Update Title: B919CE58-A9BD-477E-BE26-4F70FC61CBFE

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When the Spirit Sings is a set of three American spirituals arranged for string trio. The intent was to
select songs with a variety of character – soulful, energetic, mournful and rhythmic – and present them in
new ways through idiomatic string writing. The “voices” of the strings are well-suited to the language of
spiritual songs.
In all three movements, the original tunes are shared between the strings, with the other players providing
accompaniment. And then, “excursions” away from the basic melody occur. In “My Lord, What a
Morning,” a middle section moves into the minor mode, with the violin playing a variation of the theme

marked “soulfully.” The viola follows with a further “offshoot” of the melody. This leads to a closing
section which crosses back and forth between the major and minor modes (in blues style). One might hear
an expression of the lyrics “My Lord, what a morning, when the stars begin to fall!” in the cascades of
descending scales.
The second movement is an arrangement of the very poignant spiritual, “Were You There When They
Crucified My Lord?” The strings are muted, with sorrow. A background pattern introduced by the viola
and cello may be heard as sobbing rhythms. Motives similar to these are heard throughout this movement.
Patterns which express sobbing or falling tears form the essence of the music. At the end, the viola and
violin ascend, as the soul rising to heaven.
“This Train (is bound for glory)” is an energetic, rhythmic movement. Although the energy is controlled
at the start, activity increases by the second verse (viola theme), as the “outer” instruments scurry up and
down the track. Later, chords build up in pyramid fashion with a crescendo and accelerando leading to a
raucous finale. The train then slides (in glissando) to a halt at the end.
“This Train (is bound for glory)” was created while the composer was riding her local train, the
“Vermonter,” to a concert in New Haven, CT. The “Vermonter” derailed upon the return trip. But the
music is expected to stay “on track!”

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