O Come Freedom

O Come Freedom was commissioned by the Capitol Hill Chorale for a joint performance with Washington Revels in 2024. It is a free adaptation of three Shaker songs, all of which were transcribed from a manuscript housed in the Music Division of the Library of Congress: “O come freedom,” an unattributed song (c. 1840); “I love freedom,” a song from Enfield, Connecticut (1840); and “Freedom, freedom, pretty pretty way,” a song from Sabbathday Lake, Maine (1846). O Come Freedom is dedicated to Everett McCorvey, Founder and Director of the American Spiritual Ensemble. I had the great pleasure of hearing the American Spiritual Ensemble perform live in 2024, and their voices still rang in my ear when composing this work.

Refrain
O come freedom, O come pretty freedom; fill my soul with life and liberty.

O I want one drop of freedom; O I thirst for freedom pretty freedom.
Refrain

I love freedom, I love pretty freedom; I feel thankful for my privilege.
Refrain

Freedom, freedom, pretty pretty way; I’ll gather gather to it every day.
Refrain

O come freedom, O come pretty freedom; fill my soul with life and liberty.