In a pair of old photos outside the Academy's Library of the class of 1918, there are two black students – composer and multi-instrumentalist Edmund T Jenkins and mezzo-soprano Evelyn Dove. In this episode, Anna Picard explores who they were, how they both forged successful careers and what their stories tell us about ‘high’ and ‘low’ art at that moment in history. We bring Edmund and Evelyn's worlds to life with rare recordings of their music, and we hear from Edmund’s great-nephew, who is keeping his music alive for a new generation.
Presenter: Anna Picard
Producer: Natalie Steed
Contributors: Stephen Bourne, Melissa Doody, Julius P Williams, Allyson Devenish, Tuffus Zimbabwe
Executive Producers, Royal Academy of Music: George Chambers, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Safi Schlicht
Featured music:
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue performed by the Academy Symphony Orchestra with Edward Gardner and Adrian Brendel (piano)
Busse, Johnson and Mueller Wang Wang Blues performed by Jack Hylton’s Jazz Band (restored masters provided by Bear Family Records)
Spiritual arr Burleigh I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray performed by Evelyn Dove (restored masters provided by Bear Family Records)
Gershwin The Man I Love performed by Academy students Imogen Churchill (vocals), Toby Yapp (double bass), Scottie Thompson (piano)
Coleridge-Taylor Nonet performed by Royal Academy of Music Students
Jenkins arr T Zimbabwe Folk Rhapsody performed by Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra with Julius P Williams
Shields/Ragas Clarinet Marmalade performed by James Rees Europe’s 369th US Infantry ‘Hell Fighters’ Band
Jenkins arr Plush Charlestonia performed by Studio orchestra & Philip Brunelle (Conductor)
Jenkins arr Tuffus Zimbabwe Dance of Love performed by Tuffus Zimbabwe
Composer and composition unknown performed by Jenkins Orphanage Band
Kern The Bullfrog Patrol performed by Queen’s Dance Orchestra featuring Edmund T Jenkins (restored masters provided by Bear Family Records)
Spiritual arr Laurence Brown Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit performed by Evelyn Dove (restored masters provided by Bear Family Records)
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