Donald Macleod looks at the impact marriage had on the life and career of Florence Price.

Florence Price became a highly successful classical composer, organist, pianist and teacher of music during the 20th century in America. She was the first African-American woman to be recognised as a composer of symphonic music, and also the first African-American woman to have her works performed by one of the world’s leading orchestras. In collaboration with the Arts and Humanities Research Council, BBC Radio 3 launched the Forgotten Women Composers Project. Championed by the composer and educator Shirley Thompson, Florence Price became a particular focus for the project. Scores by Florence Price were located and recorded by BBC orchestras and choirs. It will be the first time Florence Price has been featured on Composer of the Week, and the series is supplemented by many specially recorded works.

Donald Macleod journeys through Florence Price’s period of marriage to the ambitious and successful New England lawyer Thomas Jewell Price. Although Price subsequently gave up her career as a performer, she did continue to develop as a music teacher and composer. Price also continued her own personal study of composition, harmony and orchestration at the Chicago Musical College. However, at this time racial tensions in Arkansas were escalating, and Price and her family had to flee for their lives to Chicago, where she picked up her career again as a musician. By the time of the Great Depression, Thomas Price found it difficult to find work, and started to become violent. Florence Price divorced her husband, and in the same year entered the Rodman Wannamaker Competition, where her first symphony and piano sonata both won top prizes.

My Dream
Robert Honeysucker, baritone
Vivian Taylor, piano

Cotton Dance
Althea Waites, piano

The Old Boatman
Althea Waites, piano

The Moon Bridge
Vocalessence Ensemble Singers
Paul Shaw, piano
Philip Brunelle, conductor

My Soul’s been anchored in the Lord
Roberta Alexander, soprano
Brian Masuda, piano

Symphony No 1 in E minor
Fort Smith Symphony
John Jeter, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Wales. Show less