Donald Macleod traces Florence Price’s career as she continued to battle for recognition from within the musical establishment.

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 continues his journey through the life and music of Florence Price during the 1930s and into the 1940s. This was a time when she’d separated from her second husband, Pusey Dell Arnet, and she was in a certain amount of financial difficulty, often needing to stay with friends. She eventually moved, with her daughters, into her own apartment in a dangerous part of Chicago. During this same period, she was the first person of colour to be invited to join the Chicago Club of Women Organists, who often gave the first performances of her works. She also became the first women of colour to join the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs, and the Musicians Club of Women. Despite these accolades, Price still battled on trying to get her music heard by a much wider audience. There is evidence of a long correspondence with Serge Koussevitzky, who conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the time. Price, in a number of rather curt letters, asked Koussevitzky to take a look at her scores, and to consider them on their own merit, looking beyond the fact that she was a woman and black. Eleanor Roosevelt did come to the rescue, complimenting Price in the press for her third symphony.

Suite for Organ No 1 (Toccata)
Kimberly Marshall, organ

Sonata in E minor (Andante)
Althea Waites, piano

Sympathy
Louise Toppin, soprano
John O’Brien, piano

The Glory of the day was in her face
Jay A. Pierson, baritone
John O’Brien, piano

Resignation
BBC Singers
Benjamin Nicholas, conductor

Symphony No 3
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Valentina Peleggi, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Wales. Show less