Deep River

H. T. Burleigh

Deep river song for three-part chorus women's voices piano accompanimentvocal score | 1 score (6 p.) ; 27 cm. | [harmonization by] H.T. Burleigh ; arranged by N. Clifford Page. (Statement Of Responsibility). For chorus (SSA) with piano. "Old negro melody"--Caption. acquire 2 shelf copies [policy default] (Selection Decision). Vocal Score (Form). Print (Form).

Harry Thacker Burleigh, Composer

Harry Thacker Burleigh earned a reputation for his concert adaptations of African-American spirituals. His choral arrangements, often adapted by N. Clifford Page, often passes the melody between several vocal parts, surrounded by lush, textural harmonic lines. After Burleigh's early success with Deep River, he went on to publish many more acclaimed numbers, often released as both solo and choral arrangements. Some of these works in the Library of Congress collections include:

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child, SSA
De Gospel Train git on Bo'd Litl' Children, TTBB
Two Negro Spirituals, SATB with divisi
Balm in Gilead, SSA

In addition to Burleigh's successful adaptations of African-American spirituals, he composed new concert works. Ethiopia Saluting the Colors is a notable solo work, setting a Whitman poem. Burleigh sustained a long relationship of mutual inspiration with Antonin Dvorak. He collaborated with his wife, poet Louise Alston Burleigh, on several works for solo voice. A personal favorite is the clever He Met Her In The Meadow for mixed voices.

Marian Anderson, Vocalist

Marian Anderson's first recording was Burleigh's Deep River arrangement for solo voice. The Library has several other recordings of Anderson performing Burleigh arrangements, as well.

She journeyed to Europe to launch her career to great acclaim, earning praise from Toscanini and inspiring Sibelius to write for her voice. Upon returning to America in 1935, the rising star strained against the gravity of segregation. She performed at the White House for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, an ardent fan. Whe Roosevelt attempted to arrange for a public Washington, D.C. performance, no venue - from the Daughters of the American Revolution's Constitution Hall to DC's Central High School - was willing to host the integrated concert. The resulting 1939 outdoor performance at the Lincoln Memorial became a powerful early moment in the civil rights movement.

Reflections for Students

How do Burleigh's compositional choices strengthen or augment the message of the traditional African-American melody and text? It may be helpful to consider elements of music such as harmony, texture, form, or dynamics.
How can Marian Anderson's technique, style, and performance choices inform your performance of Deep River or other arrangements of African-American spirituals?
Discuss other instances when a musical performance made a powerful statement about a social problem. How can musicians use art to change the world?

More Resources

The NBC broadcast of Anderson's Lincoln Memorial Concert was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2008, commemmorated by Cary O'Dell's essay.

Danna Bell's introduction to Library of Congress resources about Harry T. Burleigh in the Music Educators Journal

NPR's Morning Edition radio piece and supporting article on Anderson's Lincoln Memorial concert, including video footage

My Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides historical perspective.

Marian Anderson, lower left, standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with back to camera, facing the Washington Monument and a crowd of thousands. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2002695475/>.