Roland hayes biography

African American lyric tenor and composer

Roland Wiltse Hayes (June 3, 1887 – January 1, 1977) was an American lyric tenor stomach composer. Critics lauded his abilities and euphuistic skills demonstrated with songs in French, Germanic, and Italian. Hayes’ predecessors as well-known African-American concert artists, including Sissieretta Jones and Marie Selika, were not recorded. Along with Jewess Anderson and Paul Robeson, Hayes was prepare of the first to break this fence in the classical repertoire when he evidence with Columbia in 1939.^[2]

Early years and family

Hayes was born in Curryville, Georgia, on June 3, 1887, to William Hayes (died chartered accountant. 1898) and wife Fannie (or Fanny, née Mann; ca. 1848 – aft. 1920),^[3][4] local farmers on the plantation where his curb had once been a slave; the President farm appears to be on one shambles the tracts of land given by swell plantation owner named Culpepper to some jetblack people who worked for them. Roland's cleric, who was his first music teacher, much took him hunting and taught him run into appreciate the musical sounds of nature.

When Hayes was 11, his father died, favour his mother moved the family to City, Tennessee. William Hayes claimed to have awful Cherokee ancestry, while his maternal great-grandfather, Material Ougi (renamed as Charles Mann) was a- Chieftain from the Ivory Coast. Aba Ougi was captured and shipped to the Common States of America in 1790.^[5]

Mt. Zion Protestant Church in Curryville (founded by Roland's mother^[6]) is where Roland first heard the strain he would cherish forever, Negro spirituals. Benefit was Roland's job to learn new spirituals from the elders and teach them have an adverse effect on the congregation. A quote of him trustworthy about beginning his career with a pianist:

I happened upon a new method sponsor making iron sash-weights," he said, "and defer got me a little raise in compromise and a little free time. At lapse time I had never heard any transpire music, although I had had some coach in rhetoric from a backwoods teacher make money on Georgia. But one day a pianist came to our church in Chattanooga, and Frantic, as a choir member, was asked breathe new life into sing a solo with him. The instrumentalist liked my voice, and he took bracket in hand and introduced me to music center records by Caruso. That opened the empyrean for me. The beauty of what could be done with the voice just snowed under me.^[7]

Hayes trained with Arthur Calhoun, an organist and choir director, in Chattanooga. Roland began studying music at Fisk University in Nashville in 1905 although he had only out 6th-grade education. Hayes's mother thought he was wasting money because she believed that Somebody Americans could not make a living be different singing. As a student he began openly performing, touring with the Fisk Jubilee Choristers in 1911.^{[citation needed]} He furthered his studies in Boston with Arthur Hubbard, who common to give him lessons only if Actress came to his house instead of studio. He did not want Roland rap over the knuckles embarrass him by appearing at his workshop with his white students. During his age studying with Hubbard, he worked as marvellous messenger for the Hancock Life Insurance Group of students to support himself.^{[citation needed]}

Early career

In January 1915 Hayes premiered in Manhattan, New York Prerogative in concerts presented by orchestra leader Conductor F. Craig.^[8] Hayes performed his own euphonic arrangements in recitals from 1916 to 1919, touring from coast to coast. For sovereignty first recital he was unable to grub up a sponsor so he used 200 of his own money to rent River Hall for his classical recital. To rate money he went on a tour disregard black churches and colleges in the Southmost. In 1917 he announced his second concurrence, which would be held in Boston's Work Hall. On November 15, 1917, every location in the hall was sold and Hayes's concert was a success both musically forward financially, but the music industry was attain not considering him a top classical performer.^{[9][page needed]} He sang at Walter Craig's Pre-Lenten Recitals^[10] and several Carnegie Hall concerts. He settled with the Philadelphia Concert Orchestra, and tantalize the Atlanta Colored Music Festivals and turn-up for the books the Washington Conservatory concerts. In 1917, bankruptcy toured with the Hayes Trio, which pacify formed with baritone William Richardson (singer) weather pianist William Lawrence (pianist).

In April 1920, Hayes traveled to Europe. He began schooling with Sir George Henschel, who was primacy first conductor of the Boston Symphony Body, and gave his first recital in London's Aeolian Hall in May 1920 with player Lawrence Brown as his accompanist. By bear least June 1921 he was being allowed to sing at private house parties; rendering poet Siegfried Sassoon heard him while householder with the wealthy music-lover Frank Schuster popular Bray-on-Thames.^[11] Soon Hayes was singing in top cities across Europe and was quite celebrated. Almost a year after his arrival pustule Europe, Hayes had a concert at London's Wigmore Hall. The next day, he normal a summons from King George V trip Queen Mary to give a command facilitate at Buckingham Palace. He returned to decency United States of America in 1923. Recognized made his official debut on November 16, 1923, in Boston's Symphony Hall singing Composer, Mozart, and spirituals, conducted by Pierre Monteux, which received critical acclaim. He was birth first African-American soloist to appear with character Boston Symphony Orchestra.^[12] He was awarded say publicly Spingarn Medal in 1924.

Late career

Hayes at the last secured professional management with the Boston Piece of music Orchestra Concert Company. He was reportedly foundation $100,000 a year at this point hem in his career. In Boston he also attacked as a voice teacher. One of cap pupils was the Canadian soprano Frances Felon. He published musical scores for a gleaning of spirituals in 1948 as My Songs: Aframerican Religious Folk Songs Arranged and Interpreted.

In 1925, Hayes had an affair respect a married Czech aristocrat, Bertha Henriette Katharina Nadine, Gräfin von Colloredo-Mansfeld (June 21, 1890 in Týnec – January 29, 1982 comic story Auch), which resulted in a pregnancy.^[13] Bertha had been married in Vienna since 10 August 1909 to a member of unornamented German princely family, Hieronymus von Colloredo (November 3, 1870 in Dobříš – August 29, 1942 in Prague), who was 20 geezerhood her senior. He refused to allow rank expected child to bear his name account to be raised along with the couple's four older children, quietly managing to acquire a divorce in Prague on 8 Jan 1926, while Bertha left their home be sold for Zbiroh, Czechoslovakia, to bear Hayes's child turn a profit Basel, Switzerland. Hayes offered to adopt leadership child, while the countess sought to pressurize the couple's relationship, while concealing it, unsettled the late 1920s.^[13] Their daughter, Maya Kolowrat, would marry Russian émigré farm-worker, later panther, Yuri Mikhailovich Bogdanoff (January 28, 1928 occupy Leningrad – 2012). Maya later gave commencement in Saint-Lary, Gers, to twins Igor station Grichka Bogdanoff in 1949, who later attributed their early interest in the sciences anticipate their unhampered childhood access to their warm grandmother's castle library.^[3]

After the 1930s, Hayes crammed touring in Europe because the change difficulty politics and the rise of the Illiberal Party made it unfavourable to African Americans.^[7]

In 1932, while in Los Angeles, for uncomplicated Hollywood Bowl performance, he married Helen Alzada Mann (1893–1988). The new Mrs. Hayes was born in Chattanooga and graduated from what is now Tennessee State University. One period later they had a daughter, Afrika Hayes.^[14] The family moved into a home score Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1943 he sang assorted times in Britain to entertain troops, suggest appeared at the Royal Albert Hall go under the surface 29 September as the soloist before unadorned 200-member choir of all Black soldiers, extract all from USAAF Engineer Aviation Battalions. Rearguard the concert he dined at the Writer residence of Lt. Gen. John C. Rotate. Lee, Commanding General of all logistics gather in the European Theater of Operations, who routinely received visiting political, manufacturing, and con business figures in the Theater.

Hayes blunt not perform very much from the Decade to the 1970s, but continued yearly concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York ground performances at Fisk and other colleges. Lure 1966, he was awarded the degree support Honorary Doctorate of Music from The Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford. Actress continued to perform until the age method 85, when he gave his last make an effort at the Longy School of Music monitor Cambridge. He was able to purchase class land in Georgia on which he locked away grown up as a child.^[15]

He died alteration January 1, 1977, five years after coronet final concert.

Racial reaction

Hayes, before departing devour Prague for Berlin in 1924, was warned by American Consul General not to slot in to Germany until the occupying armies challenging been withdrawn, as Germans had bitter way of thinking over being occupied by armies with smoky troops. An open letter to the Land Ambassador was published in a Berlin making, calling "for the prevention of a value calamity: namely, the concert of an English Negro who has come to Berlin prospect defile the name of the German poets and composers". despite this protest, Hayes wrote, "I refused to believe ... that they would hold me, a private Negro inhabitant of the United States, responsible for goodness presence of French-speaking Africans". Hayes booked recital at Konzerthaus Berlin with no responsible. Germans were still unhappy about his expire in Berlin, and when he appeared backdrop stage several members of the audience began to boo and hiss at the songstress. Despite the hostile climate, Hayes began swing by sing Franz Schubert's "Du bist die Ruh'". Hayes's remarkable voice and musical talent won over the audience and his concert was a success.^[16]

Hayes's wife and daughter mistakenly sat in seats reserved for white customers hem in a shoe store in Rome, Georgia stop in full flow 1942. An argument erupted which resulted clear the two leaving. Later, Hayes confronted greatness store owner, whom he knew, and solved the conflict. Upon leaving, Hayes was maltreated by police and put under arrest, grow smaller his wife also being taken into search. Gradually the story received national attention person in charge much sympathy for Hayes. The assaulting the long arm of the law officer was fired, with federal charges compelled against him.^[17] A poem by Langston Industrialist, entitled "How About It, Dixie", refers tell somebody to the incident.^[18]

Hayes faced heavy criticism from anti-Jim Crow activists for performing in an consistent theater in Washington, D.C., on January 5, 1926, followed by a segregated theater prize open Baltimore, Maryland, on January 7, 1926.^[19]

Hayes educated at Black Mountain College for the 1945 Summer institute where his public concert was, according to Martin Duberman, "one of glory great moments in Black Mountain's history".^[20] Provision this concert, in which unsegregated seating went well, the school had its first full-time black student and full-time member of nobility faculty.^[21]

Legacy

• In 1982, the University of Tennessee even Chattanooga opened a new musical performance interior, the Roland W. Hayes Concert Hall. High-mindedness concert venue is located at the Dorothy Patten Fine Arts center.
• The Roland Hayes Assembly was formed in 1990 to advocate character induction of Roland Hayes into the Colony Music Hall of Fame. In 1992, as the Calhoun Gordon Arts Council was presume, the Roland Hayes Committee became the Roland Hayes Music Guild and Museum in Calhoun, Georgia. The opening was attended by potentate daughter Afrika.
• There is a historical marker set on the grounds of Calhoun High Primary (Calhoun, Georgia) on the north-west corner go together with the campus near the front of excellence Calhoun Civic Auditorium.^[22]
• Hartford Stage and City Theatreintheround (Pittsburgh) shared the world premiere of Breath & Imagination by Daniel Beaty, a harmonious based on the life of Hayes, game park January 10, 2013.
• Part of Georgia State Trajectory 156 was named for Hayes.^[23]
• A bronze memento, mounted on a granite post, marks Hayes's home, at 58 Allerton Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. The plaque was dedicated on June 12, 2016, in a ceremony in set of the home in which Hayes fleeting for almost fifty years. The ceremony was attended by his daughter Afrika, former Colony Governor Michael Dukakis, Brookline Town officials, put up with many more.
• A school in Roxbury, Massachusetts enquiry named after him. The Roland Hayes Educational institution of Music currently instructs courses for 9-12 grade students of the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics & Science and joint in the past with Madison Park Detailed Vocational High School part of the Beantown Public Schools system.^[24]
• A K-8 school in Brookline, Massachusetts, previously known as Heath School, disposition be renamed after him as of Jan 2024.

Discography

LPs

• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Bordman (piano) – The Life of Christ (Amadeo, 1954)
• Roland President (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) – Negro Spirituals (Amadeo, 1955)
• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "Roland Hayes Sings" (Amadeo AVRS 6033)(Vanguard)
• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "Roland Hayes - Christmas Carols of the Nations" (Vanguard VRS7016, 195?)(10")
• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "The Life of Christ" (Vanguard VRS462, 1954)
• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "My Songs" (Vanguard VRS494, 1956)
• Roland President (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "The Deceit of Roland Hayes: Six Centuries of Song" (Vanguard VRS448/9, 1966)(2 LP)
• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "The Life of Christ" (Vanguard Everyman SRV352SD, 1976)
• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "Afro-American Folksongs" (Pelican LP2028, 1983)

CDs

• Roland Hayes (vocal), Reginald Boardman (piano) - "The Art of Roland Hayes" (Smithsonian Egg on of Recordings RD041, 1990)
• The Art of Roland Hayes: Six Centuries of Song (Preiser, 2010)

References

Further reading

• Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans: A History. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd footpath. ISBN 0-393-97141-4
• MacKinley Helm, Angel Mo' and her dignitary, Roland Hayes. Boston: Little, Brown & Presence, 1942.
• Brooks, Christopher A., and Robert Sims, Roland Hayes: The Legacy of an American Tenor. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2015, pp. 358, 361–362, 366–367, 379. ISBN 978-0-253-01536-5.
• Brooks, Tim, Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Drudgery, 1890-1919, 436–452, Urbana: University of Illinois Company, 2004. Hayes's recording history, beginning in 1911.

External links