Battle of Jericho, The

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Charles Spinney


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General Info

Year: 1977
Duration: c. 5:00
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Spiritual
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.
Cost: Score and Parts – Out of print.

For availability information, see Discussion tab, above.


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion

(Percussion detail desired)

Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

The Battle of Jericho is an incident from the Book of Joshua, being the first battle fought by the Israelites in the course of the conquest of Canaan. According to Joshua 6:1–27, the walls of Jericho fell after the Israelites marched around the city walls once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day, then blew their trumpets.

Excavations at Tell es-Sultan, the biblical Jericho, have failed to substantiate this story, which has its origins in the nationalist propaganda of much later kings of Judah and their claims to the territory of the Kingdom of Israel. The lack of archaeological evidence and the composition history and theological purposes of the Book of Joshua have led archaeologists like William G. Dever to characterise the story of the fall of Jericho as "invented out of whole cloth".

Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho is a well-known African-American spiritual. The lyrics allude to the biblical story of the Battle of Jericho, in which Joshua led the Israelites against Canaan (Joshua 6:15-21).

The song is believed to have been composed by slaves in the first half of the 19th century. Some references suggest that it was copyrighted by Jay Roberts in 1865.

Composer and conductor Morton Gould used the song as the basis for his 1941 composition for concert band, Jericho Rhapsody.

- Program Note from Wikipedia


Media

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State Ratings

  • Arkansas: II
  • Louisiana: III
  • Texas: III. Complete
  • West Virginia: III


Performances

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Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources