Commissioned for a premiere performance at the Texas Music Educators Association 2000 convention, Joseph Martin's Come to the Music is alive and electric with driving rhythm, memorable melodies,
Rhythmic, driving, and intense, this arrangement of the traditional spiritual with themes of home, journey, and trial is based on the 1950s Mahalia Jackson version with an Afro-Cuban beat. Add string bass
Sara Teasdale's poem is the inspiration for this dramatic concert work which relies heavily on the tumultuous piano and cello accompaniment to convey the deep feeling of the text. The opening section is