The Paul Robeson House of Princeton Podcast: Pride Month Celebration - Lawrence Benjamin Brown

[Music] thank you thank you for joining the Paul Robeson House of Princeton for our June 2023 podcast we are very happy to share our single goal with you to make Robeson a household name June is black music month and pride month on the eve of Juneteenth we amplify the social justice mission of the Paul Robeson House of Princeton and celebrate the contributions of lgbtq plus people as we look back on the historical Legacy of one of the classical genres of black music in America the Negro spiritual we pause to recognize The Talented composer musician and Robeson accompanist Lawrence Benjamin Brown we will read biographical Notes From The Lawrence Brown papers currently archived at the Schomburg Center for research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library Lawrence Benjamin Brown was a composer pianist and a ranger born in Jacksonville Florida on August 28 1893 Brown was raised by his father Clark Benjamin Brown son of a former slave and his stepmother senior Brown's natural mother died when he was only three years old while still a small child Brown received his first music lessons under the instruction of William Riddick exhibiting remarkable Talent he was sent to Boston to study in 1920 further studies took him to London's Trinity College one of Brown's teachers in composition in London was Amanda Aldridge daughter of the great tradition Ira Aldridge the first Othello Brown's natural ability to compose and arrange as well as sing and play the piano made him an outstanding asset to the music world in 1916 Brown made his debut as accompanist to the famous tenor Sydney Woodward soon after Roland Hayes another renowned tenor selected Brown as accompanist and the two toured abroad from 1918 to 1923. during their professional association Brown was awarded as great and acclaimed as Hayes in April 1921 Brown and Roland Hayes appeared before the king and queen of England at Buckingham Palace Brown spent the fall of 1925 in folk song Research delving into the history of black music his research took him deep into the southern parts of the United States where he was so inspired by the songs of the workmen on the wharves and in the fields that he began to arrange numerous traditional spirituals more than 30 of these Arrangements have been published Brown is known for seeking to preserve every detail of black music in Rhythm and content spirituals arranged by Brown include Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho steal away Swing Low Sweet Chariot Little David and Ezekiel Saw the Wheel which have become traditions in folk and religious lore in addition to the spirituals Lawrence Brown also arranged compositions for shallow and piano and violin and piano as well as the voice he played some of his arrangements for Beatrice Harrison acclaimed cellists at Wigmore Hall in England in 1923. Paul Robeson was the first to use Brown's Arrangements of spirituals at a recital in the Greenwich Village Theater on April 19 1925. this event marked the beginning of a long and successful Association which lasted for over 35 years until 1968. the spirituals arranged and played by Lawrence Brown in sung by Paul Robeson sometimes with vocal Harmony from Brown have become Legend the Robeson Brown recitals were performed in New York London Paris and the British Isles the pair appeared before royalty including the king of Spain the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of York Brown and Robeson also recorded together for RCA Victor records foreign Robson toured with the Uso camp performing for troops abroad Lawrence Brown never married and died in Harlem Hospital on December 25th 1972 at 79 years of age he had spent the last 47 years of his life in Harlem [Music] the Robeson House of Princeton will join our Community Partners for the reading of Frederick douglass's what to the slave is the Fourth of July see the Princeton public library for more information we invite you to join us again next month when we check in on our roads and tomato campaign with local farmer Tamia McQueen thank you for listening [Music] scars [Music] you showed me that no one is ever too far