Product Description
This song uses the same melody as a 19th century African-American
spiritual, "The Gospel Train." The "Cindy" lyrics were adapted to the tune
during the 20th century and have been recorded by numerous individuals and
groups. Probably the most familiar of its many versions describes a girl,
tells her to go home and promises future matrimony:
You ought to see my Cindy
She lives way down South
And she's so sweet the honey bees
All swarm around her mouth.
Get along home Cindy, Cindy
Get along home Cindy, Cindy
Get along home Cindy, Cindy
I'll marry you some day.
This arrangement for brass quintet is written in cut time with a suggested
tempo of about 96 BPM. It opens in G major and, after a 12-measure
introduction, introduces the basic melody using mainly Trumpets and
Trombone. This is followed by five variations. The first takes form of a
gentle, rhythmically soothing near-hymn played by the Horn; the second,
sounds like "Turkey in the Straw" and features Horn and Trumpet 2; the
third is a concoction based on "The Little Brown Mouse" and "The Girl I
Left Behind" played by Tuba; the fourth is "Boil Em Cabbage Down" by
Horn and Trombone; and the fifth is "Kingdom Coming" by Trumpets 2 and 1.
At this point, the key changes to A major, Trumpets play an extended
version of the "Cindy" melody and Horn provides a gigue-like counterpoint.
All join in for the finale.
Completed in 2022, performance time runs about 3 minutes, 8 seconds. The
arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for
example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge. He would like to
receive your suggestions, comments, corrections and criticisms. For more
arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation
marks) in the Sheet Music Plus or Sheet Music Direct search box. (Also,
purchase of this piece entitles you to your choice of another of his
arrangements at no charge; send a copy of your purchase receipt directly to
him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.)
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.