I received the following note from Lionel and am sharing the good news with you here. The Coleridge-Taylor score has been updated by Michael Repper and released as a second edition. It is now in the public domain. Lionel and Patrick received special mention in the score’s Dedication as well as the Editor’s Note. – JPMD

Another update suitable for a mention on the website, I think.

As Mike Repper wrote in his note in the CD booklet, “Our project promotes the legacy of one of the greatest composers from the turn of the 20th century and aims to share his music as widely as possible.”

It was always Mike’s plan to create modern performance editions (scores and parts) for Toussaint L’Ouverture, the Ballade, Op.4, and the Suite from 24 Negro Melodies, all from the composer’s original manuscripts. As I have said before, usually when a world premiere performance of an orchestral work is being given, the composer is on hand to help clear up any inconsistencies or typos but that was not possible in this case of course. The only alternative was to try it out using live orchestras!

Mike has now finalised these editions which, in addition to being available through his own website, he has uploaded onto IMSLP, also known as The Petrucci Music Library, a site which holds public domain scores (as of 25th September ’25, 825,000 of them!) for anyone to download and use for performances. This is the download link which will take you to the PDF file of the complete score.

Mike has graciously included this dedication in the score of the Suite from 24 Negro Melodies, which I share with his blessing:

“This edition is dedicated to the musicians of the National Philharmonic, Northern Neck Orchestra, and Ashland Symphony, who were instrumental in fine-tuning the scores and parts in preparation for publication. It is also dedicated to Lionel Harrison and the late Patrick Meadows, who first uncovered the manuscripts for this work at the British Library, and who made this project possible in the first place.

Second Edition: September 25, 2025.”

Mike further adds as part of his Editor’s Note: “We owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to Lionel Harrison and Patrick Meadows, Coleridge-Taylor experts and scholars, who found the manuscripts for this gem of an orchestral suite at the British Library. Without them, it is possible that this suite may never have been uncovered”.

As you know, Patrick’s (and my) sole aim in producing type-set editions of all those scores and parts over the years was to promote and facilitate performances of music that would otherwise remain unheard and just gathering dust on library shelves. This project is, of course, just the sort that he would have delighted in and while I’m happy to see it reach this stage, I’m confident that as a result of Mike’s efforts and initiative, it will develop further with more performances by other orchestras and conductors.

Best regards, as always,

Lionel.

Lionel

Lionel was close friend and musical collaborator with Patrick.