Spiritual Medley

The arranger writes:

These arrangements of spirituals for unaccompanied solo bass trombone were created out of pure necessity (a.k.a. “last-minute panic”). I was asked to represent my church at a “Choir Day” musical gathering/worship service, but had neither an accompanist, nor a selection of music for unaccompanied bass trombone (or tenor trombone) that worked well for a church setting. So I decided to create my own arrangement of three spirituals. The result was Medley No. 1 and it was so well received, I was asked for a spontaneous encore at the end of the performance! Needless to say, as I shuffled through a hymnal looking for inspiration, I thought to myself, “it would be great to have at least one more of these in my book as a backup!” This “need for more” eventually inspired this entire volume, which I have grouped into different worship themes/moods to best suit your church service playing opportunities.

As you play these tunes, please consider the following key points:
1. In all cases, I encourage you to look up the hymns and become familiar with the lyrics to (at a minimum) the first verse and chorus. The mood, tempo, dynamics and the phrasing I have indicated reflect my interpretation of the lyrics of each of these hymns and spirituals.
2. Play in a singing style. Many of these begin with an indication for a “Singingly Rubato” style, so take liberties with the tempo and imagine how Mahalia Jackson, Paul Robeson or (insert your favorite singer’s name) would interpret these songs.
3. Really go for it! These are designed to showcase the versatility of the horn: From floor rattling pedal notes to lyrical singing lines in the upper register (and everything in between), encompassing styles as diverse as swing, 5/4 jazz, dixieland, classical and ballads.