Three Fantasies on African American Songs for String Quartet - III Shortening Bread (Recording)

The third movement, based on the southern U.S. children’s song, “Shortening Bread,” is a full out, brilliant toccata and it is meant to be freewheeling, virtuosic fun. For decades I have improvised a version of “Shortening Bread” in piano concerts. This string quartet version is a kind of notated improvisation.