Sheet Music: Go Down, Moses

TitleGo Down, Moses
Alternate titlesLet My People Go
ComposerTraditional American
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyG minor
RangeD4–D5
Time signature4/4
Tempo100 BPM
Performance time0:40
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (43 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (325 kB)
Date added2011-01-29
Last updated2011-01-29
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.5 (below average)
Categories
Gospel music, Spirituals, Traditional/Folk

Performances

  • Heather — Flute with backing track.

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Saturday 29 January 2011

Tune of the Day: Go Down, Moses

Traditional African American spiritual

This American Negro spiritual describes events in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically the part in which God commands Moses to demand the release of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. In the song's context, Israel represents the African-American slaves while Egypt and its Pharaoh represent the slavemaster.

Although usually thought of as a spiritual, it's interesting to observe that the earliest recorded use of the song was as a rallying anthem for the Contrabands at Fort Monroe sometime before 1862.

Notable recording of this song include those by Paul Robeson and Louis Armstrong.