On October 18 and 19, the Concord Orchestra will present Montgomery Variations, a seven-movement piece that uses the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the later 16th Street Baptist Church bombing to frame its narrative.
On Sunday, September 15, 1963, tragedy struck the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, when a bomb planted by Ku Klux Klan members exploded, killing four young girls and injuring many other people. In 1964, African-American composer Margaret Bonds wrote “Montgomery Variations,” based on the spiritual, “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”. Two of the variations reference the bombing and the mourning that followed. Other variations refer to the Montgomery bus boycotts and other aspects of the civil rights movement. Bonds dedicated the piece to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Margaret Bonds was an accomplished pianist, composer, and teacher who was one of the first Black musicians to gain recognition in the United States. In her early twenties, she performed as a pianist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Her musical works include frequent collaborations with poet Langston Hughes, jazz arrangements, film music, popular songs, choral music, and musicals.
On Saturday, October 18, at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, October 19 at 2:30 p.m., the Concord Orchestra will present a program entitled, “Always in Motion” at the 51 Walden Performing Arts Center in Concord, highlighting the Montgomery Variations. A pre-concert talk is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Also on the program will be “Javelin,” by Michael Torke, and Samuel Barber’s lyrical “Symphony No. 1”. Tickets for adults and seniors are $25. Admission for youth under 18 is free. For tickets and information, call 978-369-4967 or visit www.concordorchestra.com.
The Concord Orchestra consists of 60-70 volunteer musicians living in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, including several from Acton. The members are “serious musicians whose life paths diverged from performance as a career, but whose enthusiasm and delight in playing is undiminished.” The orchestra invites “musicians looking for an orchestra” to contact them at info@concordorchestra.com to request information about membership and auditions.
Bill Ossmann is an Acton resident, and has played cello in the Concord Orchestra for 36 years.
