Coleridge-Taylor of Freetown
Wednesday 13th May 2026, 7:00 PM at Bread & Roses Theatre, 68 Clapham Manor Street, Clapham, London, SW4 6DZ.
Programme
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – Songs and piano pieces
Avril Coleridge-Taylor – Who knows?
Tayo Aluko – Rise Up, Mother Africa! (arr. Deirdre Pascall)
Performers
Tayo Aluko – baritone
Sonum Batra – piano
Programme Note
It’s January 1999.
George Coleridge-Taylor, retired Sierra Leonean diplomat, finds himself trapped in Fourah Bay College when the civil war that has been ravaging the country reaches Freetown. In hiding, he reflects on his and his country’s stories, wondering if he dares defend the woman captured by the fearsome rebels.
His imagination takes him to more peaceful climes, where he sings the beautiful songs of his famous uncle, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
CONTAINS ALLUSIONS TO, AND SUGGESTIONS OF, GENDER-BASED AND WAR VIOLENCE, AND ONE PROFANITY
Written and performed by Tayọ Aluko
Directed by Mojisọla Kareem
Scheduled in recognition of the global campaign: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
Trailer: https://youtu.be/ueRLZMtTQgY