4 Trombones and Bass Trombone

Most of us hear the song title “Shenandoah” and a lush, sweeping and calming folk melody comes to our ears. For well over a decade, arrangements of this iconic folk song have been the closing mass trombone choir selection for our Tromblow’in workshop hosted at James Madison University. This year, I began to wonder if this historic river that cuts right through our state conjured the same emotions throughout history for everyone who crossed it especially Virginians who were enslaved up until the mid 1800s. For this reason, I decided to juxtapose Shenandoah with the African American Spiritual “Deep River” whose words read, “Deep river, my home is over Jordan, Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into campground. Oh don't you want to go to that gospel feast, That promised land where all is peace? Oh deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into campground.” My hope is that you will find a new layers of meaning and depth to both these songs as you perform this setting.