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Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$65.00 USD
$65.00 USD
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Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child Cover Image
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Soloist and Concert Band

Traditional Spiritual / arr. David Marlatt

Grade: 3

Item: 81-CB10164
$65.00
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Description
This is solo for either flugelhorn or alto saxophone. Spirituals have found their way into the standard repertoire of vocalists and instrumentalists. The lyrical tunes combined with the powerful message they tell affect us all. In this arrangement, all parts are interesting and the jazz harmonies add a really great color to this famous tune.

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Additional Details
Series: Eighth Note Publications
Publisher: Eighth Note Publications
Page Count: 112
ISBN10: 1-55473-506-8
ISBN13: 978-1-55473-506-8
UPC: 685462015078
SKU: 81-CB10164

More about this title

About the Arranger: David Marlatt

David Marlatt has established himself as a thoughtful arranger for concert band, with a particular gift for adapting American traditional music and spirituals. His arrangements prioritize compelling ensemble writing while maintaining the expressive core of their source material, making them accessible to student musicians without sacrificing musical substance.

Why we love this

Marlatt's arrangement respects the spiritual's emotional weight while giving your ensemble modern harmonic language through jazz-inflected voicings. The choice to feature either flugelhorn or alto saxophone as soloist opens the door to two distinctly different timbral readings of the same profound melody, making this a natural fit for bands wanting to explore the spiritual tradition without relegating it solely to vocal performance.

What to expect

Reflective and deeply felt. The familiar melody carries the weight of its history, while the jazz harmonies add warmth and subtle complexity without distraction. A soloist stands before your ensemble to sing wordlessly of resilience and faith.

Who it's for

Concert bands at the Grade 3 level who want to program spirituals with modern harmonic sophistication and solo opportunity. The arrangement suits ensembles with capable flugelhorn or alto saxophone soloists who can sustain a lyrical line with expressive maturity.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the soloist's lyrical line against the ensemble backdrop; the supporting parts should breathe with the solo voice, not compete against it.
  • Lean into the jazz harmonies without letting them overshadow the spiritual's dignity. The chromatic colors should enhance rather than sentimentalize the tune.
  • Shape the ensemble writing as accompaniment first. Listen for how accompaniment voices support the soloist's phrasing and phrase accordingly.
  • Consider the emotional arc across all 112 pages. This is not a piece to rush; allow the arrangement to unfold with the weight it deserves.

How to use it

Pair this with other spirituals or folk traditions to create a thematic concert set, or program it as a contrasting moment of introspection in a concert of mixed styles. Its Grade 3 accessibility makes it an excellent choice for spring concert programming when students are ready for repertoire with emotional nuance.

Skills your students will build

  • Accompanying a solo line with rhythmic and harmonic sensitivity
  • Reading and executing jazz-influenced harmonies and chord extensions
  • Sustaining long lyrical lines with phrasing and breath control (for soloist)
  • Balancing ensemble texture to support rather than obscure a featured part
  • Interpreting spiritual and folk material with cultural respect and emotional authenticity

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