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READING THE SCORE
Since March is designated as Women's History Month, I would like to pay tribute to several Black composers of concert music. I have chosen Amanda Ira Aldridge a.k.a. Montague Ring (1866-1956), Camille Nickerson (1888-1982), Florence Price (1888-1953) and Margaret Bonds (1913-72). They all deserve to be remembered.
Born in London, Amanda was the daughter offra Aldridge, the legendary interpreter of the role of Othello. Under the pen name Montague Ring, she composed a number of charming art-songs based on poetry by Paul Laurence Dunbar and others. But she is best known as a voice teacher of such artists as Roland Hayes, Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson.
Camille Nickerson, a native of the French Quarter of...