Easter Monday Swagger: Scherzino for Piano - A Fantasy "Romp" on "Walk Together, Children" (Conferences)

Easter Monday Swagger by Thomas H. Kerr Jr., edited by Susanna Garcia and William Chapman Nyaho, is a vibrant solo piano work that reimagines the African American spiritual Walk Together, Children through a dazzling blend of classical and Black musical traditions.

Subtitled A Fantasy “Romp” on Walk Together, Children, this 1970 scherzino showcases Kerr’s playful rhythmic energy, inventive harmonies, and expressive depth. Through imitation, call-and-response, and improvisatory gestures, Easter Monday Swagger embodies the spirit of the spiritual while embracing the freedom and virtuosity of the piano fantasy genre.

Suitable for advanced pianists, the work is an engaging, characterful showpiece ideal for both recital performance and study.

About the Composer

Thomas Henderson Kerr Jr. (1915–1988), born in Baltimore, Maryland, was a prolific pianist, organist, composer, and pedagogue. Denied admission to Peabody Institute due to segregation, he instead earned three degrees from the Eastman School of Music and went on to chair the piano department at Howard University. His catalog includes more than 120 works for piano, voice, organ, chorus, and chamber ensembles—many of which remain unpublished and preserved at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This is the first published edition of Easter Monday Swagger and is the third in a series of three piano works by Thomas H. Kerr Jr. to be published by The Frances Clark Center.

About the Editors

Susanna Garcia, Professor Emerita at the University of Louisiana School of Music, and William Chapman Nyaho, Ghanaian American concert pianist and editor of Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora (Oxford University Press), bring scholarly insight and performance expertise to this edition. Together, they illuminate Kerr’s artistry and pedagogical intent for a new generation of pianists.