Great Bend Center for Music presents Wade in the Water, a chamber music program centered on the spirituals, folk tunes, and rhythms that shaped the African American experience—and the distinctly American sound that grew from it. The concert features works by two groundbreaking composers: William Grant Still and Florence Price, whose music blends beauty, resilience, and cultural identity with rich string writing and expressive harmonies.
The program opens with Still’s Lyric Quartet, with movements inspired by the character and spirit of African American life. It then turns to Florence Price, the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major U.S. orchestra, with Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint and Five Folksongs in Counterpoint—elevating familiar melodies like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Shortnin’ Bread” into powerful chamber works.
Program:
Grant Still – Lyric Quartet
Florence Price – Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint
Florence Price – Five Folksongs in Counterpoint