Free at Last!
This piece is written in a gospel style but has aspects of jazz and modern "classical" writing as well. There is a good deal of call and response and the piece is quite rhythmic. The opening solo, "I have a dream" may be sung by any male voice-type. The "Shouters," male and female voices in unison, sing a repetitive riff on the text "From the hills of New Hampshire! From New York’s mighty mountains!...
This piece is almost certainly a concert finale - the ending is "big."
It was composed in honor of Brown vs. Board Education, May 17, 1954 and
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Lincoln Memorial Speech, August 28, 1963.
The words are taken (and paraphrased) from Dr. King’s speech, which quotes The Declaration of Independence, the patriotic song My Country ‘tis of Thee, Isaiah 40: 4-5 and the words to an old spiritual. Dr. King’s favorite quote from Amos 5:24 is included and John 8: 35-36 is used, paraphrased.
My college choir enjoyed touring with this piece and the audience reception was very positive and strong.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.”
We are not slaves; we’re children of God; His truth sets us free; His Word is law.
Keep hope alive, hold fast to your faith, for if the Son sets us free we’re free indeed.
REFRAIN: Let freedom ring! Free at last! We’re free at last!
When children of slaves join slave owners kin, ‘round brotherhood’s table our peace we win
Only then, will our nation be great, For if the Son sets you free you’re free indeed.
REFRAIN: Let freedom ring! We’re free at last! Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last!
We will hew from the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
We’ll transform the jangled discords of our land into a symphony of brotherhood.
Every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain made low;
The rough places plain, the crooked places straight,
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together.
Lift up your voice and sing: “From every mountainside…”
REFRAIN: Let freedom ring! Lift up your voice and sing: Free at last! We’re free at last!
Let freedom ring! Let justice roll! Free at last, We’re free at last!
Let justice roll on like water from a mighty river
And righteousness flow on like a never failing stream of water.
REFRAIN: Let freedom ring!
[From the hills of New Hampshire! From New York’s mighty mountains!
From the Alleghenies! From the snowcapped Rockies! From California’s slopes!
From Georgia’s Stone Mountain! From Tennessee’s Lookout Mountain!
From every Mississippi hill! And every Mississippi molehill!]
Let freedom ring! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last!
Contact the composer at rwesby@wagner.edu
02/27/2005; 03/03/2005-03/09/2005; 03/20/2005; 20/05/2005 by Wagner College Choir, Roger Wesby, conductor
