Noel DaCosta

Noel G. Da Costa (24 December 1929 – 29 April 2002) was a Nigerian-Jamaican composer, jazz violinist, and choral conductor.

Early life and educational career Noel Da Costa was born on 24 December 1929 Lagos, Nigeria to parents from Kingston, Jamaica, who were Salvation Army missionaries. After returning to Jamaica while Da Costa was young, they emigrated to New York City, living in Harlem. While in High School, he was inspired by one of his teachers to work in an artistic field.

Da Costa completed his Bachelor's at Queens College in 1952 and his Master's in theory and composition at Columbia University in 1956, studying with Otto Luening and Jack Beeson. He studied with Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence, Italy, under a Fulbright Fellowship, and shortly thereafter in 1961 took positions teaching at Hampton University and the City University of New York. In 1970 he accepted a position at Rutgers University, where he taught until 2001. He died the following year at the age of 72.

Musical career Da Costa was also a co-founder of the Society of Black Composers. His first music set to poetry being Tambourines by Langston Hughes. He also worked with choral groups, becoming the director of the Triad Choral in 1974, and played with both Symphony of the New World and several orchestras on Broadway theatre productions.

Da Costa's works are marked by an infusion of elements of jazz, Caribbean music, and African music into the framework of Western classical music. The New York Times has described his music as "conservatively chromatic." As well as exploring Caribbean musical traditions and black American spirituals Da Costa also explored freely atonal music and serialism, as seen in his Five Verses/With Vamps (1968), Occurrence for Six (1965) and Four Preludes (1973) for trombone and piano.

Personal life Da Costa was married to his wife Patricia, with whom he had a son and a daughter.

Discography As sideman Ray Bryant, MCMLXX (Atlantic, 1970) Carol Douglas, Come into My Life (Midland, 1979) Felix Cavaliere, Felix Cavaliere (Bearsville, 1974) Roberta Flack, Chapter Two (Atlantic, 1970) Willis Jackson, Plays with Feeling (Cotillion, 1976) Eddie Kendricks, Vintage '78 (Arista 1978) Webster Lewis, On the Town (Epic, 1976) Les McCann, Much Les (Atlantic, 1969) Van McCoy, Soul Improvisations (Buddah, 1972) Gwen McCrae, Gwen McCrae (Atlantic, 1981) Bernard Purdie, Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (Flying Dutchman, 1972) Lou Rawls, Now Is the Time (Epic, 1982) Ray, Goodman & Brown, Ray, Goodman & Brown II (Polydor, 1980) Ray, Goodman & Brown, Stay (Polydor, 1981) Archie Shepp, The Cry of My People (Impulse!, 1973) Sister Sledge, Circle of Love (ATCO, 1975) Charles Tolliver, Impact (1972) The Tymes, Diggin' Their Roots (RCA Victor, 1977) McCoy Tyner, Song of the New World (Milestone, 1973) Sadao Watanabe, Rendezvous (Elektra, 1984)

Works

Dramatic The Cocktail Sip (op, 1, T. Brewster), 1958 Dreamer Behind the Garden Gate (P. Da Costa), 1991 Wakeupworld (C. Cullen), 1991 3 theatre pieces for children (1971–4) 3 film scores (1975–86)

Vocal

Choral Little Lamb (Da Costa, after W. Blake: The Lamb), SATB, 1952 Let Down the Bars O Death (E. Dickinson), SSATB, 1957 We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder (spiritual), arr. SAATBB, 1962 The Last Judgement (J.W. Johnson), narrator, SSA, piano, percussion, 1964 2 Shaker Songs (Lord's Prayer), SATB, 1964 2 Prayers of Kierkegaard (S. Kierkegaard), SA, children's chorus, organ, 1966 The Confession Stone (cant., O. Dodson), S, SSA, instrumental ensemble, piano, 1969 Five/Seven, SSA, organ, 1969 Counterpoint (Dodson), S, A, T, B, SSATB, organs (2) piano, 1970 Tambourines (L. Hughes), children's chorus, piano, bass guitar, 1970 I Have a Dream (M.L. King), SATB, orchestra or organ, 1971 O God of Light and Love (G. Bass), 1971 A Ceremony of Spirituals, S, chorus, soprano and tenor saxophone, orchestra, 1976 Sermon on the Warpland (G. Brooks), narrator, Tenor, Baritone, chorus, organ, 1979 Generations (P. Da Costa), narrator, dancers, chorus, percussion, 1985 Second Sermon on the Warpland (Brooks), narrator, solo vv, chorus, piano, 1989

Solo 2 Songs (L. Hughes), Soprano, piano, 1955 5 Epitaphs (C. Cullen), Soprano, string quartet, 1956 In the Landscape of Spring (Zen Rinzai poems), Mezzo soprano, instrumental ensemble, 1962, rev. 1963 4 Glimpses of Night (F. Marshall), Baritone, instrumental ensemble, 1964 4 Haiku Settings (Kobayashi Issa, Taigi, Ryota, Chine Jo), Soprano, piano, 1964 Vocalise, S, 1972 Beyond the Years (P.L. Dunbar), Soprano, organ, 1973 My People (Hughes), Mezzo soprano, piano, 1974 November Song (concert scene, Brooks), Soprano, violin, sax, piano, 1974 Prayer of Steel (C. Sandburg), Baritone, piano, 1975 Dream Thoughts (Hughes), Tenor, piano, 1982 In the Quiet of …, vocalise, Soprano, viola, vibraphone, 1985 Blues Lyrics (R. Patterson), Bass-Baritone, piano, 1989–90

Instrumental Ensemble Generata, organ, string orchestra, 1958 Epigrams, instrumental ensemble, 1965 Occurrence for Six, instrumental ensemble, 1965 5 Verses/With Vamps, cello, piano, 1968 Blue Mix, solo db/electric bass, cello, double bass, percussion, 1970 Quietly … Vamp It and Tag It, orchestra, 1971 Time … On and On, Soprano, violin, tenor sax, tape, 1971 Jes' Grew, violin, electric piano, 1973 4 Preludes, trombone, piano, 1973 Magnolia Blue, violin, piano, 1975 Ukom Memory Songs, organ, percussion, 1981 Primal Rites, drum, orchestra, 1983 Blue Memories, orchestra, 1987

Solo Maryton, org, 1955 Silver Blue, flute, 1966 3 Short Pieces, alto flute, 1968 Chili'-Lo, organ, 1971 Triptich, organ, 1973 Spiritual Set, organ, 1974

Reference list