Montgomery Variations: II. Prayer Meeting

Margaret Bonds
Piece Duration: 4:39

About this Piece

(Starts at 2:00)

"Much of Bonds’ work was inspired by traditional spirituals, but Montgomery Variations was inspired by a historical event. This orchestral piece was written in 1965 in response to the Selma to Montgomery March led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. According to The Washington Post, Montgomery Variations and other pieces by Bonds were found in 2017 “next to a dumpster, waiting to be thrown out.” Many of the pieces discovered were thought to be unfinished, lost, or non-existent." - Nashville Symphony’s teaching resource for Mvmts 1, 3, and 4

Meter Assessment: (for suggested activity, see Movement I)

Table of Contents - Montgomery Variations:
I. The Decision
II. Prayer Meeting
III. March
IV. Dawn in Dixie
V. One Sunday in the South
VI. Lament
VII. Benediction

Notable Passages

Time Stamp: 2:00 — 2:44
Description: Listen for the parallel motion heard in the woodwind instruments!
Keywords: Parallel Motion

Time Stamp: 2:54 — 3:40
Description: Listen for the syncopated pattern: eighth rest, quarter note, eighth note
Keywords: Syncopation