Alliance Music Pub

Composer: Andrea Ramsey
Format: Choral Octavo
Voicing: TTB with piano and djembe

Cover Me with the Night utilizes a slightly modified prayer text from Ghana, a country in West Africa. A suggested djembe part has been provided as a guideline, though it would be completely acceptable to add additional percussion and/or improvisation beyond what is notated. Additional djembes or shakeres (both of which originated in West Africa) would be stylistically appropriate percussion choices to further enhance the work.

If the director chooses to utilize the solo and trio options at the opening of the piece, select singers who can be declarative and engaging with a strong vocal and emotional presence. Those opening lines should be sung as if they are a call, or invitation to something greater. Additionally, there should be a noticeable difference between the legato style of the middle section ("spread your grace") and the rest of the song which is more percussive and buoyant in nature. Use a full, strong tone for the final chords at "we wait...come Lord" and let the singers have fun with this piece! -Andrea Ramsey