Andrew Robertson Mackereth
Songs from the New World
A Suite of Spirituals for Concert Band
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Andrew Robertson Mackereth
Songs from the New World
A Suite of Spirituals for Concert Band
- Instrumentation Concert Band
- Composer Andrew Robertson Mackereth
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Difficulty Level
- Edition Score and Parts
- Publisher Editions Marc Reift
- Order no. EMR92142
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Description:
This spirituals suite was inspired by an in-depth study of the life and work of American composer and social activist Margaret Bonds. Spirituals are a genre of folk songs created by enslaved African Americans in the southern United States. They combine West African musical traditions with Christian hymns to express suffering, hope, faith and the quest for freedom, and often contain coded messages related to escape. It was the contrast between the seemingly cheerful content and the somber meaning that caught my attention. These songs, characterized by the principle of call and response, a cappella singing and very expressive vocal styles, were created during secret church services and played an essential role in cultural preservation and resistance. They later inspired the "Freedom Songs" of the civil rights movement. The spirituals incorporated or alluded to in this work are: Peace Like A River - letter A Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child - letter C King Jesus, is a Listening - bar 37 O Peter go Ring Dem Bells - letter H