Ain't That News CME Conductor's Choice

The title of Ain't That News is a tribute to the superb Staple Singers, who dang a piece by that name, not otherwise quoted in this chart. The opening seven measures are an adaptation of an old Paul Robeson 78. The rest of the piece is original material intended to pay homage to both the black church and black popo music, just one of the many genres that owes its soul to the spiritual. The composer states, “My goal is to allow even the most demure chorister to have at least a little taste of what it would be like to be Aretha Franklin.” (2:15)