Florence B. Price / Jan-Benjamin Homolka (arr.) An April Day

With contemplative simplicity, Joseph S. Cotter’s short poem An April Day praises the joys of nature on a spring day in April. At its heart is the universal human experience of a joyful existence, regardless of skin color or gender. In the United States of the early 20th century, these two aspects fundamentally shaped the lives of the poet Cotter and the composer Florence B. Price. As artists of African American descent, they found their heritage to be a profound source of creative inspiration, yet one that also brought many difficulties.

In addition to symphonic works, chamber music, and piano pieces, art songs occupy a prominent place in Price’s oeuvre, with around 130 surviving songs for voice and piano. In a span of just 26 measures, An April Day is a miniature masterpiece. With imagination and great feeling, the composer translates the poem’s unadulterated joy into music.

Jan-Benjamin Homolka has carefully arranged the original version for solo voice and piano for five-part chamber choir. The arrangement retains the original piano accompaniment while placing the melody, originally conceived by Price for solo voice, in the soprano part. Arpeggios in the piano create broad, sweeping chordal textures. The song showcases Price’s characteristic style, which is strongly rooted in the European Romantic tradition while seamlessly integrating various elements of African American music.