Deep River (Horne)

Benjamin Horne

General Info

Year: 2021
Duration: c. 6:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Spiritual
Publisher: Murphy Music Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $120.00 | Score Only (print) - $25.00

Instrumentation

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

Suspended Cymbal
Vibraphone
Wind Chimes

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Deep River is an arrangement of the traditional spiritual of the same name for wind band. This arrangement is inspired by a popular art song version by Henry Burleigh. His low baritone voice as well as renditions by singers such as Paul Robeson are the motivation for this version's use of solo tuba for the song's initial presentation. Other allusions to Burleigh can be found through the work.

Deep River for wind band opens with solos from various voices evocative of short testimonies before we begin the song. The low voice of the tuba then leads us in with the first verse as others join in. At the conclusion of the lyric "peace," an alto saxophone solo "crosses" us over into a new place where the song starts again, but livelier featuring the entire saxophone section.

For Anthony Morris.

- Program Note from score

Deep River is an anonymous African-American spiritual, popularized by Henry Burleigh in his 1916 collection Jubilee Songs of the USA. The song was first mentioned in print in 1867, when it was published in the first edition of The Story of the Jubilee Singers: With Their Songs, by J. B. T. Marsh. By 1917, when Harry Burleigh completed the last of his several influential arrangements, the song had become very popular in recitals. It has been called "perhaps the best known and best-loved spiritual".

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Clovis (Calif.) North High School Wind Ensemble (David Lesser, conductor) - 24 March 2023 (2023 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) – 21 February 2023
Hebron High School (Carrollton, Tx.) Wind Symphony (Andrew Sealy, conductor) – 10 February 2023 (2023 TMEA Conference, San Antonio)
Youngstown (Ohio) State University Wind Ensemble (Michael Butler, conductor) – 29 January 2023 (Severance Music Center, Cleveland)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts (West Palm Beach, Fla.) Wind Ensemble (Christopher De Leon, conductor) - 21 December 2022 (2022 Midwest Clinic)
Indiana State University (Terre Haute) Wind Orchestra (Stephen L. Gage, conductor) - 17 November 2022
Santa Clara (Calif.) University Wind Ensemble (Anthony Rivera, conductor) - 17 November 2022
University of Missouri, Kansas City, Wind Symphony (Steven D. Davis, conductor) - 20 September 2022
World Youth Wind Symphony (Interlochen, Mich.) (Steven D. Davis, conductor) - 6 August 2022
University of George (Athens) Wind Ensemble (Jaclyn Hartenberger, conductor) – November 2021 *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by this Composer

Resources

Benjamin Horne website – Accessed 12 August 2022
Deep River. Wikipedia. Accessed 12 August 2022
Perusal score