The Black British composer who broke America  

One of the first black students at the Royal College of Music in 1890, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor would go on to compose some of the most-loved music of his time and ‘break’ America. Despite this global success, Coleridge-Taylor made his home in Croydon, where a blue plaque now marks his former home at Dagnall Park, Selhurst.   

But who was this musical genius?  

English Heritage’s Howard Spencer, broadcaster Petroc Trelawney and equity and musicology scholar Joquan Johnson join Amy to share his story. They reveal political, patriotic and powerful themes in Coleridge-Taylor’s music, from collaborations with civil rights campaigners to innovative uses of heritage melodies and rhythms, and how his work is finding new audiences and meanings today. 

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