The Center for Black Music Research Collection contains materials that reflect many areas of Black music including collections from composers, ethnomusicologists, music researchers, music journalists, and also scores, published music, and audiovisual collections across all genres. These collection guides, or finding aids, provide access to materials held in archival special collections. The guide describes the organization and offers content information so researchers can discover relevant information.
Many musical works listed in these guides are handwritten; those listed with a publisher's name are printed. Please check the guides for more information.
Additional guides will be added as they are completed..
Please contact archives@colum.edu with questions.
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Guide to the Eileen Southern Collection
Columbia College Chicago
The Eileen Southern Collection contains documents and information that was drawn upon by Southern in her published books and articles and in the journal she and her husband, Joseph Southern, published from 1973 until 1990, The Black Perspective in Music. Also included are papers from when she served as Department Chair of the Afro-American Studies Department at Harvard, as well as correspondence between W. C. Handy and William Grant Still.
View an online exhibit from Harvard University about Eileen Southern.
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Guide to the Evelyn Davidson White Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Evelyn Davidson White, a professor of music at Howard University, was an educator, choral instructor, scholar, clinician, mezzo-soprano vocalist, and author who authored Choral Music by African-American Composers. The collection contains published and unpublished choral music by Black composers.
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Guide to the Godwin Sadoh Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Dr. Godwin Sadoh is a Nigerian composer, educator, church musician, organist, pianist, choral conductor, and ethnomusicologist. He holds music degrees from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; the University of Pittsburgh; the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, where he became the first African to receive a doctoral degree in organ performance from any institution in the world. The collection holds scores, publications, books, and recorded music
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Guide to the Gospel Sheet Music Collection
Columbia College Chicago
The gospel sheet music contains published music given to the CBMR from individual donors that has been gathered into one collection for access and use. the collection is arranged by alphabetically by composer's last name.
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Guide to the Guido Sinclair Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Guido Sinclair was born Sinclair Greenwell, Jr. A jazz saxophonist, he performed with many well-known jazz and rhythm and blues artists. In the late 1970s, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, and later moved downstate to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The collection contains original compositions, programs, and interviews, and recordings of performances of his original compositions.