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Equality: TTBB Choral Octavo

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Equality Cover Image
Equality: TTBB Choral Octavo

Equality: TTBB Choral Octavo

From Like Dust I Rise (A Choral Song Cycle)

Text by Maya Angelou, music by Mark Hayes

Item: 00-46421
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Description
This contemporary gospel-style rouser denounces oppression and serves as a choral anthem for equal rights. A confident solo voice helps deliver a determined message in the unwavering words of Maya Angelou. If performing as a set, an alternate ending segues directly into the closing movement of Like Dust I Rise. When performing separately, Mark Hayes includes an upward modulation that propels us to the final, most spirited refrain.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 20
UPC: 038081528007
SKU: 00-46421

More about this title

About the Composer: Mark Hayes

Mark Hayes

Mark Hayes has composed, arranged, and conducted over 1,750 published works across concert, sacred, and popular idioms. His education in piano performance at Baylor University (1975) launched a career marked by guest conducting at Lincoln Center, the National Cathedral, and Carnegie Hall, as well as commissions from institutions worldwide. In 2010, Baylor's Center for Christian Music Studies recognized him with the Award for Exemplary Leadership in Christian Music, and he conducted the world premiere of his Requiem at Lincoln Center in 2013.

Beyond choral and orchestral music, Hayes is a prolific composer for piano with over 100 books in print spanning gospel, classical, jazz, and Broadway styles. He has also served as orchestrator and record producer for theatrical works, including the musical Civil War Voices, which won six awards at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in 2010. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Hayes continues to balance international performances and conducting engagements with his primary passion: creating music for performers and audiences worldwide.

Why we love this

Hayes captures the urgency of Maya Angelou's words in contemporary gospel language, which makes the message land with genuine conviction rather than sentimentality. The dual programming option (standalone or as a gateway to Like Dust I Rise) gives directors real flexibility, whether opening a concert independently or building a thematic arc across multiple movements.

What to expect

Confident and purposeful, with the warmth of gospel idiom underpinning a message of determination. The solo voice carries conviction while the choir builds behind it, creating an effect that feels both intimate and collectively powerful.

Who it's for

TTBB ensembles seeking a piece with real artistic weight and social relevance. Directors programming gospel-rooted contemporary music will find Hayes' stylistic command gives this piece sophistication beyond a typical pep song.

How to get the most out of it

  • Emphasize the solo voice as an individual perspective within the larger ensemble statement; the contrast between soloist and choir amplifies the piece's message about standing up for conviction.
  • The upward modulation in the final refrain should feel earned, not rushed. Allow the harmonic lift to carry the text naturally to its most spirited moment.
  • If using the recorded accompaniment, rehearse balance carefully so the lower voices anchor the sound without drowning the upper register or overshadowing the solo line.
  • Pay attention to diction in the gospel-style passages; clarity in the text is essential when the message itself is central to the work.

How to use it

Open a concert that explores themes of justice or unity, letting the piece set a reflective yet resolute tone. If performing as part of the Like Dust I Rise suite, use the alternate ending to transition seamlessly and deepen the thematic journey across both movements.

Skills your students will build

  • Gospel-style phrasing and articulation in a contemporary context
  • Blend and balance in four-part men's voicing with featured solo
  • Expressive text interpretation when lyrics carry social or political weight
  • Modulation handling in the upward key change to the final section

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