Commissions
Three Folk Arrangements
Black is the color of my true love's hair
Swing low, Sweet chariot
Mary Anne
Composer: Appalachian Folk Song (Black is the color of my true love's hair); African American Spiritual (Swing low, Sweet chariot); Trinidad Calypso Song (Mary Anne)
Arranger: Stephen Mager
Publication: No Information Available at this Time
Duration: 4:11 (Black is the color of my true love's hair); 3:33 (Swing low, Sweet chariot); 4:22 (Mary Anne)
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Program Notes:
No Information Available at this Time
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Score Sample:
Voicing:
Unison/SA (Black is the color of my true love's hair); SSA with Soprano Soloist (Swing low, Sweet chariot); SA with optional Soloist(s) (Mary Anne)
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Accompaniment:
Piano (Black is the color of my true love's hair); A cappella (Swing low, Sweet chariot); Piano and Double Bass ad libitum (Mary Anne)
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Themes:
Folksongs, Spirituality​, Musical Traditions
Lyrics:
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Appalachian Folk Song
Black is the color of my true love's hair
Black is the color of my true love's hair,
her lips are like some rosy fair.
The prettiest face, and the neatest hands,
I love the ground whereon she stands.
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I know my lover and well she knows,
I love the ground whereon she goes.
If she on earth no more I see,
my life will quickly fade away.
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Black is the color of my true love's hair,
her lips are like some rosy fair.
The prettiest face, and the neatest hands,
I love the ground whereon she stands.
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African-American Spiritual
Swing low, Sweet chariot
Swing low, sweet Chariot,
comin' for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet Chariot,
comin' for to carry me home!
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I looked over Jordan, and what did I see,
comin' for to carry me home?
A band of angels comin' after me,
comin' for to carry me home!
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Swing low, sweet Chariot,
comin' for to carry me home!
Swing low, sweet Chariot,
comin' for to carry me home!
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Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down,
Oh, my Lord,
Sometimes I'm almost to the ground,
Oh, my Lord!
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Swing low, sweet Chariot,
comin' for to carry me home!
Swing low, sweet Chariot,
comin' for to carry me home!
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Trinidad Calypso Song
Mary Anne
Chorus:
All night, all day, Miss Mary Anne,
Down by the seaside, sifting sand,
Ev'rybody down there, join the band,
Down by the seaside, sifting sand.
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If you come to our port of Spain
you'll never want to go home again.
You'll do everything you can
just to be by Miss Mary Anne!
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(Chorus)
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Here's where ev'ryone loves to go,
for here Caribbean breezes blow.
They'll do everything that they can
just to be by Miss Mary Anne!
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(Chorus)
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In the land of the golden sun,
there's sun aplenty for ev'ryone.
Ev'rybody, now join the fun
in the land of the golden sun.
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(Chorus)
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All night, all day, sifting sand.
All night, all day, Mary Anne!
Mary Anne!
All night!
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