Danse Negre from “African Suite” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Arranged for Flute Choir by Paige Dashner Long
Instrumentation: piccolo, 5 c flutes, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute
Score and parts
Coleridge-Taylor spent his childhood in Croydon, Surrey, England, where he studied violin with his grandfather and also sang in the church choir. At 15, he was accepted to the Royal College of Music, where during his second year, he changed his major from violin to composition. At the age of 20, he met the African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, who encouraged him to focus on his African heritage. As a result, Coleridge composed his African Suite for piano in 1898, each of the four movements depicting different African experiences.
Scored for piccolo, 1-5 c flutes, alto flute, bass flute and optional contrabass flute, Danse Negre is a delight for both the performer and the audience. If one player per part, use the contrabass Ffute, bass flutes should play lower divisi notes.
