Lift Every Voice and Sing

Description

Danner, Greg

Lift Every Voice and Sing is an uplifting and joyous setting of this historic anthem. The arrangement features the saxophone section and solo sections for alto saxophone. Colorful scoring and varied textures make this a beautiful work for any concert or occasion.

Program Notes: The anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing was first performed in 1900 at a segregated school in Jacksonville, Florida by a group of 500 black children celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. With words by James Weldon Johnson and music by his brother John, the song became popular not only in black communities but throughout the world. It is a song of inclusion, and is currently included in nearly 30 different hymnals. This version for concert band is an uplifting and joyous expression of the hymn. The arrangement features the saxophone section and has solo sections for alto sax. The compositional treatment of the material moves easily between contemporary harmonic textures and jazz idioms. – G.D.

Grade: 4
Duration: 5’00”