As long as I can remember, the Negro spiritual has personally inspired me as a composer, a lover of history, an African- American, and a person of faith. This inspiration led me to a further, deeper study of spirituals – their history, texts, and melodies. That study informed areas of my compositional voice, and ultimately became the impetus for this album. This recording is special to me. It was born out of my desire to take an important musical tradition, re-imagine it on paper, and have it brought to life by truly talented performing musicians. Through my music, I hope that more people will be exposed to this timeless art form, and be touched by this treasure that was given by Negro slaves to all of humanity. My compositional process involved hours of engaging the texts and reflecting on the honest lyrics that are often multidimensional and complex, yet simply expressed, humbly, in slave vernacular. The messages are discerning and personal. They evoke the hard truths of slavery in such a meaningful and even beautiful way: the inhumanity, the tragedy, and the scars, which still in many ways remain unhealed on the back of America. Yet somehow despite hard truths and devastating context, the most compelling features of these slave songs may be the elements of hope that are ubiquitous throughout their texts. Sometimes, the texts include double narratives – coded messages intended to communicate dissatisfaction, or more seriously, plans for escape. There are some songs that incorporate imagery that parallels stories from Holy Scriptures, specifically the Lord's deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, with their own hopes of being delivered by the same God. The text, above all, tells the story of an oppressed people. This perfect union between the powerful texts and compelling melodies – addictive tunes that also have the power to touch souls – is what makes the stories more of a reality to those who listen. The musicians on this album are among the most talented artists in the world. Nuanced, soulful, sincere, passionate, and expressive are just a few words that describe what each of these artists brings to every piece. For this, I am truly grateful to Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez, J'nai Bridges, Caen Thomason-Redus, and my wife, Dorthy White Okpebholo. Their artistry elevated my music to a level far beyond my imagination. Further, I am thankful for Brian Porick, the recording engineer and co-producer, who also had an essential role in giving life to this project. The album begins with a reflective setting of 'Balm in Gilead'. Before the piano and baritone enter, the flute plays an extended, improvisatory introduction that not only establishes the mood of the piece, but also serves as a prelude to the entire album, evoking sorrow, contemplation, soulfulness, beauty, and hope – moods I hope are communicated throughout the project. 'Wade in the Water' is contrasting in style. Sometimes associated with the Underground Railroad, this charismatic setting, like 'Balm in Gilead', explores in part the notion of healing. 'Deep River' continues with the imagery of water and is a musical response to 'Wade in the Water', which is more evangelistic, while 'Deep River' (contemplative, delicate, serene in character) is about peace and a longing for what is beyond the river, a metaphor for heaven. 'Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray / Standin’ in the Need of Prayer' is the first setting on the album that introduces the mezzo-soprano in duet with the baritone. The soulful exchange between the two artists is beautifully and seamlessly wedded with the piano. In this dialogue, the slave expresses feelings of loneliness, perhaps even abandonment by God, while simultaneously seeking God, the Deliverer. With a triumphant response and a renewed sense of personal confidence, Great Day follows in full force. This spiritual is dynamic, valiant in character, and full of texture changes – a rallying call. The next three selections on this album form a sequence that deals with the anguish of the slave, Christ’s suffering on the cross, and the soul’s pursuit of Christ, the Redeemer. 'I Want to Die Easy When I Die / Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child' is an introspective and highly expressive dialogue between the baritone and mezzo-soprano. A slave’s sorrowful supplication to easily leave this hard world for a better place in glory and the chronic sadness poetically expressed through imagery of an orphan grippingly portrays the injustices of slavery. The second spiritual in the sequence, 'Were You There?', is a somber reminder of Christ on the cross: his suffering, his death. The baritone and the pianist delicately express a solemn account of the event. As the piece progresses, the pianist shifts style, becoming more mechanical and playing an ostinato of repeated A-flats. The listener can imagine this as musically symbolizing Christ being nailed to the cross. Last in the sequence is 'Lord, I Want to Be a Christian / Give Me Jesus'. Here, the flute returns with the baritone/piano duo in this dramatic and dynamic setting. The composition begins with a sincere yearning for Christ. As the piece unfolds, the intensity increases until the liberating entrance of the last verse of 'Give Me Jesus'. In black gospel style, the piano, flute, and baritone go into full church mode: the black church, that is! 'Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit' keeps with the spirit-filled character of the preceding piece. In this electrifying setting I feature viola for the first time. The trio travels from a musical representation of a train, highlighting imagery from the text, to jazz, including a walking bass line performed, at some point, by each performer. 'Steal Away', the title track, was the first spiritual I composed for this album. In a way, it set the tone for the entire project. This evocative slave song expresses elements of sorrow, hope, and Christian devotion – foundational elements in many spirituals. The album concludes with the post-Civil War spiritual, 'Oh, Freedom'. Perhaps the boldest composition of the album, this piece steadily intensifies dynamically, technically, and passionately – the musical foundation of which is a steady bass cluster, intended to make the listener uncomfortable as it embodies in sound the weary slave hard at work. The simple text sums up the entire cycle: Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom over me, And before I’d be a slave, I’d be buried in my grave, And go home to my Lord, and be free. -- Shawn E. Okpebholo