Margaret Bonds

 

Margaret Bonds
1913-1972

It is uncommon enough to find female composers from the early-to-mid 20th Century (or earlier) on recordings; what a rarity it is to discover a female African-American composer and performer from that time.

Bonds was a college-educated musician who studied at Northwestern and Juilliard. I have to imagine her experiences were rife with roadblocks and discouragement.

And yet, she seems to have achieved success in her lifetime; if not career notoriety, then historical ones. Bonds is perhaps best known as the first African American to appear as a concerto soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It must have gone well since she came back a year later!

Biographical material mentions Bonds is noted for her arrangements of African-American spirituals. I know many such arrangements from William Dawson, Henry Burleigh, and Jester Hairston from that era, but I can't remember ever coming across one from Bonds; perhaps they didn't survive into print format.

As I become acquainted with her music, I will start with her cantatas and whatever orchestral music I can find. I suspect there isn't much from her yet on record, but I know she wrote a lot for voice and piano, so perhaps I will discover a little here and there as I search around.

 

 

 

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