Description
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen is an African-American spiritual song that originated during the period of slavery but was not published until 1867. Its plaintive melody and poignant lyrics powerfully communicate the pain and suffering inflicted on enslaved people. It is one of the most well-known songs in the genre and many cover versions have been produced over the years.
The African-American composer Florence Price (1887-1953) struggled her entire life with the effects of segregation, misogyny, and racism. She often explored themes related to slavery in her work, incorporating spirituals and folk traditions that originated during that period and her 1938 piano arrangement of Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen is an excellent example. Price’s version is quiet and subdued, but it is also lushly harmonised. A beautiful take on a profoundly moving song, here arranged for wind quintet.
