Steal Away: 5 Clarinets Score & Parts

Quiet contemplation grounded in tradition. The chorale-style harmonies create a meditative quality, while the bass clarinet's movement beneath the sustained melody prevents the texture from settling into passivity.

Clarinet choirs, community ensembles, and intermediate high school bands looking for accessible sacred repertoire that doesn't feel dumbed down. The piece also works well for mixed recitals where a spiritual adds programming depth.

• Balance the chorale texture so that no single voice dominates; this requires careful blend work in sectionals, especially between first and second clarinet lines.
• Give the bass clarinet's moving lines breathing room. These figures carry harmonic and rhythmic momentum, so resist the urge to rush them.
• Shape phrases through dynamic contours rather than tempo changes. Let the spiritual's natural phrasing guide your interpretation.

Pair this with other spirituals or sacred works to create a thoughtful concert segment, or use it as a counterpoint to more rhythmically driven material. The piece's modest length makes it ideal for opening second halves or concluding programs with reflective intent.

• Blending harmonic sonorities across a five-part texture
• Supporting and accompanying roles within an ensemble
• Sustained legit tone production without vibrato intensity
• Following bass clarinet as a harmonic anchor