Free, My Lord, Free at Las': SATB Choral Octavo

$3.50 USD

Free, My Lord, Free at Las': SATB Choral Octavo

Name: Free, My Lord, Free at Las': SATB Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-LG51743
Price: 3.50 USD
Availability: InStock

Arr. Robert DeCormier

Item: 00-LG51743

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Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Lawson-Gould Music Publishers

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 20

UPC: 783556008712

SKU: 00-LG51743

More about this title

About the Arranger: Robert DeCormier

Robert DeCormier studied at Juilliard and spent decades at the intersection of concert music, Broadway, and American vernacular traditions. He served as music director of the New York Choral Society for seventeen years, worked alongside Harry Belafonte as conductor and arranger, and from 1978 to 2010 shaped the sound of Peter, Paul and Mary. His teaching tenure at Eastman School of Music (1972, 1977) established him as a serious voice in choral pedagogy.

DeCormier founded the professional vocal ensemble Counterpoint in 2000, which recorded extensively and mentored high school choirs across New England. His arranging work spans African-American spirituals, folk songs, and international repertoire, documented across labels including Arabesque, Centaur, and Albany Records. He received the Vermont Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2002 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New England Choral Arts Foundation in 2006.

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Why we love this

DeCormier understood spirituals from the inside out, having arranged them for decades in concert settings. This arrangement honors the musical architecture of the spiritual while giving SATB choirs a singable, expressive version that sits naturally in the voice. The 20-page score suggests careful attention to text setting and emotional weight, hallmarks of his approach to this essential American repertoire.

What to expect

The spiritual speaks to resilience and hope, and this arrangement carries that weight with quiet dignity. You'll find both intimate moments and fuller harmonic textures that allow the choir to inhabit the emotional range of the text without sentimentality.

Who it's for

This works for any SATB choir seeking a spiritual arrangement that respects both the tradition and the singers. It suits concert choirs, church choirs, and festival ensembles looking to program American sacred music with substance and sincerity.

How to get the most out of it

Let the text breathe. Spirituals live in the space between syllables; resist the urge to drive through phrases mechanically.
Balance the four voices so the soprano line doesn't dominate. This is a conversation among equals, not a melody with accompaniment.
Find the harmonic shifts that mark emotional turning points, and let them land with clarity. DeCormier's arrangements reward listening to the inner voices.

How to use it

Program this alongside other American choral standards or as a standalone spiritual for a concert focused on American song traditions. It pairs well with concert spirituals in a thematic program about freedom, justice, or faith, and it reads as a natural fit for festivals celebrating African-American cultural heritage.