Wade in the Water: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Traditional Spiritual / arr. Patsy Ford Simms and Andy Beck
Item: 00-PO-0000367
$1.75
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
Pickup currently not available
Related Items
Wade in the Water: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download |
$22.95
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: SATB Choral Octavo |
$1.75
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo |
$1.85
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: Choral SoundPax |
$35.00
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: SATB Choral Octavo |
$1.75
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo |
$1.85
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: 2-Part Choral Octavo |
$1.75
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD |
$22.95
|
View | |
Wade in the Water: Choral SoundPax |
$35.00
|
View |
Description
You've never heard it like this before! A dramatic solo provides the powerful introduction before this hip spiritual arrangement kicks into a groovy jazz waltz. A call and response verse highlights individual sections of the choir (or soloists), and an ultra-cool transition builds and modulates into the final choral refrain. Great to perform with a jazz combo.
Wade in the Water: 2-Part Choral Octavo isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0000367
More about this title
About the Arranger: Patsy Ford Simms
Patsy Ford Simms has spent decades writing and arranging music specifically for the educational market, with over 300 published songs to her name across major publishing houses including Shawnee Press. Her work began in earnest during her 30 years teaching grades K-12, when she found a critical gap in quality choral octavos for young voices and set out to fill it herself. She holds degrees in Music Education from Knoxville College, an M.Ed. from the University of Louisville, and a doctorate in Music Education from Columbia Pacific University.
Internationally recognized as a clinician and arranger, Simms has presented workshops in Italy and Africa and received multiple ASCAP Special Music Awards throughout her career. Several of her compositions were selected for MENC's World's Largest Concerts, and she has also composed short musicals centered on African American history. Her work is grounded in deep understanding of what young singers can and want to sing.
Why we love this
This arrangement flips the script on a spiritual standard by grounding it in contemporary jazz vocabulary: the 3/4 meter, the groovy rhythmic feel, and the smart harmonic movement give students something genuinely hip to sink their teeth into. Simms and Beck structure the piece to showcase individual singers through call and response, which means every voice in the choir feels heard and gets a moment, and the dramatic arc (solo opening, verse buildup, modulating final refrain) keeps energy climbing from start to finish.
What to expect
You're in a room where a spiritual tradition meets the jazz club. A solo voice opens the door, then the groove slides in underneath with serious pocket and swing. The piece breathes with the relaxed confidence of a jazz waltz, then shifts gears into something brighter and more energized before landing on that final payoff. It feels modern and rooted at the same time.
Who it's for
This works beautifully for junior high and high school choirs with some jazz ensemble experience or genuine interest in contemporary arranging. The 2-part voicing makes it accessible for developing singers, while the rhythmic sophistication and jazz vocabulary keep it engaging for more experienced groups.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the jazz waltz feel early in rehearsal by having the rhythm section lock the groove before the choir enters; this groove is the backbone of the entire arrangement.
- Treat the call and response sections as real conversation: have different sections actually listen and respond to one another rather than simply waiting for their cue.
- Shape the final modulation deliberately by lifting slightly in intensity and pitch awareness as the section climbs; the key change should feel earned, not surprise the singers.
How to use it
Pair this with your jazz ensemble or small combo for a crossover concert moment that surprises audiences accustomed to either straight spirituals or straight jazz but rarely both together. It's strong enough to anchor a second act or serve as a powerful closer that leaves people talking.
Skills your students will build
- singing in 3/4 meter with jazz articulation and swing feel
- listening and responding in call and response formats
- navigating key changes and modulations
- balancing rhythmic precision with expressive phrasing in a jazz context