I'll Follow Thee

What drew me to I'll Follow Thee was not the text, but the poet. The text comes from the 1908 self-published collection Songs from the Wayside. On surface value, the text does offer some beautiful sentiment of the power of continuing through strife. However, Clara Ann Thompson's life as an African-American woman, born during Reconstruction to formerly enslaved parents, leading a life as a poet, teacher, and civil rights activist adds such a layer of nuance and depth to the beautiful text. Clara pushed to tell her story in a climate that pushed against her relentlessly. This piece is a great introduction in dissonance and dynamic contrasts for choirs. I hope I was able to, in some way, honor the life and work of Clara with this piece. W. Spencer Germany is a young composer from Memphis, Tennessee. Beginning composing at the age of 15, he has had premieres with featured performances by multiple choirs. He has been noted as bringing a fresh and new vitality to his music. Spencer has a degree in Music Education from Middle Tennessee State University and is the choir director at Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, TN. Spencer composes not only for choir, but also for the stage, with albums such as Who Says We Can't? as well as his EP "In The Air" available anywhere you stream or buy music. Spencer's work can be found published on Sheet Music Press and on Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram @SpencerGermanyMusic