SSATB + baritone solo, unaccompanied

NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER

TUNE: Robert Lowry (Philadelphia)
TEXT: Anna Bartlett Warner (Long Island)
ARRANGED by Z. Randall Stroope

I grew up on a ranch in southern New Mexico. The surrounding communities had a tradition of gospel and hymn singing on Sunday afternoons at various community centers, town halls, and so on. They were called “singing conventions ” and had their own song books. No one promoted a religious agenda or one style over another. The rooms were pretty spartan, with only chairs, a piano, and stacks of songbooks. The organizers enlisted me to play for these community sings. I learned early on to sight-read, improvise gospel tunes and hymns, and try my best to make the piano sound like a “chamber orchestra.” Out of that developed a life-long love of hymns and Southern Harmony traditions.