Celebrating Black History Month 2024

by | Feb 11, 2024 | Channels, Features, Repertoire | 2 comments

GIA celebrates Black History Month this year by highlighting the depth and breadth of choral music by Black composers in our catalog.

Explore our selections by category below!

Anthems

Get to know these wonderful choral anthems from our African American Church Music Series.

Alleluia

Eurydice V. Osterman

Employing the single word “Alleluia” throughout, this piece offers a good deal of divisi yet is largely homophonic allowing voices to feel secure in their rhythms. A joyous addition to Easter services and other festive celebrations.

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Psalm 1

Nathan Carter
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Bless the Lord My Soul

Glenn Burleigh

Dynamic contrasts are only part of the formula for success in performing this piece. There is a restrained quality to the vocal writing and accompaniment that finally gives way to brief outbursts of praise. If you need a sign that God is in the quiet stillness, here it is!

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Great and Glorious Is His Name

Virgie Carrington DeWitty

DeWitty paraphrases scriptures from Psalms, Isaiah, Deuteronomy, and 2 Samuel to create a dynamic anthem that moves between thoughtful expression and jubilant praise. Easy to learn but a powerful celebration of the glory of God’s name.

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Don’t You Know, Mary?

Margaret Bonds, Words by Langston Hughes

This piece, with words by Langston Hughes, is from Margaret Bonds’ cantata Simon Bore the Cross. The cantata pulls into sharp focus individuals of African descent who were integral components of the gospel story: King Balthazar and Simon of Cyrene. A moving piece for Good Friday.

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How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place

Thomas W. Jefferson
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Keep Exploring the African American Church Music Series

In Spirit and Truth

Featured music from the In Spirit and Truth Series. This series lifts up the work of Black composers in the Catholic church and includes a variety of styles and voicings.

Pange lingua / Tantum ergo

M. Roger Holland II,
English Paraphrase by James Quinn, S.J.

This edition for Holy Thursday was written to reflect African American idioms. “Pange lingua” has rhythm and motion, yet acknowledges the solemn tone of the liturgical moment. As the ritual action moves from procession to adoration and repose, the setting moves to “Tantum ergo.” Though it, too, should have motion, it is more reflective of this most solemn moment: the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The closing “Amen” ending on a perfect fifth recalls the style of ancient chant and organum.

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Father, Into Your Hands

W. Clifford Petty

The oppression, abuse, and suffering of Jesus on Good Friday is dramatically told through the blues idiom in this setting of Psalm 31. A strong statement of the finality of the crucifixion with opportunities for solo and keyboard improvisation.

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This Is the Day

Leon C. Roberts

A wonderful, up-tempo setting of the Psalm 118 text. Obviously ideal as an Easter gathering song, there’s no reason why it can’t be used on many other occasions when you want to invite the congregation to join in a celebration of life—they will rejoice and be glad in it!

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Come, Holy Spirit, Come

Jalonda Robertson

Jalonda Robertson has composed a high-quality, gospel-inspired choral anthem. The rhythmic, syncopated melodic line and choral harmonies are supported by an idiomatic keyboard part transcribed by Thomas W. Jefferson. A key change introduces the final verse, and the closing section begins with separate, distinct vocal entrances and slowly builds to an exciting conclusion. Choir will relish the power and beauty of both text and music.

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Ave, Maria

Thomas W. Jefferson
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Hail, Mary

Adapted by Kim R. Harris, Arr. by M. Roger Holland II
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The Lord Will Bless His People

Richard Cheri, Jalonda Robertson

Another successful Cheri/Robertson collaboration from our In Spirit and Truth series. You’ll find this psalm setting simply overflowing with energy and intensity. For choirs familiar with the gospel style, this is a required addition for Advent and Christmas.

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Keep Exploring the In Spirit and Truth Series

Spirituals

Explore these arrangements of traditional Spirituals from our African American Church Music Series and Walton Music.

Deep River

Uzee Brown, Jr.

This one takes a deep bass soloist. The SATB choral accompaniment, which calls for some divisi, results in a rich, sonorous, setting that is best appreciated if sung a cappella. A keyboard reduction, however, is provided. If you want to feature your choir’s best bass, this is the piece! He needs a good low F, but only has to sing up to the D above middle C. The alto, tenor and bass parts occasionally divide throughout the arrangement, but that shouldn’t deter you from trying this gem with your singers.

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Fix Me, Jesus

Arr. Colin Lett

Soprano and baritone soloists share the duties of singing this spiritual over a rich choral accompaniment that concludes with a TTBB ostinato grounding the last eight measures. Wonderful arranging by a young, promising writer.

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Ride Up in the Chariot

Joseph Joubert

While the solo and choral arranging of this traditional African American song is just about as good as it gets, the crowning achievement of Joubert’s scoring is in the stylistically authentic piano accompaniment. Prepare to do some practicing, then revel in this setting!

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Great Day

Marques L. A. Garrett

A Negro spiritual for unaccompanied SSAATTBB voices that can simply be called a “wow” setting! Superb material for the high school, college, or large church choir.

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Sinner, You Can't Walk My Path

Undine Smith Moore

An awesome arrangement of a Negro spiritual by one of the late great African American women writers and conductors. Various soloists within the choir intersperse brief calls-e.g., “Here the trumpet blow” in dialog with the full choir, which occasionally breaks into eight parts. Pure excitement. 

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Oh, What a Beautiful City

Eurydice V. Osterman
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Rise, Shine, For the Light Is A'Coming

Roland M. Carter

This uplifting spiritual is set with authenticity by Roland Carter for SATB voices and a tenor or soprano solo. Jeffrey Redding Choral Series.

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Gospel

Discover choral music written in the Gospel style from our African American Church Music Series.

Building Up the Kingdom

M. Roger Holland II

This composition, in the gospel style, provides many possibilities for choirs and soloists, with unison verses and the recurrence of a sturdy, four-part refrain. The text is vaguely reminiscent of the familiar prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila “Christ has no hands but your hands…” The piece provides for flexibility and improvisation as it grows in intensity to the final refrain.

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There's Nothing God Can't Do

Thomas Whitfield, Transcr. Brandon Waddles
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Jesus, You Brought Me All the Way

Kenneth W. Louis

Originally published in the composer’s Mass of St. Cyprian, we just had to bring this out as a single octavo. It is a high-energy, rocking gospel processional. A song of such high affirmation that you just want to sing it over and over again.

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Thank You, Lord

Leon C. Roberts
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Dwell in the House

Gale Jones Murphy

A contemporary gospel setting of Psalm 27:4 that brought seven thousand people to their feet at its first performance. It has a refrain that you just don’t ever want to stop singing. The well-scored accompaniment will make a gospel pianist out of anyone who can read music!

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Ye Shall Go Out with Joy

Norah Duncan, IV
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Keep Exploring the African American Church Music Series

Congregational Music

Explore Congregational Song in these featured collections.

Revolution of the Heart

Mark A. Miller

“Mark Miller, composer, minister, professor, and musical griot, is carrying on the tradition of creating New World hymns for a nation hungry for songs that speak to the head, heart, and crisis of modern living. Professor Miller reminds us, hope will never fail, even when anguish and apathy seem to prevail across the landscape of our country.”

—From the Foreword, Otis Moss III, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois

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I Sing As I Arise Today

David Hurd

More than 75 hymns are presented in this compendium of the hymnic efforts of David Hurd.
His tunes are coupled with texts old and new, capturing just the right mood and meaning of the words. Hurd’s distinctive harmonic language and compositional style provide a wealth of musical expression for congregations and choirs alike.

Hurd’s tunes—JULION, ANDÚJAR and MIGHTY SAVIOR, to name a few—have appeared in a broad range of hymnals and are reprinted here in a single volume. But there are many more compositions that are printed here for the first time.

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Tell the World

Valeria A. Foster

Ms. Foster’s deep faith and musicology are amplified in one another to a profound degree. Her gifts and skills in performance, choir direction and congregational singing are exceptional. The goal of her work, however, is worship; and the songs in this collection easily invite us there.

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2 Comments

  1. Lou Podesta
    Lou Podesta on February 14, 2024 at 3:14 pm

    Do you still publish Grayson W. Brown’s collection “Have You Heard the News”? (I don’t know how to italicize on this thing, btw…) from WLP? Great CD and repertory of material! Didn’t see it here.

    Reply

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