They Shall Run and Be Free: Concert Band Conductor Score

$10.00 USD

They Shall Run and Be Free: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: They Shall Run and Be Free: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-31730S
Price: 10.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brant Karrick

Grade: 4 (Medium Difficult)

Item: 00-31730S

$10.00

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One moment…

This dramatic tone poem for concert band was written during the summer of 2007 after a moving visit to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. They Shall Run and Be Free portrays a daring and perilous slave escape. The opening main theme works its way through changing meters and dissonances and reflects running for one's life while being chased and never knowing what to expect. The slow, middle section includes a setting of the beautiful Negro spiritual Oh Freedom, the simple yet poignant lyrics undoubtedly reflecting the attitude and desperation of many slaves.

Oh freedom
Oh freedom
Oh freedom over me!
And before I'd be a slave
I'd be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.

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Series: Alfred Concert Band

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 36

UPC: 038081344744

SKU: 00-31730S

More about this title

About the Composer: Brant Karrick

Brant Karrick has served as Director of Bands at Northern Kentucky University since 2003, where he oversees the full band program and teaches conducting, instrumental methods, and music theory. His career spans university faculty work, public school teaching in Kentucky, and nine years at the University of Toledo. He holds a Ph.D. in music education from Louisiana State University (1994), a Master of Arts in education from Western Kentucky University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Louisville.

Karrick's compositional and arranging work has been performed across the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa, South America, Japan, and Australia. He remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator while maintaining professional memberships in NAFME, ASCAP, and the College Band Directors National Association. His studies with conducting mentor Frank Wickes and composition teachers David Livingston, Steve Beck, and Cecil Karrick shaped his artistic voice.

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Why we love this

Karrick's score captures historical weight without resorting to bombast. The shifting meters and dissonant harmonic language genuinely reflect the terror and urgency of escape, while the integration of the spiritual 'Oh Freedom' grounds the piece in authentic emotional testimony rather than sentimentality. Programming this work creates a meaningful moment in any concert, inviting audiences to sit with difficult history through music that demands attention.

What to expect

The opening pulses with nervous energy and disorientation, the harmonic ground shifting beneath the listener like footsteps on unfamiliar terrain. When the Negro spiritual enters, the texture softens into something achingly beautiful yet tinged with sorrow, creating a stark contrast that deepens the work's emotional impact.

Who it's for

Conductors programming concert band for contest festivals, community concerts, or educational performances at the high school or university level will find a work that challenges technical skills while serving a powerful artistic purpose. This piece works especially well for programs exploring American history, social justice themes, or the artistic legacy of African American culture.

How to get the most out of it

Establish a clear pulse with the ensemble before tackling the changing meters in the opening; the dissonance works only if rhythmic momentum never wavers.
Balance the spiritual arrangement so that melodic clarity emerges from the accompaniment; this is a moment for restraint rather than swell.
Pay close attention to the score's dynamic and tempo markings as indicators of the narrative arc; every shift in intensity serves the story of the escape.
Allow sufficient rehearsal time for the ensemble to internalize the emotional weight of the text and historical context before focusing on technical execution.

How to use it

Consider pairing this work with other pieces that explore American identity or historical narratives to create a thematic concert arc. The grade 4 difficulty positions it well for advancing high school programs or early-level university bands seeking repertoire with both technical substance and artistic maturity.

Skills your students will build

Reading and performing changing meters (shifts between simple and compound time signatures)
Executing controlled dissonance and complex harmonic progressions
Responding to nuanced dynamic and tempo changes that serve narrative intent
Intonation and balance in slower, exposed musical passages
Connecting historical and emotional context to musical interpretation