And So I Sing

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Soprano 1, Soprano 2, Alto, Piano, Violin — James Weldon Johnson, born in Florida in 1871, was a national organizer for the NAACP and an author of poetry and nonfiction. Perhaps best known for the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," he also wrote several poetry collections and novels, often exploring racial identity and the African American folk tradition.The Gift to Sing by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)Sometimes the mist overhangs my path,And blackening clouds about me cling;But, oh, I have a magic wayTo turn the gloom to cheerful day—I softly sing.And if the way grows darker still,Shadowed by Sorrow’s somber wing,With glad defiance in my throat,I pierce the darkness with a note,And sing, and sing.I brood not over the broken past,Nor dread whatever time may bring;No nights are dark, no days are long,While in my heart there swells a song,And I can sing. Jones' poignant setting of this powerful text by James Weldon Johnson, African American poet and national organizer for the NAACP, reflects and expounds on the reasons we sing. For the burgeoning treble ensemble looking for "that song" which will feature musical prowess, look no further!

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