert performance of works by Black composers, but that wasn't possible this year because of COVID. Instead, they have filmed a classical music concert of works by Black composers, and produced an educational video with an accompanying digital study guide and TikTok video. Teachers, then, have a complete package to make a lesson out of this content for Black History Month in their classroom.

The concert was performed by the Harlem Chamber Players, and filmed at the Harlem School of the Arts, Dorothy Maynor Hall. The composers featured on the program are all Black; some are from the 18th century and some are alive today.

The program spans the 1700s, 1800, 1900s, and early 2000s and was curated by Liz Player, Founding Executive and Artistic Director of Harlem Chamber Players & WQXR's Terrance McKnight, who hosted the program.

The concert program is as follows:

Chevalier de Saint-Georges, composer

(French, December 25, 1745 - June 10, 1799) String Quartet No.5 in G Major, 1st Movement (1777)

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, composer

(English, August 15, 1875 - September 1, 1912) Nonet, 1st movement, Allegro Energico (1893)

Florence Price, composer

(American, April 9, 1887 - June 3, 1953) String Quartet in G Major, 2nd movement, Andante Moderato (1929)

Coleridge-Tavlor Perkinson, composer

(American, June 14, 1932- March 9, 2004) Louisiana Blues Strut for Solo Violin (2002)

Jessie Montgomery, composer

(American. December & 1981-) Strum (2006: revised 2012)

The concert video also features interviews and instrumental demos from the musicians themselves and includes opening messages of support from Council Member Shaun Abreu, of Harlem School of the Arts' District 7 and from the Office of the Public Advocate Jumaane Williams who is alumni of Harlem School of the Arts.

Along with the performance video and accompanying study guide, the curriculum also features a Tik Tok by Kahlil Greene, the first Black Yale University student body president and "The Gen Z Historian."

New York City students who engage with the on-demand video and study guide are also eligible to enter The Town Hall's poster and essay contest to win cash prizes. Entries should be in the form of a one-page essay or illustration answering the question "What, to you, is the meaning or legacy of Black people in the classical music tradition?"

All contest entries should be sent to bhm@thetownhall.org by Friday, March 31 and the subject line should include "Contest BHM 2022" as well as entry type (poster or essay). Please include:

· Student name

· Teacher name & contact information

· School & Grade

Questions can be directed to bhm@thetownhall.org or 212-997-1003 x17