Homestead for string quartet, was composed by Kory Reeder during his time as artist in residence at Homestead National Historic Park in Beatrice Nebraska in 2023. Based largely on materials found in the park archives, it is given a beautiful reading by members of the Apartment House collective.

In the traditional four parts, with a brief interlude, the music here conjures up feelings of nostalgia, longing and conflict all at once. The rich chords of the opening section mirror the open expanses of the American Midwest via blurred and faded sepia-toned artifacts. There's a kind of fragility in evidence too, as though the weight of years is working against the acts of memory and the retelling of it. This is the dark cousin of the kind of orchestral Americana popular during the early 20th century, reflecting a more nuanced version of our history. There is a raw-boned starkness to a lot of the music here, a correlative perhaps to the work of wresting a meager living from newly acquired parcels of land, using only one's hands and a few minimal tools.

There is also a kind of sadness reflected here, an acknowledgement of the brutality of the whole enterprise and its consequences. (Look up the Homestead Act for more info). These feelings are probably brought about by the images and words accompanying the sounds, but I think 'twould be similar without them. The sparse, plucked notes of the interlude are among my favorite sections of Homestead, but I love the whole entire. I've probably listened to it ten times already.

There is a very revealing interview with the composer, which I urge you to read if you've any interest at all in this music.