Product Description
Freedom Rails
Composed and arranged for concert band by Mark Deen, Freedom Rails begins with the depiction of the capture of slaves on the African Continent. The first song of the medley, Wade In the Water, attributed to Harriet Tubman, was sung by African American slaves escaping via the Underground Railroad. This song advised traveling through creeks and rivers to avoid tracking by bloodhounds, and it also references Hebrew slaves crossing the Red Sea or Israelites crossing the Jordan in the Old Testament.
Swing Low Sweet Chariot may have signaled a safe route along the Underground Railroad for enslaved African Americans. Chariot possibly meant a safe house, and carry me home could have represented a safe state or Canada. The biblical reference is Elijahs ascension into heaven on a chariot, which might have comforted enslaved people. Today, the song symbolizes social justice, hope, and resilience. The Zydeco style emulates upbeat dance music from Louisiana, blending influences from Afro-Caribbean, Creole, Cajun, gospel, blues, and other traditions including Dixieland.
Freedom Rails final song, Deep River also carried hidden messages along the Underground Railroad. The "deep river" symbolized the Ohio River, a boundary between slave and free states, and represented the hope of reaching freedom. The lyrics convey a profound sense of yearning for deliverance and rest, invoking imagery of crossing over to a better, promised land. The song embodies themes of hope, liberation, and the deep desire for a life of dignity and freedom. Today, "Deep River" continues to resonate as a powerful anthem of faith and perseverance.
Freedom Rails concludes with the dynamic energy of its introduction, yet in a more optimistic tone. Melody fragments of Swing Low Sweet Chariot and Wade in the Water evolve into jubilant trombone glissandos, horn flourishes, and a resounding ensemble chord, symbolising the hope for future freedom.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.