Okpebholo: Crooked Shanks
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- Composer: Shawn Okpebholo (1981-)
- Instrumentation: Piano
- Work: Crooked Shanks
- Size: 8.9 x 12.0 inches
Description
Crooked Shanks is a solo piano work commissioned by the Newport Classical Music Festival and inspired by the remarkable life of Newport Gardner (born Occramer Marycoo), an enslaved African who became a classically trained musician and the first African American to publish a Western-style composition. Named after his enslaver and the city of his captivity, Gardner overcame tremendous odds—eventually gaining his freedom, achieving success, and returning to Africa. The piece takes its title and inspiration from Gardner's own joyful tune Crooked Shanks, reimagined through my compositional voice. Written for Cuban pianist Aldo López-Gavilán, the work draws on the shared African and Latin musical roots of Gardner, López-Gavilán, and myself. At its heart, the piece is a tribute to resilience, creativity, and the enduring journey toward freedom and home.
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Choral Score
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Set of Parts
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Solo Part with Piano Reduction
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Study Score
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Vocal Score
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Wind Set
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Okpebholo: Crooked Shanks
