The Distinctive Voice of Thomas H. Kerr

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We would like to thank Susanna Garcia for this article about composer Thomas H. Kerr. To learn more and purchase Thomas H. Kerr Jr.’s Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?: Concert Scherzo for Two Pianos, Four Hands, click here.To read the full article, click here.

Thomas Henderson Kerr Jr. (January 3, 1915–August 26, 1988) was an American classical pianist, organist, teacher, and composer. His works were performed by some of the leading African American artists of his era and his spiritual arrangements were performed and recorded by Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman.

Yet, the extent of his influence is seldom acknowledged. Despite composing over 120 works for piano, organ, voice, chorus, and other ensembles, none were published during his lifetime. His manuscripts, preserved at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture,¹ reflect a largely forgotten legacy. Fortunately, recent publications and recordings have renewed interest in his music.

In 2022, I explored Kerr’s archives at the Schomburg Center, uncovering manuscripts, correspondence, recital programs, and a master catalog of works. This article highlights Kerr’s life and contributions to piano literature.

Biographical Information²

Thomas H. Kerr Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He began his musical journey early, learning piano and teaching himself the organ. By fourteen, he was playing at Metropolitan United Methodist Church³ and local nightclubs, developing strong improvisational skills.

At Frederick Douglass High School, he studied with W. Llewellyn Wilson, who also taught musicians like Eubie Blake and Cab Calloway. Denied admission to the Peabody Institute due to racial barriers, Kerr attended Howard University for a year before transferring to the Eastman School of Music, earning three degrees and graduating summa cum laude. At Eastman, he studied piano with Cécile Genhart (1898–1983).

In 1943, Kerr became professor and chair of the piano department at Howard University, retiring in 1976. He performed at venues like the Phillips Collection and as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Notably, he was the first African American to give a recital at the National Gallery of Art.⁴ He also served as organist at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ for over thirty-five years.

Kerr raised two children, Judith Elaine Kerr and Thomas Henderson Kerr III, with his first wife, Norma McAllister Kerr (1922–1991). His second wife, Hortense Reid Kerr (1926–2002), was a piano professor at Howard University and actively promoted his music and legacy.⁵

Kerr died on August 26, 1988, following an automobile accident and is buried near Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Compositional Style and Output

To me music first and foremost and forever, is a language to speak directly to the hearts of the listeners.

– Thomas Henderson Kerr Jr.⁶

Kerr was a master of contemporary musical styles, crafting a distinctive voice that integrated twentieth-century modernist techniques with the rich traditions of African American spirituals, blues, and jazz. Kerr describes his own musical style as “conservative,” rejecting serialism and atonality.⁷

Jane Fitz-Fitzharris, writing about his organ and piano works states:

The musical language of Thomas Kerr, Jr. uniquely reflected the African-American experience. His forms and styles were classically European but at the same time he incorporated elements of African music as well as spirituals and American jazz. . .Kerr’s output shows pluralistic influences. For example, his use of the ostinato technique reflects the rhythmic richness/complexity of African music; his use of formal structures such as theme and variations reflect European style; and his inclusion of the spiritual was African-American.⁸

Kerr’s catalogue lists nine solo piano works, five for two pianos, three for piano four-hands, various hymn settings, and simplified arrangements composed between 1937 and 1973. These are listed at the end of this article.

Kerr composed for himself and for prominent pianists in his community, reflecting the high regard in which he was held by his peers. These compositions are marked by artistic sophistication and technical complexity, tailored to the performers’ high caliber.

• William Duncan Allen (1906–1999), renowned collaborative pianist for artists like Paul Robeson and Todd Duncan, was the dedicatee of Caprice Carillon and performed Joy (Prelude in E-flat) in concert. Allen admired Joy so much that he shared it with André Watts and considered sending it to Vladimir Horowitz.⁹
• Natalie Hinderas (1927–1987), concert pianist and professor, was the dedicatee of Caprice on Two Dance Themes (Toccatina) (1960) and Scherzino: Easter Monday Swagger (1970). Hinderas, a pioneering figure for Black pianists in classical music, included Scherzino on her 1971 recording Natalie Hinderas Pianist Plays Music by Black Composers.
• Sylvia Olden Lee (1917–2004) opera coach and Kerr’s duo-piano partner, was the dedicatee of Temportrait I (Toccata) and two duo-piano arrangements. In 1954, she became the first African American vocal coach at the Metropolitan Opera.
• Delphin and Romain Piano Duo: Wilfred Delphin (b. 1949) and Edwin Romain (1950–1995), an internationally renowned piano duo, were the first African American piano team on the professional circuit. They championed Concert Scherzo: Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel? during the 1980s, performing it at prestigious venues like the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.

Kerr also maintained a private studio, composing works tailored to his students’ needs and reflecting his attentiveness to their unique skills. His most ambitious pedagogical work was Dancétudes: 7 Vignettes of Dolls and Pets, written for his daughter, Judith (Judy) Kerr.

Until 2024, none of his piano compositions had been published. This discussion focuses on the three piano works that are now accessible due to their recent publication.

We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Susanna Garcia’s article, “The Distinctive Voice of Thomas H. Kerr.” You can read the entire article by clicking here.

Notes

¹ Thomas Henderson Kerr Jr. Papers (Sc MG 763). Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division of the New York Public Library. archives.nypl.org/scm/23943#overview

² A Catalogue of the Compositions and Arrangements of Thomas Henderson Kerr, Jr. (1915–1988), complied by Constance Tibbs Hobson and Cynthia A. Reid, 2005. Kerr Papers, Box 5, Folder 1.

³ “Thomas H. Kerr Jr Dies, Howard Music Professor” The Baltimore Sun. August 30, 1988.

⁴ “At 90, Kerr has ‘been somebody’ a long time” The Baltimore Sun. May 20, 1978.

⁵ Hortense Reid Kerr’s papers are located at the Kerr Papers, Box 14.

⁶ Thomas H. Kerr Jr., interview by Sharon Barron, April 24, 1980, transcript, 4–5. Kerr Papers, Box 1, Folder 1

⁷ Kerr, Interview by Barron, 4.

⁸ Kane Fitz-Fitzharris. “Compositional Techniques in Thomas Kerr, Jr.’s ‘Anguished American Easter, 1968’ and Their Application to the Theme of African-American Theology.” (DMA diss., Louisiana State University, 2006.) 6.

⁹ William Duncan Allen letter to Thomas H. Kerr Jr., February 8, 1982. Kerr Papers, Box 1, Folder 4.

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