About

The Montgomery Variations was composed in 1964, this seven-movement work is a poignant musical chronicle of the Civil Rights Movement. It is built upon the African American spiritual "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me," which undergoes various transformations to reflect specific historical moments, including the Montgomery bus boycott and the tragic 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. From the defiant "March" to the ethereal "Benediction," Bonds' music provides a powerful vision of hope and racial justice.

In 1933, Florence Price's Symphony No 1 made history as the first symphony by a Black woman to be performed by a major American orchestra—the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Price masterfully synthesizes European Romanticism with Black musical idioms. The first movement echoes the nationalist spirit of Dvořák, the second features a majestic brass chorale inspired by church music. The third movement replaces the traditional scherzo with a spirited "Juba Dance," rooted in West African rhythmic traditions.