First up we have “Life Every Voice and Sing” AKA “The Black National Anthem” which was written by brothers James Weldon (a lawyer, writer, activist & NAACP leader) and John Rosamond (a composer & educator) Johnson. This version is performed by The Howard Gospel Choir (https://youtu.be/huXrTXnl2aY?si=dirfNsw_lzcmdcAO)
#RetroView #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackNationalAnthem
Next we have “Bagatelle No. 25 A minor: Für Elise” composed by Ludwig van Beethoven… arranged by multiple award winning (he’s 1 Tony shy of an EGOT) jazzman Jon Batiste (https://youtu.be/-5YRhvH6Uys?si=Vp6as2XTj5asWLl5) from his 2024 album “Beethoven Blues: Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1” (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nfLE4SQMQUp_Lhwy7_MR7cjFmDj9l5zic&si=d4dkbcKUpnbA1kxs), in which he reimagines compositions by Beethoven with a focus on Black American music inparticular Jazz, gospel and Blues.
#JonBatiste #Beethoven #jazz #RetroView

Renée Elise Goldsberry is a DramaDesk and Tony award winning American actress and singer. This is her take on “Those Magic Changes” (https://youtu.be/GQzsWZ3pV2A?si=tifbKF01qfB1W85_) from “Grease”

#ReneeEliseGoldsberry #BlackHistoryMonth #RetroView

Oscar winning trailblazing actress Hattie McDoniel and legendary activist and mutlihyphenate (he was a professional athlete, a lawyer, singer, writer AND actor) Paul Robeson with “Ah Still Suits Me” (https://youtu.be/I9MfCFAcQEE?si=tjZB7gUlgXWU-fZq) from the 1936 film version Show Boat”
#RetroView #HattieMcDaniel #PaulRobeson #BlackHistoryMonth
Concert Bass-Baritone William Warfield with his rendition of “Old Man River” (https://youtu.be/R9If_iA9Aok?si=SNo_dQzc4m0Gh0Hy) He was known not just for his fine voice but also for his performances in films like the 1951 film remake of “Show Boat”
#RetroView #WilliamWarfield #BlackHistoryMonth
Randall Goosby is a violinist and music historian whose work focuses on Black composers. This is his take on “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from The Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” (https://youtu.be/jIxPcEMD7iQ?si=quqPobazakeb-oHV)
#RetroView #RandallGoosby #BlackHistoryMonth
More “Porgy & Bess”? MORE “Porgy & Bess”! This (https://youtu.be/No2zwaibsWg?si=mdBhNI1LMjqFaum0) is the cast of the 2011 revival of the show featuring Audra McDonald as Bess, Norm Lewis as Porgy, David Alan Grier as Sportin' Life. You can listen to the cast recording here (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lAIKqvRuw-durC_ekE6epw6uqf7I76H1c&si=9slpJvkU2NDftKDN)
#RetroView #PorgyAndBess #AudraMcDonald #NormLewis #DavidAlanGrier #BlackHistoryMonth
Cole Thompson is an up and coming musical theater and film actor. “Lost in the Wilderness” (https://youtu.be/dC8qBQgr1cY?si=fR6ERvic4fotLH2G) is from the award winning musical “Children of Eden” 

#RetroView #ColeThompson #BlackHistoryMonth
Tap dancer extraordinaire DeWitt Fleming Jr.and Broadway superstar James Monroe Inglehart with a couple of songs from the Louis Armstrong musical “A Wonderful World” (https://youtu.be/HVPnl6dNWgw?si=DnulDMc_CoOQ-pYs)
#RetroView #DewittFlemingJr #JamesMonroeInglehart #LouisArmstrong #BlackHistoryMonth
Broadway Sessions is a weekly variety show that features broadway talent singing whatever their heart’s feel like. This is a compilation (https://youtu.be/39ZwQLCADK8?si=NcouIBKbk9-DvGnR) featuring young Black talent who have been making their mark on Broadway these past few years (Denée Benton in “The Great Comet”, Allison Somme’s in “The Lion King”, etc.)
#RetroView #BroadwaySessions #BlackHistoryMonth
Canadian-American actress & musician Jewelle Blackman and performer & artistic director Demone Seraphin with a duet of “Sarah Brown Eyes” from “Ragtime” (https://youtu.be/3kQ__sCRfiY?si=jbJveCAb1cFn-emy)
#RetroView #JewelleBlackman #DemoneSeraphin #BlackHistoryMonth
Angel Blue is a Grammy award winning soprano who is most known for her beautiful and incredibly agile voice. This is from her run as Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s “La Traviata” with NYC’s Met Opera (https://youtu.be/VTZyGVN1SQ4?si=r8kD3nI3FgzYjG8C)
#RetroView #AngelBlue #BlackHistoryMonth #opera
Angel Blue - Puccini: Vissi d'arte (The Frederick R. Koch Foundation's Townhouse Series)

YouTube
Six time Tony Award winner, 2 time Grammy winner, and National Medal of Arts recipient Audra McDonald with “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from “The Sound of Music” (https://youtu.be/Y-gcr4dT_jo?si=YdRIAsnL39DmmsCB) Why is she on this playlist twice? Because she’s Audra fucking McDonald that’s why!
#RetroView #AudraMcDonald #BlackHistoryMonth #TheSoundOfMusic
Esteemed literal Diva mezzo-soprano Grace Brumby in the role of Eboli in Verdi’s “Don Carlo” (https://youtu.be/BXFnUE-mXqw?si=N-s-JIMiVhY-EtQN) A role that could break lesser performers due to the power and agility necessary, only cemented her renown as one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century.
#RetroView #GraceBrumby #BlackHistoryMonth #opera
Spinto Soprano Leontyne Price was the first Black soprano to become the Met Opera’s leading performer. She is still with us at 99 years young. Here she is w/a selection from “Aida” (https://youtu.be/MkKGPLlria4?si=0LmVLABlsmAAMfaz) with some help from Luciano Pavarotti
#RetroView #LeontynePrice #BlackHistoryMonth #opera
Taylor Raven is a mezzo-soprano who is quickly making a name for herself on stages all across the world. Here she is with “Seguidilla” from Bizet’s “Carmen” (https://youtu.be/gvJ188vT5WM?si=GCvSMMiV2NFTTb-9)
#RetroView #TaylorRaven #BlackHistoryMonth #opera
John Holiday is a Juilliard School trained countertenor who focuses on the work of Baroque, contemporary and experimental composers. His unique voice and bravado have made him a stand out talent to watch in recent years. Here he is with Verdi’s “Ah Chi’Infelice“. (https://youtu.be/O6MJJrJap8w?si=NurvkyCwSRMhMdhy)
#RetroView #JohnHoliday #BlackHistoryMonth #opera
Legendary mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves recently retired from the stage after over 40yrs of performing. Here she is with “The Lord’s Prayer” (https://youtu.be/JnsO3BBMjA0?si=VCWNKlwnnKiV71i6)
#RetroView #DenyceGraves #BlackHistoryMonth
J’Nai Bridges AKA “The Beyoncé of Opera” a Grammy award winning operatic mezzo-soprano that’s performed for the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and San Francisco Opera. This is one of her signature pieces from “Samson and Delilah” (https://youtu.be/WfpfwS9tCKY?si=jo9onrBAsCzxQFKz)
#RetroView #JNaiBridges #BlackHistoryMonth #opera
Moses Hogan’s “Wade in the Water” performed by The Texas Christian University Concert Choral led by music educator and soprano Gwendolyn Alfred (https://youtu.be/Up735iTbPIY?si=Is4TZZHD3Mn2SImv), who currently teaches at TCU. She’s also a fellow UHouston Moore School of Music trained vocalist who I’m proud to call a friend💕
#RetroView #GwendolynAlfred #BlackHistoryMonth #opera #RetroView
Louise Toppin is a critically acclaimed soprano and well respected professor of vocal pedagogy at UMichigan. Here she is with Summer Storm composed by Margaret Bonds (https://youtu.be/-mYzHGJPxqs?si=c8NK9cM67tTe0EoI)
#RetroView #BlackHistoryMonth #LouiseToppin #MargaretBonds
This is British pianist, composer and musicologist Julian Joseph with Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s “Deep River” (https://youtu.be/p9YsbMy0qAg?si=2L4t2sLOGQf8tbXh)
#RetroView #JulianJoseph #SamuelColeridgeTaylor #BlackHistoryMonth
Baritone, musicologist and UMichigan professor of vocal pedagogy Mark Rucker with a commanding version Florence Price’s “Song to the Dark Virgin” (https://youtu.be/LTshRXxLNCI?si=WANPFdY7tVvQiKpZ)
#RetroView #MarkRuker #BlackHistoryMonth #FlorencePrice
A short medley by The Three Mo’ Tenors AKA Victor Trent Cook, Roderick Dixon and Thomas Young (https://youtu.be/xPPOfeVGq4w?si=_VQQ0nT4A9KcFirP)
#RetroView #BlackHistoryMonth #ThreeMoTenors #VictorTrentCook #RoderickDixon #ThomasYoung
Kathleen Battle is an Operatic Soprano known for her distinctive tone and for being a quintessential Diva of the operatic stage. Here she is with Alicia Keyes in 2013 (https://youtu.be/luC84MvRBeU?si=lSml9u3K4y9iAVq9)
#RetroView #KathleenBattle #BlackHistoryMonth #AliciaKeys #opera
And finally, “The Star Spangled Banner” performed by the greatest coloratura contralto to ever live Marian Anderson (https://youtu.be/_iYcheeUS5A?si=GjJoY5HihqbIckUR)
#RetroView #MarianAnderson #BlackHistoryMonth #opera #NationalAnthem
@analgesicsleep An alumni from my high school. She had left the year before I went there, but already you could tell she was the real deal. #RetroView