THE COLLABORATIVE ARRANGEMENTS OF ALICE PARKER AND ...

open 4ths and 5ths, chord fragments, and collections of notes within the mode prevail
throughout.
#14 Great rhythmic drive or interest in rhythmically based pieces
This arrangement is vital, passionate, and physically rhythmic. All the way to the end,
even when the men are singing p, the drive continues. The choruses, “Oh, Hallelujah, how I love
my Savior,” highlight the rhythmic character of the music with accents and syncopations, pedal
points and ostinatos (mm. 57-80).
#15 Frequent use of imitation
Imitation is used in this passage in m. 49, m. 51, especially in m. 53, and m. 55.
#16 Frequent use of pedal points and ostinatos
The basses hold a pedal point G—most often with its fifth—from m. 57 through 61.
Measures 65-70 and 73-75 manifest shifting chords over a stationary bass line as well. Ostinatos
are found in the bass section from m. 57 to 62 in the half note/quarter/quarter figure. This is
picked up by the tenors in m. 59 with slight alteration.
#17 A preference for gapped scales and modality over tonality
“Death Shall Not Destroy” is in the Dorian mode, but the raised 6th step, used just once
in the melody and only as a passing tone, renders the scale essentially hexatonic. There are no
accidentals in the entire arrangement except for mm. 63 and 64, where Parker employs an
unusual special effect with parallel fifths leading to a satisfying dominant chord. Here we have
in succession a major chord built on the 3 rd step of the mode, a major chord on the 4th step, and
finally a dominant chord, which is not found elsewhere in the arrangement. These chords do not
relate to the “relative major” of a minor scale, but reflect modality. This kind of chord
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