Jericho Rhapsody

Jericho Rhapsody - Morton Gould (1913-1996)
Jericho is a name as newsworthy today as it was in biblical times. In the late 1930s, Morton Gould chose the city as his subject for what was one of the first major works written for concert bands by an American composer. In
the 1930s, original works were scarce and bands relied heavily on transcriptions of orchestra standards, novelty numbers, marches, and solo accompaniments. Although Jericho Rhapsody was difficult for high school and university bands, it was hailed as an important addition to the fledgling band repertoire. Gould wrote the rhapsody for the Pennsylvania School Music Association in either 1938 or 1939, and he utilized two spirituals as his primary materials: “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Cast in the form of a continuous variation, the listener can clearly hear in the rhythms the names of the city, the name of Joshua, the great Hebrew general, and the dramatic events of the storied siege and destruction of the great city.
Born in Richmond Hill, N.Y., Gould was recognized as a child prodigy with abilities in improvisation and composition. His first composition was published at age six. As a child, he studied piano and composition and as
a teenager during the Depression, he worked in New York City playing piano in movie theaters as well as with vaudeville acts. When Radio City Music Hall opened, Gould was hired as the staff pianist. By 1935, he was conducting and arranging orchestral programs for New York's WOR radio station, where he reached a national audience via the Mutual Broadcasting System, combining popular programming with classical music. Through his long and illustrious career, Gould conducted every major American symphony orchestra, won Emmy awards for his classical recordings, and fulfilled commissions by numerous symphonies and government agencies,
including the American Bicentennial Commission, for which he composed three major pieces.