Composer

:

Jack Halloran

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1986

Average_duration

:

3:04

Witness is a choral work composed by Jack Halloran, an American composer, arranger, and conductor. The piece was composed in 1961 and premiered the same year by the Roger Wagner Chorale. Witness is a four-movement work that is characterized by its use of African American spirituals and gospel music. The first movement, "Witness," is a lively and rhythmic piece that features call-and-response singing and handclapping. The lyrics are based on the spiritual "I Want to be Ready," and the music is characterized by its syncopated rhythms and use of vocal percussion. The second movement, "Deep River," is a slower and more contemplative piece that features a soloist singing the spiritual of the same name. The choir provides a rich harmonic background, and the piece is characterized by its use of lush harmonies and expressive phrasing. The third movement, "Go Down, Moses," is a powerful and dramatic piece that features the choir singing the spiritual of the same name. The music is characterized by its use of dynamic contrasts and dramatic shifts in tempo and mood. The final movement, "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel," is a lively and energetic piece that features the choir singing the spiritual of the same name. The music is characterized by its use of driving rhythms and call-and-response singing. Overall, Witness is a powerful and expressive work that showcases the rich tradition of African American spirituals and gospel music. The piece is characterized by its use of rhythmic complexity, lush harmonies, and expressive phrasing, and it remains a popular and influential work in the choral repertoire.

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