Known for his quintessentially American style, Harry Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949) was one of the earliest successful Black classical composers. He is credited with introducing and opening up Black music to classically trained musicians through his classically-arranged spirituals and was known to have had a significant impact upon Antonín Dvořák in particular. Deep River is one of America's most iconic spirituals and was extremely popular in the early 20th century following the popularisation of Burleigh's arrangement. It is one of the five spirituals incorporated into Michael Tippett's famous oratorio, 'A Child of Our Time'.
This performance is in Gb major, but our edition is in F major as this is one of the original keys that the song was published in and is generally more accessible. Please feel free to get in touch if you'd like the score in a different key.
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Credits:
Omar Bowey (tenor)
Kamel Boutros (piano)
With special thanks to the Harry T. Burleigh Society and the involved performers for agreeing to allow us to use their recording - you can view the original video here: • Omar Bowey "Deep River...
Jamaican-born tenor Omar Bowey is a burgeoning young tenor with stunning versatility. Meche Kroop has described his voice as a “fresh sweet tenor”. Mr. Bowey’s operatic work includes the lead roles of Tamino, Don Ottavio, Ferrando, and a recently covered Nemorino. Other operatic roles include Borsa in 'Rigoletto' as well as Soldato #2 and Famigliario #1 ('L'incoronazione di Poppea'). Soloist concert work includes Schubert’s 'Mass in G', Gounod’s 'St. Cecilia Mass', Saint-Saëns’ 'Oratorio de Noël', the first part of Handel’s 'Messiah', and Kathleen Battle’s groundbreaking 'Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey' concert.
Be sure to check the Harry T. Burleigh Society out at: www.burleighsociety.com/
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Disclaimer: This performance was not recorded using our edition.