Some pieces define composers, their technique and their sound. The SLS closes it’s 50th Season with a performance of two composers who created works that set their legacy in place. Florence Price’s Mississippi Suite was almost unknown, however. This was one of many works discovered after the composer’s death, in an attic, almost discarded. Luckily for us, it was saved! The work is 20th Century Americana at its finest, describing the Mississippi River through the people that lived on its banks, from Native Americans to settlers, to the descendants of Black slaves. The journey takes us both through history and time, culminating with a moving setting of the spiritual, Deep River. One of classical music’s most enduring works, Elgar’s Enigma Variations is a look at friendship, love, and the human psyche, through the lens of the composer’s imagination. The great English composer gives us intimate portraits of his friends, relations, co-workers, and fellow musicians, culminating in a rousing self-portrait of the composer himself, with an added pipe organ, for added affect! Join us as we close out our 50th Year of concerts!

Program:

• Florence Price: Mississippi River Suite
• Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations, op. 36