Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
is one of the most famous
Croydon people ever.

He played his first violin
as a child in Waddon.

His talent took him
to the Royal College of Music
and on to a career
as a musician and composer.

Samuel faced intense racism
at every stage of his career.

"I loved to listen to his music
and I loved to watch
the way he was writing
and I think he rather liked to feel
his little girl
was sitting by the side of him
by the piano."

You are now listening to music
from 'Hiawatha's Wedding'
written by Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

His father Dr Daniel Taylor
came from Sierra Leone to
study in London. This is
where he met Coleridge-Taylor's
mother Alice Martin.

Coleridge-Taylor was inspired
by his black heritage and
used themes from spirituals.
Spirituals are religious songs
created by enslaved Africans.

This influence can be heard in
the overture to Hiawatha's
Wedding-Feast; his most
popular work.

To find out more about the life of
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and to
view some of his music you can
visit the Research Room.

The Research Room is on the
lower ground floor of the Clocktower,
It is open Tuesday-Saturday
10:30am-5pm.