When I was a little girl I never missed a concert of Miriam Anderson, Roland Hayes and Abbie Mitchell. I was always thrilled by their singing of Spirituals at the end of each concert. Audiences were thrilled too. So I felt cheated and wanted some Spirituals at the ends of my concerts, too … I began to experiment for myself and set several for the piano.

From the manuscript of Margaret Bonds’s “Spiritual Suite”

Premiere Performance

About the Transcription

I. Valley of the Bones (3’)
II. The Bells (4’)
III. Troubled Water (5’)

Score is transposed.

Spiritual Suite for piano by Margaret Bonds has existed in multiple editions since the third movement Troubled Water was first published as a standalone work by Sam Fox Publishing Company in 1967. Decades later, Louise Toppin uncovered that Troubled Water was in fact the final movement of the larger Spiritual Suite. Videmus Music published the complete work in 2020 in an edition by Toppin, followed by an arrangement of Troubled Water for cello and piano in 2023. While this wind ensemble transcription is primarily based on the original version for piano, several ideas are borrowed from the arrangement for cello and piano.

Particular adaptations were necessary for the work to be successful for wind ensemble. Bonds includes very few tempi in her manuscript, and recordings of the Spiritual Suite make heavy use of rubato. I strongly encourage conductors to study the existing versions and listen to the performances listed below to inform their own interpretation. My hope is that this transcription brings wind band audiences to the music of Margaret Bonds. The premiere of this version by The University of Texas Wind Ensemble took place on October 13, 2024, with the arranger conducting.

Cann, Michelle. Revival. Curtis Studio.
Ege, Samantha. Black Renaissance Women. Lontano Records Ltd.
Nyaho, William Chapman. Senku – Piano Music by Composers of African Descent, Vol. 1. MSR Classics.

Instrumentation

Piccolo
Flute 1–2
Oboe 1–2
Bassoon 1–2
B♭ Clarinet 1–3
B♭ Bass Clarinet (Low C extension optional, but preferred)
B♭ Contrabass Clarinet (Optional.)

Alto Saxophone 1–2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

B♭ Trumpet 1–3 (Trumpet 1 and 2 soloists require straight and harmon mutes.)
F Horn 1–4
Tenor Trombone 1–2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba

Double Bass (Low C extension optional, but preferred)
Piano (Optional. The part contains copious cues that may be utilized at the conductor’s discretion.)

5 Percussionists Required
Player 1: Timpani, Shaker, and Triangle
Player 2: Vibraphone, Triangle, and Bass Drum
Player 3: Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Crash Cymbal (shared), Tam-tam
Player 4: Triangle, Suspended Cymbal (shared), Tambourine, Crash Cymbal (shared), Marimba (5-octave), Tom-Toms
Player 5: Suspended Cymbal (shared), Drum Set, Chimes, Crash Cymbal (shared), Snare Drum

Score Perusal

Purchase

To purchase PDFs ($175), please write to me at tehrlich@utexas.edu.
To purchase paper copies ($200), please visit Murphy Music Press.

The goal of creating this transcription is to bring musicians and audiences to the music of Margaret Bonds. If these costs are prohibitive to this mission, please contact me.

Acknowledgements

This transcription was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The University of Texas at Austin. I am indebted to my committee members for their mentorship: Jerry Junkin (chair), Donald Grantham, Omar Thomas, Kevin Sedatole, and Marc Sosnowchik.

Thank you to the heirs of Margaret Bonds, Tee Richardson, Hildegard Publishing Company, the Center for Black Music Research, Louise Toppin, and Michael Cooper for their support of this project.

Many dear friends assisted me in making sure this transcription was as successful as possible. In particular, T.j Anderson, David Biedenbeder, Viet Cuong, and Adrian Sims generously shared their time and insights with me.

I am profoundly grateful to have Brent Allman in my life — I love you.

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