A New Song: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Schram has done something genuinely useful here: she's taken a beloved spiritual and rearranged it without stripping away its character. The alternate voicings mean you can perform this with mixed voices, treble choir, or anything in between, making it a flexible choice when your ensemble changes week to week. It's the kind of piece that feels both accessible and substantial, which is harder to find than you'd think.

Energetic and warm, with the comfort of a familiar spiritual married to a modern harmonic sensibility. The piece has momentum and joy without feeling frivolous; it invites singers and listeners alike into genuine spiritual expression.

High school and youth choirs will find this piece immediately singable and rewarding. Its adaptable voicings also make it useful for middle school choirs or community ensembles looking for spirituals with contemporary arrangements.

• Let the energy build from the opening. This piece thrives on momentum, so establish a steady tempo from measure one and maintain it through the verses.
• Balance the soprano and alto lines in the refrain; both carry important melodic material. Rehearse them as separate entities before blending.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock in rhythm and harmonic placement, especially if your singers are less experienced with syncopated figures.
• Shape the text expressively. The Psalm adaptation gives the familiar spiritual language that invites dynamic interpretation, so encourage singers to connect with the meaning as they sing.

This works beautifully in worship services, interfaith concerts, or community events where spirituals carry weight and meaning. It's also strong enough to anchor a concert program built around contemporary sacred music or cultural music traditions.

• Singing with rhythmic precision in syncopated figures
• Balancing independent melodic lines within a harmonic texture
• Phrasing and expression in sacred texts
• Reading and performing alternate voicing options