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

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

violinist, and choral conductor.

Early life and educational career

Noel Da Costa was born on 24 December 1929

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

to parents from

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

, who were

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

. After returning to Jamaica while Da Costa was young, they emigrated to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, living in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

. It was here that he started violin lessons with Barnabas Istok at the age of 11.Lucius R. Wyatt, "Noel Da Costa". '' Grove Music'' Online. (subscription required) 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 Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...

in 1952 and his Master's in

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

and composition at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1956, studying with

Otto Luening Otto Clarence Luening (June 15, 1900 – September 2, 1996) was a German-American composer and conductor, and an early pioneer of tape music and electronic music. Luening was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to German parents, Eugene, a conducto ...

and

Jack Beeson Jack Hamilton Beeson (July 15, 1921 – June 6, 2010) was an American composer. He was known particularly for his operas, the best known of which are ''Lizzie Borden'', ''Hello Out There!'', and ''The Sweet Bye and Bye''. Early life Born in Muncie ...

. He studied with Luigi Dallapiccola in

Florence, Italy Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

under a

Fulbright Fellowship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

, and shortly thereafter in 1961 took positions teaching at

Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...

and the

City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...

. In 1970 he accepted a position at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

, 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. He was an accomplished violinist, playing his own works as well as both classical and jazz music; he played on albums by

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (born September 23, 1935) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist.Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler (2007), ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 448. Oxford University Press. Early life Les McCann was born in ...

, Roland Kirk,

Bernard Purdie Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the Billboard Magazine, ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like M ...

, McCoy Tyner,

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

, Felix Cavaliere, Willis Jackson, Eddie Kendricks, and others. His first music set to poetry being ''Tambourines'' by

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

. He also worked with choral groups, becoming the director of the Triad Choral in 1974, and played with both

Symphony of the New World The Symphony of the New World was a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It was the first racially integrated orchestra in the United States. The Symphony gave its debut concert on 6 May 1965 at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Benjamin Steinb ...

and several orchestras on

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

productions. Da Costa's works are marked by an infusion of elements of

, Caribbean music, and

African music Given the vastness of the African continent, its music is diverse, with regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions. African music includes the genres amapiano, Jùjú, Fuji, Afrobeat, Highlife, Makossa, Kizomba, and others. The ...

into the framework of Western classical music. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' has described his music as "conservatively

chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair, ...

." As well as exploring Caribbean musical traditions and black American spirituals Da Costa also explored freely atonal music and

serialism In music, serialism is a method of Musical composition, composition using series of pitches, rhythms, dynamics, timbres or other elements of music, musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, thou ...

, as seen in his Five Verses/With Vamps (1968), Occurrence for Six (1965) and Four Preludes (1973) for trombone and piano. Among DaCosta's students is Nkeiru Okoye.

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 Carol Douglas (born April 7, 1948) is an American singer whose hit " Doctor's Orders" (1974) was a pioneering track in the disco genre. Early life and acting career Carol Douglas was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, United ...

, ''Come into My Life'' (

Midland Midland may refer to: Places Australia * Midland, Western Australia Canada * Midland, Albert County, New Brunswick * Midland, Kings County, New Brunswick * Midland, Newfoundland and Labrador * Midland, Ontario India * Midland Ward, Kohima, Nagal ...

, 1979) * Felix Cavaliere, '' Felix Cavaliere'' (Bearsville, 1974) *

, '' Chapter Two'' (Atlantic, 1970) * Willis Jackson, ''Plays with Feeling'' (Cotillion, 1976) * Eddie Kendricks, ''Vintage '78'' (Arista 1978) * Webster Lewis, ''On the Town'' (Epic, 1976) *

, ''

Much Les ''Much Les'' is an album by jazz pianist Les McCann, recorded in 1968, and was his first released, in 1969, on the Atlantic label. Reception AllMusic gives the album 5 stars stating "One of Les McCann's greatest albums, ''Much Les'' encapsulat ...

'' (Atlantic, 1969) *

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...

, ''Soul Improvisations'' (Buddah, 1972) * Gwen McCrae, ''Gwen McCra''e (Atlantic, 1981) *

, '' Soul Is... Pretty Purdie'' (Flying Dutchman, 1972) *

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...

, ''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 ''The Cry of My People'' is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp released in 1972 on the Impulse! label. The album features performances by Shepp with gospel singers, big bands, quintets, sextets, and chamber orchestras. The AllM ...

'' (Impulse!, 1973) *

Sister Sledge Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. ...

, '' Circle of Love'' (ATCO, 1975) *

Charles Tolliver Charles Tolliver (born 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and co-founder of Strata East Records. Biography Tolliver was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1942 and moved with his family to New York City when he was 10. During his chi ...

, ''

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Impact ...

'' (1972) *

The Tymes The Tymes are an American soul vocal group who enjoyed equal success in the United Kingdom and in their homeland. They are one of the few acts to have one and only one chart-topper in both the US and UK with different songs. Early career The ...

, ''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

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:DaCosta, Noel 1929 births 2002 deaths 20th-century violinists 20th-century male musicians 20th-century classical composers Jamaican expatriates in Nigeria Emigrants from British Jamaica to the United States Jazz violinists Male classical composers Male jazz musicians Musicians from Lagos MacDowell Colony fellows