Greenery
CH4089

Go Tell It!

Music: trad. arr. Sheena Phillips. Words: Traditional
SATB
performance time approx 2m 00s
Range (all voices): G – e' or g – e'' (flexible)
Complexity: **

See a perusal copy of the music.
Hear a synthesized realisation
This piece is the last in the set Three Christmas choral stocking fillers
The first piece is Wassail!
Go Tell It! is sold only in the set Three Christmas choral stocking fillers, and is not available for sale as an individual piece.
Go Tell It! is a free treatment of the African American plantation song Go Tell It on the Mountain, based on the version published by Thomas Fenner in Religious Folk Songs of the Negro (1909). It starts with a build up of whispered, then spoken, then shouted phrases, followed by a strong introduction of the tune by a group of soli. After that, mix and match freely from the various harmonisations given. For example: first have upper voices sing the tune at letter B, while lower voices finish the spoken intro; then have lower voices sing B while upper voices sing harmonies from the upper stave of C; then have altos return to B while lower voices sing harmonies from the lower stave of C and sopranos take either harmony from the upper stave; then have lower voices return to B while upper voices return to A; then go twice more through on a ‘free for all’ basis (everyone picks their own line). Optionally, add a final unison demo of B to bring in the audience, then finish with another free-for-all. Add hand claps / instruments ad lib.

The audio realisation illustrates a few possible combinations of voices and does not include any spoken word effects.

Words

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain:
That Jesus Christ is born.

Traditional
Canasg Choral Music Publishing
Canasg Music
16 Morningside Park,
Edinburgh EH10 5HB, Scotland
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