Background
Quick sixteenth note passages in the flute, trills in the piano, and a rolling string bass line add plenty of color to this high-spirited rendering of the traditional spiritual. I wrote new verses to provide textual and melodic contrast, and to allow a verse/chorus alteration to provide structure and length to what is otherwise a very short song! A middle section of layered vocal ostinatos builds suspense and depicts the “wheel in a wheel” of Ezekiel’s vision before a final verse and chorus brings the piece to a flourishing close.
Ezekiel saw the wheel
way up in the middle of the air
Ezekiel saw the wheel
way in the middle of the air!
The little wheel runs by faith,
the big wheel runs by the grace of God,
A wheel in a wheel,
way in the middle of the air!
Ezekiel saw a vision bright
way in the middle of the air
He saw four creatures made of light
way in the middle of the air
Each creature had four faces fair
way in the middle of the air
And with four wings each hovered there
way in the middle of the air!
Above the creatures was a throne
way in the middle of the air
And there God’s glory brightly shone
way in the middle of the air
God gave Ezekiel a scroll to eat
way in the middle of the air
Whose words tasted like honey sweet
way in the middle of the air!
(new verses by S.L.K.)
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