Done Made My Vow to the Lord
SATB divisi choir, unaccompanied
Negro Spiritual
R. Nathaniel Dett had a goal to use the spiritual to create anthems, motets, and other music that was viewed similarly to the concert music of his day. In his music, he used various imitation techniques including cantus firmus and fugue. This arrangement explores canon, homophony, fugato, and aleatory to present the spiritual in many different ways.
“Dr. Garrett’s Done Made My Vow to the Lord was a very popular piece with my top auditioned choir. Two talented and astute students brought it to my attention because they knew the renown of Marques Garrett and so enjoyed the piece previously. It filled a perfect place in our program. I highly recommend it.”
Done made my vow to the Lord,
and I never will turn back,
I will go, I shall go to see what the end will be.
Sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down,
To see what the end will be.
But still my soul is heav’nly bound,
To see what the end will be.
I’ll pray and pray and never stop.
To see…
Until I reach that mountain top.
To see…