Brightest and Best - Emmett Drake

Click HERE to access perusal score

Shape-note singing emerged in 19th century America as a way to make communal music-making accessible to singers without any formal training.  Using shaped noteheads alongside strong 
oral traditions, the system allowed melodies to be learned quickly and shared widely.   Shape-note music functioned as a lived social experience that fostered  community and shared identity. 
This tradition is still vibrant in many communities today. 

"Brightest and Best," also known as "Star in the East" became a well-known shape-note tune through its inclusion in collections such as The Sacred Harp. This arrangement preserves much of the harmonic traditions of the shape-note style adding a modern rhythmic "motor" for much of the piece following an introduction of the tune in the solo viola and violin. The tune and the harmony evolve a bit in the middle of the piece before returning to the main idea at the end.   
While this arrangement is a treatment of a well-known traditional tune, it is also incorporates my own memories and reflections of the holiday season. 

Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Bass

5:28

Grade 4