Deep River
Moses Hogan composer
Margaret Bonds composer
H.T. Burleigh composer
William L. Dawson composer
Roland Hayes composer
Nolan Williams Jr. composer
Alchymy Viols
Philip Spray director, orchestrator
Michael Walker II countertenor
One might be tempted to think that there is no crossover in music that hasn’t been done yet; and thankfully, one would be mistaken. DEEP RIVER presents a vibrant selection of 21 African American spirituals, interpreted by countertenor Michael Walker II and early music consort Alchymy Viols.
A curious collaboration? Not at all, according to director Philip Spray. The viol consort’s historical purpose was to arrange popular tunes of its day; so it appeared only logical to try this setup on America’s first folk songs. It worked. Additional harmonies are provided by a distinctly anachronistic grand harp, and accompaniment by a small field pump organ. The effect is stunning: a music so utterly, distinctly American, one wonders why this hasn’t been done before.
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Track Listing & Credits
# | Title | Composer | Performer | |
---|---|---|---|---|
01 | Over My Head | Traditional Spiritual | Michael Walker II, countertenor | 1:10 |
02 | Deep River | Moses Hogan | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, electric organ | 3:52 |
03 | Walk Together Children (satb) | Moses Hogan | Alchymy Viols | Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 2:50 |
04 | Joshua Fit da Battle of Jericho | Margaret Bonds | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, lyra viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 2:24 |
05 | My Lord What a Morning | H.T. Burleigh | Alchymy Viols | Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, electric organ | 2:45 |
06 | I Don’t Feel No-Ways Tired | H.T. Burleigh | Alchymy Viols | Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 1:55 |
07 | Give Me Jesus | Moses Hogan | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, electric organ | 5:21 |
08 | Hard Trials | H.T. Burleigh | Alchymy Viols | Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, 18th c. English guittar; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 1:49 |
09 | Weepin' Mary | H.T. Burleigh | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp | 5:12 |
10 | Through Moanin’ Pines (From the Southland piano sketches) | H.T. Burleigh | Stephanie Hall, harp | 2:47 |
11 | Soon Ah Will Be Done | William L. Dawson | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, electric organ | 6:11 |
12 | Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child | H.T. Burleigh | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, electric organ | 3:00 |
13 | Steal Away | H.T. Burleigh | Alchymy Viols | Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 3:23 |
14 | Ezek’el Saw the Wheel | Margaret Bonds | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 3:17 |
15 | Plantation Melodies, Old & New 1. Negro Lullaby | H.T. Burleigh | Alchymy Viols | Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 2:53 |
16 | He Never Said a Mumberlin’ Word | Roland Hayes | Michael Walker II, countertenor | 5:13 |
17 | ‘Roun' About de Mountain | Roland Hayes | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, electric organ | 3:27 |
18 | Every Time I Feel the Spirit | Nolan Williams, Jr. | Alchymy Viols | Joanna Blendulf, lyra viol; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 1:37 |
19 | Plenty Good Room | Roland Hayes | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 2:40 |
20 | Hold On | Margaret Bonds | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 3:19 |
21 | Walk Together Children | Moses Hogan | Alchymy Viols | Michael Walker II, countertenor; Jeremy Rhizor, baroque violin; Allison Nyquist, baroque viola; Wendy Gillespie, tenor viol; Joanna Blendulf, bass viol; Erica Rubis, bass viol; Philip Spray, consort bass viol; Stephanie Hall, harp; Thomas Gerber, field pump organ | 2:57 |
We would like to offer special thanks to John Jennings of Royer Labs for their sponsorship of this project and the excellent ribbon microphones provided.
HOLD ON, EZEK’EL SAW THE WHEEL, JOSHUA FIT THE BATTLE OF JERICHO
From “In His Hand: Seven Spirituals For Voice and Piano” Traditional Spirituals arranged by Margaret Bonds.
Copyright © 2010 by Theodore Presser Company. All rights assigned to Carl Fischer, LLC. This arrangement copyright © 2021 by Theodore Presser Company. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A MOTHERLESS CHILD
Negro Spiritual, Arranged by Harry T. Burleigh.
© 1946 RICORDI CO. Copyright Assigned to and Renewed by BELWIN-MILLS PUBLISHING CORP. All Rights Controlled and Administered by ALFRED MUSIC. This Arrangement © 2021 BELWIN-MILLS PUBLISHING CORP. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission of ALFRED PUBLISHING, LLC
EVERY TIME I FEEL THE SPIRT
Arranged by Nolan. Williams, Jr.
Arrangement © 2000 this setting 2021 GIA Publication Inc. All right reserved. Used by permission.
DEEP RIVER, GIVE ME JESUS, WALK TOGETHER CHILDREN
African-American Spirituals, Arranged by Moses Hogan.
Copyright © 2000 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION. These arrangements Copyright © 2021 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
WALK TOGETHER CHILDREN (SATB)
© 2001. Arranged with Permission of Hal Leonard LLC for the exclusive use of the Alchymy Viols with Michael Walker, countertenor.
SOON AH WILL BE DONE
By William L. Dawson.
© 1934, arr. c 1947, renewed 1962 by William L. Dawson. Used by permission from the Estate of William L Dawson / Music Press. c/o Downtown Music obo Scion Five Music LLC.
Orchestrations are by Philip Spray, except track 10, set for harp by Stephanie Hall
Recorded July 11-14, 2023 at Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center, University of Indianapolis in Indianapolis IN
Session Producer Richard Price
Session Co-Producer & Engineer D. James Tagg
Session Assistant Engineer Brett Leonard
Post Production Engineer, Editing & Mixing D. James Tagg
Post-Production Co-Producer, Editing & Mixing Jessica Davis Tagg
Post Production Co-producer & Mixing Philip Spray
Mastering Brad Michel
Session Photography Ryan Scrogham
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Executive Producer Bob Lord
VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Chelsea Kornago
Digital Marketing Manager Brett Iannucci
Artist Information
![](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Philip-Spray-300x300.jpg)
Philip Spray
Philip Spray performs, records, and consults with period instrument ensembles and publishers across the country. He co-founded the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra under Barthold Kuijken and later Musik Ekklesia whose first recording The Vanishing Nordic Chorale was part of a 2011 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Classical Producer. He has long maintained interest in writing, composing, teaching, and arranging. His current ensemble Alchymy Viols offers performances from some of America’s finest players on the viola da gamba: Wendy Gillespie, Joanna Blendulf, and Erica Rubis.
![](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Michael-WalkerII-300x300.jpg)
Michael Walker II
Countertenor Michael Walker II (he/him/his) is celebrated as a brilliant soloist and versatile chamber musician, praised for his “luminous tone, weighted with pathos.” With a passion for celebrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and access within the classical arts, Walker has distinguished himself as a leading advocate and performer in the field. A dynamic recitalist and soloist, Walker captivates audiences nationwide with his transcendent performances. His repertoire spans a wide range of styles and eras, from the medieval, renaissance, and baroque periods to contemporary works.
![Wendy-Gillespie](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Wendy-Gillespie.jpg)
Wendy Gillespie
Wendy Gillespie was inexplicably attracted to renaissance polyphony long before she knew either word. A string player since childhood, she began playing the viola da gamba as an undergraduate. Gillespie has performed on five continents, mostly as a founding member of Fretwork and long-time member of Phantasm, both ensembles of violas da gamba, but also as a bass viol soloist and not least as a very willing continuo player. She has explored medieval music on the vielle with the Ensemble Sequentia, Elizabethan Enterprise, and others, more recently specializing in renaissance viols and early notation with Nota Bene.
![Joanna-Blendulf](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Joanna-Blendulf.jpg)
Joanna Blendulf
Joanna Blendulf has performed and recorded with leading early music ensembles throughout the United States. As a native of Sweden, she grew up listening to traditional folk music and was drawn to the sound of early instruments. Blendulf now performs on viols and Baroque cello with the Nota Bene Viol Consort, Wildcat Viols, the Catacoustic Consort, Parthenia, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Pacific MusicWorks. Blendulf holds performance degrees with honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where she was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate for her accomplishments in early music performance.
![Erica-Rubis](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Erica-Rubis.jpg)
Erica Rubis
Erica Rubis is a versatile performer on the viola da gamba whose work ranges from renaissance viol consort to improvising and co-creating new music. She is a member of Alchymy Viols, Les Ordinaires Trio, and also plays with Bourbon Baroque, Catacoustic Consort, Echoing Air, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, and North Carolina Baroque Orchestra. She also collaborates and performs regularly with composer/performer Tomás Lozano in his song project on the poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez. Rubis’ recordings include Les Ordinaires, Inner Chambers, and Monteclair: Beloved and Betrayed, contemporary music of Tomas Lozano, Eternal Juan Ramón Jiménez, and The Colorful Telemann with the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra. Active in music education, Rubis holds regular workshops on the viola da gamba for string students and has pioneered a multi-media program, Shakespeare’s Ear, with regular tours since 2009.
![Jeremy-Rhizor](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Jeremy-Rhizor.jpg)
Jeremy Rhizor
Jeremy Rhizor plays the baroque violin and founded the Academy of Sacred Drama, an organization inspired by Baroque academies that champions the performance and research of sacred drama. Noted for playing “virtuosically but with fluid grace” by The New York Times, Rhizor performs with early music organizations throughout North America such as Aureas Voces in Nova Scotia, Alchymy Viols in Indiana, Ensemble VIII in Texas, Mountainside Baroque in Maryland, the Washington Bach Consort in Washington DC, Bach Vespers, Brooklyn Baroque, and the Clarion Society in New York. He recently was the guest concertmaster of the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Lyra Baroque Orchestra, and The American Classical Orchestra. Rhizor is currently exploring the relationship between music and prayer and enjoys gardening at his home in North Salem NY.
![Allison-Nyquist](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Allison-Nyquist.jpg)
Allison Nyquist
Noted for the beauty of her playing as well as for her versatility, violinist Allison Edberg Nyquist is one of the preeminent performers of the baroque and classical violin and viola. She has been praised by The Chicago Sun Times as “impeccable, with unerring intonation and an austere beauty.” Nyquist has performed throughout North America, collaborating with many of the top baroque ensembles, including Chatham Baroque, Haymarket Opera Company, and Apollo’s Fire. As a member of The Vivaldi Project, she has recorded three albums of classical string trios for MSR Classics. She recently retired after 20 years as the concertmaster of the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra with whom she has four albums on Naxos. Her discography also includes recordings for the Eclectra, Delos, and Centaur labels. Nyquist lives in rural Warren County Indiana where she grows onions, peppers, and lots of tomatoes.
![Stephanie-Hall](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Stephanie-Hall.jpg)
Stephanie Hall
Located in Indianapolis, Stephanie Newberry Hall actively performs as a freelance harpist. A native Texan, Hall began performing professionally in 2004, and acted as principal harpist of the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with various orchestras in Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. Hall received a Master of Music Degree from the University of Houston and her Bachelor of Music Degree from Vanderbilt University. Additionally, she is an alumnus of the Salzedo School in Camden ME where she studied with legendary harpist Alice Chalifoux. Hall has performed in masterclasses with harpists such as Yolanda Kondonassis, Isabelle Moretti, and Sunita Stanislow, and participated in the Texas Music Festival, Rome Festival, and Sewanee Summer Music Festivals. Hall is a Music Unites Artist with Classical Music Indy and joined the faculty of the Indianapolis Suzuki Academy in 2015.
![Thomas-Gerber](https://www.navonarecords.com/nv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Thomas-Gerber.jpg)
Thomas Gerber
Thomas Gerber is a founder of, and the keyboardist in, the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra. For 30 years he was the harpsichordist of Ensemble Voltaire, formerly Ensemble Ouabache. He is a member of Echoing Air, Alchymy Viols, and Musik Ekklesia. He has played with Callipygian Players, Catacoustic Consort, Bourbon Baroque, Anaphantasia, and Musica Antigua Chicago. He has served as professor of music history at Butler University, Marian University, and the University of Indianapolis. He can be heard on the Naxos and Dorian labels.