I’m now listening to Osceola Davis’ Cantata from her CD “Climbing High Mountains“. I fell in love with this piece when I had the chance to produce this CD for Watchfire Music some time ago.

Cantata comes in four movements with piano prelude, each movement a classic spiritual song updated by a more modern piano arrangement by composer John Carter. The songs are Rondo: Peter Go Ring Dem Bells, Recitative: Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child, Air: Let Us Break Bread Together and Tocatta: Ride On King Jesus.

I knew all four songs somewhat before the sessions started. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child is, of course, the best known among the four, but the other three each have deep roots in the African-American Spiritual tradition.

I love the bell-like sonorities in Peter Go Ring Dem Bells and the way John Carter has captured the bell-like overtones in the upper register of the piano. Also the joy that Osceola brings to the movement is palpable. Give it a listen in the morning when you first wake up and you’ll start your day on the right foot in the right mind. That’s a promise.

The second movement, Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child, is my favorite, not just because it’s just a gorgeous song, but mostly because of the courageous chances John Carter takes with the chord substitutions in the body of the song. By sparking the ear with new and fresh chords, we get new insights into this classic melody that make the song almost new to the ear.

When I first heard Byron Sean, Osceola’s fine piano accompanist, play Carter’s arrangement, I’ll admit, it was a little rough on the ear because I was so used to the classic chords, but in the course of our sessions, I fell in love with the rich sonorities, so much so that I just had to be a part of the creative process.

So I added to the piano a string arrangement for 50 strings – violins, violas, cellos and double basses. I tried to stay within the sonorities of Carter’s arrangement and that made for a rich texture that turned out very pleasing.

Let Us Break Bread Together haunted me for days in the recording process. Again, I could not get the new musical textures out of my head. Carter brought a depth to this classic hymn that I had never heard before and, I’ll admit, a certain plaintive sadness that made me add a lonely cello solo finally breaking out into a full string orchestration.

And so, when I got to the finale, Ride On King Jesus, I thought to myself, “How do I orchestrate this rousing Tocatta?” It seemed at first glance that I would have to tackle it with full orchestra, but upon repeated listening to the virtuoso piano arrangement and detailed study of the score I decided to leave it be on its own and let the piano run with it by itself.

Sometimes less is more. A wise orchestration mentor of mine once said, “When orchestrating, you have to know when to stop.” In other words, don’t over-orchestrate.  Do what the music calls for only and don’t get carried away and fill the whole bowl.

In this case I decided to stop before I started and just let the work of the three artists, Osceola Davis, Byron Sean and John Carter stand for itself.  I felt that I would just get in the way of an already completed work of art.

At any rate, when I sat down tonight to write, I had the urge for something both Inspirational and classical. Osceola’s gorgeous Cantata came to mind and I just had to put it on.

I’m now in my 4th time around tonight and it’s gettin’ better all the time.

This recording can be purchased exclusively at Watchfire Music.