In celebration of Juneteenth, The Frances Clark Center is pleased to announce the newest publication from Piano Education Press: Easter Monday Swagger by Thomas H. Kerr Jr., edited by William Chapman Nyaho and Susanna Garcia.
Easter Monday Swagger was composed by Thomas Henderson Kerr, Jr., and was completed on Easter Monday, March 30, 1970. It was written for and dedicated to Natalie Hinderas, concert pianist and professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hinderas performed Kerr’s piece, alongside works by other Black composers, in a series of recitals. This repertoire, including Easter Monday Swagger, contributed to her groundbreaking 1971 recording on Desto Records, Natalie Hinderas Pianist Plays Music by Black Composers.
Easter Monday Swagger is a sectional work presenting contrasting interpretations of the spiritual “Walk Together, Children.” Kerr’s subtitle A Fantasy “Romp” on “Walk Together, Children” underscores its playful and childlike character. Yet, Kerr balances a lighthearted, boisterous treatment of the theme with moments of depth and reflection. In the African American community of Washington, DC, Easter Monday is an occasion for community celebration. Kerr’s composition is almost certainly an acknowledgement of this tradition.
About the Editors
Duo-Pianists William Chapman Nyaho and Susanna Garcia have been performing together since 1991, specializing in both the standard repertoire and newly composed works. The Nyaho/Garcia Duo is committed to increasing diversity and representation in the repertoire for solo piano, two pianos, and piano four-hands.
About the Kerr Publication Project
This is the first published edition of this composition and the third in a series of three piano works by Thomas H. Kerr Jr., edited by Garcia and Chapman Nyaho and published by Piano Education Press.
- Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?: Concert Scherzo for Two Pianos, Four Hands (2024)
- Dancétudes: 7 Vignettes of Dolls and Pets (2025)
- Easter Monday Swagger: Scherzino for Piano (2025)
MORE ON THOMAS H. KERR JR.
- PUBLICATION: Easter Monday Swagger: Scherzino for Piano (2025)
- PUBLICATION: Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?: Concert Scherzo for Two Pianos, Four Hands (2024)
- PUBLICATION: Dancétudes: 7 Vignettes of Dolls and Pets (2025)
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: The Distinctive Voice of Thomas H. Kerr by Susanna Garcia
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: William Chapman Nyaho: Scholar, Pianist, Advocate by Pamela Pike and Craig Sale
- WEBINAR: Publications Launch Party: An Introduction to Thomas Henderson Kerr Jr. and Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?with Susanna Garcia and William Chapman Nyaho