In the fall of 2023, Bucks County Choral Society’s Artistic Director Thomas Lloyd penned an article for The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians about whether the choral music space has changed since the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Here, we delve into some of his key points and add some thoughts of our own.
In his article, Lloyd describes how from an early age the idea of classical music being “superior” was ingrained in him. “This repertoire (of classical music) had stood the test of time. It rewarded repeated listening; it required lifelong training and high-level skills.”
Lloyd then walks the reader through the historical context of classical music, explaining how it came from a certain point in time and location and then evolved. Now, he explains, the “popular styles” of music known abroad as “American” music is “actually the product of the descendants of Africans brought here against their will for enslavement and Jewish refugees from the isolated ghettos of Europe.”
Yet, despite the powerful influences of jazz, R&B, hip hop, rap, blues, reggae, and soul on society, the creators of those genres as well as their descendants continued to suffer from systemic racism. Lloyd points out the pivotal moment when society took an inward look at itself and its actions – after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
“All facets of American society, including our choral community, were challenged to take a serious, fresh look at how racial and gender biases have distorted our lives and created injustices that could no longer be swept aside. However, more than two years later, what appeared to be a rare moment of national unity has unfortunately devolved into intensified rancor and division, reminding us of why racial injustice has been our national Achilles’ heel for so long.”
While we agree that there has been a great deal of division about the need to focus on equity in many parts of society and indeed, in the philanthropic sector itself, we are also encouraged by what our grantees are doing to address the issue. We’ve seen that many grantees are finding creative ways to center equity within all aspects of their work including new partnerships, an increased focus on incorporating BIPOC composers’ pieces into programming, finding new ways to reach and connect with communities to discover what they want, and better incorporating youth voice into all aspects of programming and operations. And doing so, as Lloyd points out, not only benefits community and invites people in, but also considers how music itself could benefit from shifting focus from the “superiority” of classical music to understanding it within its own context.
“We just need to see it (classical music) anew as a remarkable and rich tradition from particular times and places rather than as uniquely ordained with a superior universality that diminishes the value of the world’s many other cultural legacies… I think our colleagues outside the exclusive club of White male excellence are opening the door and showing how high art can embody both particularity and universality because of its distinct historical and cultural origins (and the connection of those origins to our lives today). I believe the party awaits if we truly open ourselves to sharing the table with new colleagues who were all but invisible before.”
Lloyd’s thoughtful, reflective, and insightful article encourages all to think about the historical context of classical music and how we can shift our mindset to situate it within its own time and place rather than thinking it is “superior” to other types of music. In doing so, we would welcome others from different musical traditions to “share the stage,” thus leading to expanding the appeal of music and helping connect more to community. Individuals, and the communities in which we live, would be enhanced by understanding the importance of all types of musical traditions and finding ways to connect with people who connect with them.
Thomas Lloyd has served as Artistic Director of the Bucks County Choral Society since 2000, Canon for Music and the Arts at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral since 2010, and is an Emeritus Professor of Music at Haverford College, where he directed the combined choral program for Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges from 1996-2017.
Lloyd was recently named as the recipient of the 2024 Elaine Brown Award for Choral Excellence by the ACDA of Pennsylvania for lifetime achievement in the choral field. As a composer, the recording of his choral-theater work Bonhoeffer by The Crossing was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award in the Best Choral Performance category.
Dr. Lloyd holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory, Yale Divinity School, Yale School of Music, and the University of Illinois. He has led and conducted twelve international choir tours to Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, all involving shared performances with local choirs. For a complete listing of his compositions, articles, and collaborations, go to thomaslloydmusic.com
