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

Free, My Lord, Free at Las' Sheet Music Preview

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

Name: Free, My Lord, Free at Las': SATB Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-PO-0005028
Price: 3.50 USD
Availability: InStock

Arr. Robert DeCormier

Item: 00-PO-0005028

Digital Download

$3.50

Minimum order quantity: 20 copies

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Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Lawson-Gould Music Publishers

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 20

SKU: 00-PO-0005028

More about this title

About the Arranger: Robert DeCormier

Robert DeCormier studied at Juilliard and built a career spanning classical conducting, Broadway, and folk music. He served seventeen years as music director of the New York Choral Society, worked as conductor and arranger for Harry Belafonte, and held the role of music director for Peter, Paul and Mary from 1978 to 2010. His teaching experience includes a position as associate professor of conducting and ensembles at the Eastman School of Music.

Beyond his conducting work, DeCormier founded Counterpoint, a professional vocal ensemble based in Vermont that performed concerts and educational workshops across New England and Montreal, recording six albums on the Albany label. His arrangement work spans African-American spirituals and American folk songs alongside original compositions for choir, Broadway, and ballet. 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's deep knowledge of the spiritual tradition shines through in this arrangement. The voicing honors both the power of the text and the harmonic language singers expect from this repertoire, making it accessible without sacrificing authenticity. A director can trust this setting to resonate with audiences and engage choir members in meaningful musical work.

What to expect

The spiritual radiates hope and resilience. DeCormier's arrangement creates space for both intimacy and breadth, allowing individual voices to shine while building toward moments of collective power. The harmonic language is warm and grounded, never overly complex, letting the profound text carry the emotional weight.

Who it's for

Intermediate to advanced community choirs, college choral ensembles, and festival choirs seeking substantive spiritual repertoire for mixed voices. This setting works equally well for church choirs with solid sight-reading skills and for secular choirs programming sacred music.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the narrative arc across the twenty pages; this spiritual unfolds as a journey toward freedom, so shape your phrasing to build emotional momentum across sections rather than treating it as isolated moments.
Attend to vowel consistency across the SATB voices, particularly in the sustained sections, to achieve the warm, unified sonority this music deserves.
Let the harmonic language inform your tempo choices. DeCormier's voicings often suggest where to breathe and release; follow those architectural cues to support natural phrase breathing.

How to use it

Pair this with other spirituals for a concert exploring the genre's musical and social history, or use it as a centerpiece in a program addressing themes of freedom and justice. The twenty pages and intermediate difficulty make it suitable for spring concerts or cultural programming where this repertoire belongs.