
Brightest and Best - Emmett Drake
Click HERE to hear a recording.
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
