River Songs: Score
Arr. Douglas E. Wagner
Grade: 2 (Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0003505
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Description
Few young people live closer together than do band members, as they work together, laugh together and cry together through the years of their involvement in musical activities. It is sad indeed when death strikes. River Songs was commissioned to commemorate the lives of two such young musicians (one white and one African-American). These two appropriate works, "Deep River," and "Shall We Gather at the River," were chosen as witness to our common bonds in this life and beyond.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, River Songs: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Young Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
122
SKU:
00-PR-0003505
More about this title
About the Arranger: Douglas E. Wagner
Douglas E. Wagner grew up in Chicago and holds degrees in music from Butler University. He spent three decades as a high school music educator and administrator before dedicating himself fully to composition and arranging.
Since 1973, Wagner has published over 3,500 works across choral, concert band, orchestral, handbell, organ, piano, and vocal literature. His music has reached an audience of more than seventeen million performers worldwide, appearing regularly on concert stages, in schools, and on broadcasts across the United States and internationally. He currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with his wife, Sandy.
Why we love this
Wagner crafted this arrangement with genuine emotional weight, choosing two spirituals that speak to universal human experience without requiring advanced technical skill. The Grade 2 scoring lets young musicians engage meaningfully with a serious subject, and the conductor score provides clear support for teachers leading students through what will likely be a moving rehearsal.
What to expect
Quiet and reflective, anchored in the spiritual traditions that give these melodies their timeless resonance. The arrangement honors both "Deep River" and "Shall We Gather at the River" as voices of hope and community, creating space for young musicians to experience ensemble playing as something more than technical exercise.
Who it's for
Young concert bands at the Grade 2 level who are ready to tackle emotionally substantive material without complex technical demands. This arrangement works for conductors seeking repertoire that teaches students about shared purpose, loss, and musical dignity.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the hymn tunes across sections; these melodies deserve clarity regardless of which voices carry them
- Allow breathing room between the two spirituals so the thematic shift lands fully on the audience
- Keep the tempo deliberate and steady; this music serves a commemorative purpose and benefits from unhurried phrasing
- Shape dynamic contours gently to avoid sentimentality while honoring the spiritual gravity of the text
How to use it
Program this as a centerpiece for a memorial or tribute concert, or use it early in the school year to establish that your band rehearses music with meaning. The two spirituals can also open a program devoted to American choral traditions or serve as a reflective moment within a longer concert.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing melody and supporting voices in homophonic textures
- Sustaining long-form phrasing through entire spiritual melodies
- Playing with stylistic awareness of American spiritual traditions
- Responding to emotional content in music notation and conducting gestures