Movements for String Quartet, Score/Parts; Nkeiru Okoye (Theodore Presser)

An activist through the arts, African-American composer Nkeiru Okoye (b 1972) creates a body of work that welcomes and affirms both traditional and new audiences. She composes in many styles of music, though she is most known for her accessible classical music with African-American and West African influences.

With Okoye's entirely personal blend of invention and vernacular tunefulness, this inviting set of three short programmatic pieces explores the many textures and colors of the string quartet with communicative expression and verve. The music's melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic vocabulary will interest the most seasoned players, while its modest technical challenges make it a great choice for advanced high school players looking to update and diversify their repertoire.

CONTENTS:

I. Overcoming

• II. King Fallen
• III. Dancing Barefoot in the Rain