Mark Hayes

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Mark Hayes

Mark Hayes's new vocal solo series, "Our Spiritual Heritage," is a reverent reflection upon the rich legacy of the African American spiritual. Exploring the earliest published resources for fresh inspiration, Mark has crafted unique arrangements for vocal solo and piano. Some songs are immediately familiar to modern listeners. Less-familiar songs suddenly surprise and delight with refrains or embedded phrases that are easily recognized precursors to modern favorites. Perhaps most intriguing of all is the inclusion of songs, largely unknown today, that were the most highly favored spirituals of their day. With this first anthology, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and Other Songs from the Hampton Institute" (taking its inspiration from the 1874 collection, "Hampton and Its Students"), amateur singers will discover an important gateway to their knowledge of this distinctive musical form, and professional singers will delight in a new resource for performance in recital halls and sanctuaries.