Kumbaya

Kumbaya is a Gullah spiritual that beseeches of the Almighty,
“Come by here, my Lord. Come by here.”

Kumbaya's roots extend to West Africa, the ancestral land of the Gullah, who are African American descendants of enslaved people, living in the Sea Islands of the American southern Atlantic coast.

This arrangement sets Kumbaya as a concerto for four violins, djembe, and strings, propelled by West African grooves.

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Title: Kumbaya

Composer: Anonymous

Arranger: Tim Berens

Description: This arrangement of Kumbaya sets the Gullah spiritual as a concerto for four violins, djembe and strings. It begins with a quiet statement of the melody, then the djembe jumps in with a lively West African groove, beginning a rhythmic fest that ends spectacularly. The four solo parts are “graded” so that the 3rd and 4th parts are simpler to play, allowing ensembles such as the Nouveau Program in the video below to perform the piece.

Arrangement Commissioned by: The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, John Morris Russell, Music Director

Sound Selection Performed by: The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, John Morris Russell, Conductor, featuring the Nouveau Program.

Instrumentation: Solo Violin 1, Solo Violin 2, Solo Violin 3, Solo Violin 4, Djembe, Strings

Length: 3:45

Rental Fee: $150.00 first performance. $50.00 per subsequent performance.