21308976
Lift Every Voice and Sing (Accompaniment Track)
21308976
21308976
Lift Every Voice and Sing (Accompaniment Track) Voice scores gallery preview page 1
Lift Every Voice and Sing (Accompaniment Track) by James Weldon Johnson Voice - Digital Sheet Music

Audio Download

Lift Every Voice and Sing (Accompaniment Track) by James Weldon Johnson Voice - Audio

By James Weldon Johnson
Digital Download

SKU: A0.1071877

Composed by James Weldon Johnson. Arranged by Brandon Haynes. This edition: audio. Contemporary. Accompaniment. Duration 263. Brandon Haynes #4603711. Published by Brandon Haynes (A0.1071877).

Accompaniment track for "Lift Every Voice and Sing" arranged by Brandon Haynes: ID # 511839.

Lift Every Voice and Sing was initially written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1900 and set to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson, in 1905, and has become known as a national anthem for African Americans. The initial hymn tune is intense, grand, and full of immense hope. With this arrangement, I have set the music more somberly to reflect the seriousness of the text that speaks of the bitterness and anguish of America’s dark racial past that is still rampant today. This allows the listener to reflect thoughtfully on the text. Remarkably, I have heard this hymn many times throughout my lifetime, both in predominantly Caucasian denominations and predominantly African-American denominations, and the differences in interpretation are fascinating. White congregations tend to sing this hymn spritely with great pomp and circumstance while the Black congregations tend to sing it more labored and meditative as if it were a dirge. I believe both interpretations are valid, but interesting given its context. This arrangement is written for medium-high voice, cello obbligato and piano accompaniment.

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