Five Negro Spirituals

Five Spirituals by Christopher Gough is a suite of traditional American Spiritual tunes arranged for Trombone Octet. Featuring two separate choirs, each with a bass trombone, this composition would suit an intermediate to advanced trombone octet. The first movement “Steal Away” is set in a slow tempo and utilises dynamic variance and rubato to capture the essence of the simple lyrics: “Steal away to Jesus, I ain’t got long to stay here. “Nobody Knows”, the second movement, is set in a surprising 7/8 metre causing the tune to take on a new character, and uses call and response techniques to separate the two choirs. The third movement, “Deep River” is a soft, subtle arrangement that builds to a short passionate climax that will require sensitive playing. “Go Down, Moses”, the fourth movement, is in an energetic syncopated triple metre and contains many trombonistic elements that should prove fun to perform. The last movement, “I’m Going To Lay Down My Heavy Load” is a groovy and appropriate ending to an enjoyable suite that will prove to be a crowd-pleaser.