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Sounds for the Sanctuary:
The Sacred Choral Music of
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Through a Creative Liturgical Lens
DONTÉ FORD
he output of Black musicians is uniquely peculiar
and significant as it relates to the church—
T specifically, the Black church and its various
members—and its fostering of musical gifts. While not a
product of the Black church in the traditional sense, Samuel
Coleridge-Taylor was indeed a musician whose contribution
to the practice of church music, mainly through sacred
choral compositions, should not be overlooked. They are
arguably his chief contribution to this institution in which
his musical gift was nurtured as a young musical apprentice.
This article explores the sacred choral music of Samuel
Coleridge-Taylor through a liturgical lens, providing an
overview of the composer’s background in the church and
a survey of several anthems.
CHORAL JOURNAL June/July 2025 Volume 65 Number 9 7
