Three Early Songs

The songs in this volume document Margaret Bonds’s musical life work as composer of art songs before her move to New York in 1939. “Sleep Song” and “Sea Ghost” are the first known works by Margaret Bonds. Both were composed when Bonds was a teenager – age 14 and 19 respectively.  “Sea Ghost” earned her First Prize in the John Wanamaker competition in Philadelphia. The score for “Sea Ghost” was thought to be lost until recently. “Sunset” is the only known song that Bonds set to the words of African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar.

The edition includes extensive introductory material about the composer, the works and the edition.