Professor Emeritus Henry Santos put on a bravura demonstration for a near-capacity Horace Mann Auditorium audience, performing the music of three little-known composers.
“The Piano Recital of New Orleans Composers of Color” featured a selection of solo pieces composed by Basile Barès, Sidney Lambert and Lucien Lambert. The goal of the program was, in the words of Professor Santos, “to bring the music off the shelf and into the public domain.”
Professor Santos taught music full-time at Bridgewater from 1971 until his retirement in 1999, and part time for several more years. He has performed and studied in Europe as well as the United States. His “Psalm 64,” which is dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his roommate at Boston University, was debuted at Bridgewater and later performed at the Rhode Island Statehouse to mark the first celebration of the holiday dedicated to the slain Civil Rights leader.
Introducing Professor Santos, President Dana Mohler-Faria paid tribute to the master pianist, bestowing upon him the honorific, “our composer.”
The performance had been in the works for many years, with Professor Santos studying the composers and their work. The preparation paid off handsomely: Upon both his introduction and the completion of the program, Professor Santos received a standing ovation.
See the full performance below.
(Photos by David K. Wilson, ’71, story by John Winters, G ’11, University News)
Video courtesy of TVS
