SSAT Middle Level Reading Practice Test 51

Referred to fondly as Maestro, Duke Ellington loved writing music for his band. The tunes he composed gave each member a chance to shine. He also wrote an incredible amount of music for musical reviews, movies, Broadway productions, and more.

In 1970, the American Ballet Theater commissioned Ellington to develop a ballet, which he calledThe River. The ballet was choreographed by the famous dancer Alvin Ailey and premiered on June 25, 1970, at the New York State Theater.

That same year, he was also commissioned to write a comic opera. Other works he wrote include a theater piece calledJump for Joyand music for films, includingCabin in the SkyandBlack and Tan Fantasy. He and his co-writer, Billy Strayhorn, also composed the entire score for the filmAnatomy of a Murder.

Ellington said that by the time he was 20 he had read the Bible three times. It's no surprise, then, that he wrote the Sacred Concerts, a three-part series of concerts combining classical European and African American styles. The First Sacred Concert premiered at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in 1965, the Second at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and the Third Sacred Concert at Westminster Abbey in London. When asked why it took so long to write the concerts, he said, "You can jive with secular music, but you can't jive with the Almighty."

-America's Library

1. Why did Ellington createThe River?

• A. It was based on a river next to his childhood home.
• B. A ballet group hired him to make it.
• C. He always wanted to work with Alvin Ailey.
• D. New York was his home state.
• E. He loved ballet more than other musical forms.

2. All of the following are true regarding Sacred Concerts EXCEPT:

• A. They took Ellington relatively long to write.
• B. They contained Biblical themes.
• C. They were performed in the same city.
• D. They had a multicultural aspect to them.
• E. They were presented in religious settings.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that Ellington

• A. made music for operas and ballets, but not movies.
• B. was best friends with Billy Strayhorn.
• C. taught music for many years at Westminster Abbey.
• D. was called Maestro because he played in a band.
• E. wanted to display his musicians' talents.

4. All of the following words can be used to describe Duke Ellington EXCEPT:

• A. passive
• B. talented
• C. spiritual
• D. versatile
• E. thoughtful

5. What did Ellington mean when he said, "You can jive with secular music, but you can't jive with the Almighty"?

• A. Religious music sounds better than worldly music.
• B. Composers need to learn to take their time.
• C. Sacred Concerts involved several complicated parts.
• D. God's music should be taken very seriously.
• E. Foreigners are not accustomed to American music.