Margaret Bonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Bonds
Margaret Bonds in 1956
Born	Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-03-03)March 3, 1913 Chicago, Illinois, US
Died	April 26, 1972(1972-04-26) (aged 59)
Alma mater	Northwestern University
Occupation	Composer, pianist
Spouse(s)	Lawrence Richardson
Relatives	Monroe Alpheus Majors (father)

Margaret Allison Bonds (born March 3, 1913 – died April 26, 1972) was an American composer, pianist, music arranger, and teacher. She was one of the first Black composers and performers to become well-known in the United States. Today, she is best remembered for her popular versions of African-American spirituals and her many projects with the famous poet Langston Hughes.

Margaret Bonds' Early Life and Family

Growing Up in Chicago

Margaret Jeanette Allison Majors was born on March 3, 1913, in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents divorced when she was four, and she grew up with her mother, taking her mother's maiden name, Bonds.

Margaret's home was a lively place. Many important Black writers, artists, and musicians visited. These guests included singers like Abbie Mitchell and Lillian Evanti, and composers such as Florence Price and Will Marion Cook. These visitors greatly influenced Margaret's musical journey.

Margaret showed a talent for music very early. She wrote her first song, Marquette Street Blues, when she was just five years old. Her mother, Estelle C. Bonds, was a church musician and taught Margaret how to play the piano at home.

Her Family's Influence

Margaret's father, Monroe Alpheus Majors, was a doctor and writer. He was very active in the civil rights movement, which worked for equal rights for Black people. He started a medical group for Black doctors because they were not allowed to join the main American Medical Association. He also wrote a book called Noted Negro Women: Their Triumphs and Activities and edited several Black newspapers.

Her mother, Estelle C. Bonds, was a talented church musician. She was also a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians. Both of Margaret's parents had a big impact on her life and her music.

In 1940, Margaret Bonds married Lawrence Richardson, who was a probation officer. They moved to New York City in 1939. Later, they had a daughter named Djane Richardson. Margaret Bonds passed away on April 26, 1972, in Los Angeles, California.

Margaret Bonds' Education and Challenges

Studying Music

During high school, Margaret Bonds studied piano and composition with two important musicians: Florence Price and William Dawson.

In 1929, when she was only 16, Margaret began studying at Northwestern University. She earned both her Bachelor of Music (1933) and Master of Music (1934) degrees in piano and composition.

Facing Racism at University

Margaret Bonds was one of the few Black students at Northwestern University. The environment there was very difficult and racist. Even though she could study at the university, she was not allowed to live on campus.

Margaret later shared how hard this time was for her. She found comfort in a poem by Langston Hughes called "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." She said the poem helped her feel more secure and proud of her heritage, especially when facing prejudice.

After graduating, Bonds moved to New York City. She continued her studies at the famous Juilliard School of Music. She learned composition from teachers like Roy Harris and Robert Starer, and piano from Djane Herz. She even met with the famous teacher Nadia Boulanger, who told her she didn't need more lessons.

Margaret Bonds and Langston Hughes

A Special Friendship

Langston Hughes (1901-1967) was a very important African-American poet and writer. He and Margaret Bonds became close friends after they met in 1936. Margaret loved his poetry and set many of his works to music.

They often worked together. For example, in 1952, Langston (as the poet), Margaret (as the pianist), and Daniel Andrews (a singer) performed a show called "An Evening of Music and Poetry in Negro Life." This happened just after Margaret's first solo performance at Town Hall in New York City. Langston was a true friend and sent her a telegram wishing her luck for her big debut.

Musical Collaborations

Margaret Bonds wrote several musical plays. In 1959, she created music for Shakespeare in Harlem, a play written by Hughes. It was first performed in 1960.

Other famous works they created together include "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Songs of the Seasons," and "Three Dream Portraits." Another piece based on Hughes's writing, "Simon Bore the Cross," was performed in 2018. It is a cantata (a piece for voices and instruments) based on the spiritual "He Never Said a Mumblin' Word."

Langston Hughes's death in 1967 was very sad for Margaret Bonds. After he passed away, she moved from New York to Los Angeles, where she lived until her own death in 1972.

Margaret Bonds' Career and Achievements

Early Successes

Margaret Bonds was active in her music career even while studying at Northwestern University. In 1932, her composition Sea Ghost won the important national Wanamaker Foundation Prize. This brought her to public attention.

On June 15, 1933, Margaret Bonds made history. She performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first Black person ever to perform as a soloist with them. She played a piece by John Alden Carpenter. She returned in 1934 to perform a piano concerto by her former teacher, Florence Price.

Life in New York and Harlem

After college, Bonds continued to teach, compose, and perform in Chicago. She opened the Allied Arts Academy in 1936, where she taught art, music, and ballet.

In 1939, she moved to New York City. There, she worked as a music editor and collaborated on popular songs. She had her first solo performance at Town Hall on February 7, 1952. Around this time, she also started the Margaret Bonds Chamber Society, a group of Black musicians who mainly performed music by Black classical composers.

Margaret Bonds lived in Harlem, a famous neighborhood in New York City. She worked on many music projects there. She helped create a Cultural Community Center and served as the music director at a local church.

Major Works and Legacy

One of Bonds' most important works from the 1950s is The Ballad of the Brown King. This large piece was first performed in New York in December 1954. It tells the story of the Three Wise Men, focusing on Balthazar, often called the "brown king." It was later made into a version for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, and even shown on TV by CBS in 1960. This piece mixes different Black musical styles like jazz, blues, calypso, and spirituals.

In 1964, Bonds wrote Montgomery Variations for orchestra. This piece has seven parts based on the spiritual "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me." Bonds explained that the work was about Black people in the South deciding to fight against unfair segregation laws, known as Jim Crow laws. It focused on events like the Montgomery Bus Boycotts and the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. She dedicated this work to Martin Luther King Jr..

Margaret Bonds did a lot to promote the music of Black musicians. Her own compositions often spoke about racial issues of her time. Her performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was a historic moment. She also created many well-known arrangements of African-American spirituals, like "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands."

Margaret Bonds died unexpectedly in 1972, shortly after her 59th birthday.

Major Works by Margaret Bonds

Images for kids

• 

  Margaret Bonds in 1956