Recognition

A story about the legacy of Black classical music in Britain and the life of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure. The colour of the sonicBlack notesvoice meeting voicepiercing through timeAt a prestigious music college, where most of her classmates are white, wealthy, and obliviously privileged, Song struggles to relate to the traditional syllabus. When she discovers the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, she learns of the legacy of Black classical music in Britain.

His captivating scores inspire her, but the negative voices in her mind still threaten to drown them out. As Samuel's story unfolds alongside Song's own, Recognition asks how we can acknowledge and celebrate those who came before. Amanda Wilkin's beautiful play, co-created with Rachael Nanyonjo and produced by Talawa Theatre Company, premiered at Talawa Studios in Fairfield Halls, London, in June 2023, as part of This is Croydon, London Borough of Culture.