Just a Closer Walk with Thee (arr Vinson)

Johnnie Vinson

Gospel hymn arranged by Johnnie Vinson

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General Info

Year: 2002
Duration: c. 2:25
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $50.00   |   Score Only (print) - $5.00

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 Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Convertible Bass Line
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III

(percussion detail needed)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Opening with the slow style of a New Orleans funeral march (with an optional combo), the arrangement then shifts gears to an up-tempo Dixieland celebration.

- Program Note by publisher

Just a Closer Walk with Thee is a traditional gospel song that has been covered by many artists. Performed as either an instrumental or vocal, "A Closer Walk" is perhaps the most frequently played number in the hymn and dirge section of traditional New Orleans jazz funerals. The title and lyrics of the song allude to the Biblical passage from 2 Corinthians 5:7 which states, "We walk by faith, not by sight," and James 4:8, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."

The precise author of "A Closer Walk" is unknown. Circumstantial evidence strongly suggests it dates back to southern African-American churches of the nineteenth century, possibly even prior to the Civil War, as some personal African American histories recall "slaves singing as they worked in the fields a song about walking by the Lord's side."

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

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

• Temple University (Philadelphia, Penn.) Night Owls Campus Community Band (Mitchell Davis, conductor) – 23 April 2017
• New Horizons Band of Hot Springs, Arkansas – 3 May 2014

Works for Winds by this Composer

Adaptable Music

• The Addams Family Theme (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1962/2011)
• The Avengers (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2012)
• Baba Yetu (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2005/2019)
• Baby Elephant Walk (as arranger) (1962/2007/2013)
• Back to the Future (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1985/2016)
• Brazilian Sleigh Bells (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1950/2017)
• City of Stars (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2016/2017)
• Disco Lives (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1999/2009)
• Disney Film Favorites (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2013)
• Disney on Parade (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2009)
• Eye of the Tiger (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1982/2009)
• God Bless America (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1939/2011)
• God Bless the USA (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1984/2004/2013)
• The Great Escape (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1963/2014)
• Highlights from "Jurassic Park" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1993)
• Highlights from "Moana" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (2016/2017)
• Highlights from "Phantom of the Opera" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1986/2014)
• Highlights from "Rocketman" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2019/2020)
• Hogan's Heroes March (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1965/2012)
• Jazzy Holidays (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2012)
• Jump, Jive an' Wail (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1999/2010)
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1945/2017)
• The Lord of the Dance (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1997/2010)
• Mars (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1916/2009)
• Michael Jackson Hit Mix (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2013)
• Music from "Aladdin" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1992)
• Music from "Frozen" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2013/2014)
• Music from "Frozen II" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2019)
• Music from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2017)
• Nettleton (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2008/2016)
• The Polar Express (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2004/2020)
• Respect (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1965/2019)
• St. Petersburg March (Flex instrumentation) (2005/2008)
• Selections from "Black Panther" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2018)
• Selections from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2016)
• Selections from "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2019)
• Selections from the Motion Picture "Les Misérables" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1980/2013)
• Silver Bells (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1950/2009)
• Skyfall (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2012/2013)
• Soul Bossa Nova (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1962/2012)
• Suite from "The Planets" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1916/2018)
• Themes from "1812 Overture" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1891/2008)
• Three Czech Folk Songs (Flex instrumentation) (1992/2010)
• Thriller (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1982/2009)

All Wind Works

• The Addams Family Theme (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1962/2011)
• And Hold in Memory... (2006)
• America (as arranger) (1963/2018)
• Armenian Rhapsody (2016)
• The Avengers (Flex instrumentation) (s arranger) (2012)
• Baba Yetu (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2005/2019)
• Back to the Future (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1985/2016)
• Ballad and Dance (2004)
• The Bare Necessities (as arranger) (1967)
• Born to be Wild (as arranger) (1968/2004)
• Brazilian Sleigh Bells (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1950/2017)
• British Invasion, The (as arranger) (2001)
• Cahaba Dances (2015)
• Charlie Brown Celebration, A (as arranger)
• Cheerio March (as arranger) (1999)
• City of Stars (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2016/2017)
• Disco Lives (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1999/2009)
• Disney Film Favorites (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2013)
• Disney on Parade (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2009)
• Echoes of the Hollow Square (2010)
• Eye of the Tiger (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1982/2009)
• Flourish and Processional
• God Bless America (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1939/2011)
• God Bless the USA (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1984/2004/2013)
• The Great Escape (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1963/2014)
• Highlights from "Jurassac Park" (as arranger) (1993)
• Highlights from "Les Misérables" (arr. Vinson) (1980/1991)
• Highlights from "Moana" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (2016/2017)
• Highlights from "Phantom of the Opera" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1986/2014)
• Highlights from "Rocketman" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2019/2020)
• Hogan's Heroes March (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1965/2012)
• Hooked on a Feeling (as arranger) (1968/2017)
• The Incredibles (as arranger)
• Jazzy Holidays (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2012)
• Jump, Jive an' Wail (as arranger) (1998)
• Jump, Jive an' Wail (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1999/2010)
• Just a Closer Walk with Thee (as arranger) (2002)
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1945/2017)
• Like a Mighty Stream (2016)
• Limehouse Blues (as arranger)
• The Lord of the Dance (as arranger) (1996)
• The Lord of the Dance (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1997/2010)
• The Marches of John Williams (as arranger)
• Mars (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1916/2009)
• Michael Jackson Hit Mix (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2013)
• Mountain Country Dances (2011)
• Music from "Aladdin" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1992)
• Music from "Braveheart'' (as arranger)
• Music from "Frozen" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2013/2014)
• Music from "Frozen II" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2019)
• Music from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2017)
• Nessun Dorma (as arranger)
• Nettleton (as arranger) (2008)
• Nettleton (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2008/2016)
• Newcastle March (1975/2002)
• O'er the Land of the Free (as arranger) (2014)
• Ol' Man River (as arranger)
• Overture to "Miracle on 34th Street" (as arranger)
• Phantom of the Opera, The: Medley (as arranger)
• Pie in the Face Polka (as arranger)
• The Polar Express (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2004/2020)
• Remember Me (as arranger) (2017)
• Respect (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1965/2019)
• Russian Sailors' Dance (as arranger) (1927/2003)
• Selections from "Black Panther" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2018)
• Selections from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2016)
• Selections from "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2019)
• Selections from the Motion Picture "Les Misérables" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1980/2013)
• Selections from "The Music Man" (as arranger)
• Selkie (2014)
• Silver Bells (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1950/2009)
• Skyfall (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2012/2013)
• Smoke on the Water (as arranger)
• Soul Bossa Nova (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1962/2012)
• St. Petersburg March (2005)
• St. Petersburg March (Flex instrumentation) (2005/2008)
• The Star-Spangled Banner (as arranger) (1814/)
• Stille Nacht (as arranger, with Davis) (1818/1985)
• Suite from "The Planets" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1916/2018)
• Themes from "1812 Overture" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1891/2008)
• Three Czech Folk Songs (1992)
• Three Czech Folk Songs (Flex instrumentation) (1992/2010)
• Thriller (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1982/2009)
• To Realms of Endless Day (2011)
• Tribute to Ray Charles (as arranger) (2005)
• Variants on a Shaped Note Tune (2006)
• Yakety Sax (as arranger) (1992)

Resources

• Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Wikipedia Accessed 17 May 2017
• Vinson, J. (2002). Just a Closer Walk with Thee [score]. Hal Leonard: Milwaukee, Wisc.