For the West Side Singers Steal Away May 2020 arr. E. Hofacker African American Spiritual molto legato, appasionato 60 solo on melody then m1 Steal a-way steal a-way, steal a-way to Je - su - s. Steal a-way, Sop/Alto Steal a way, steal a way, steal a way to Je su s. Steal a way, Steal a-way, steal a-way, steal a - way to Je su s. Steal a-way, Ten/Bass Steal a-way, steal a-way, steal a - way to Je su s. Steal a-way, 2 6 oo - - - - - - steal a-way home. I ain't got long to stay here. SA. steal a-way home. I ain't got long to stay here. oo - - - - - - TB steal a-way home. I ain't got long to stay here. Steal a-way, steal a-way, steal a-way home. I ain't got long to stay here. Steal a-way, steal a-way, 11 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SA. Steal a-way, steal a-way home. - - - - - - - - - Steal a way, steal a way home. steal a - way to Je su s. oo - - - - - - - - - TB steal a - way to Je su s. oo - - - - - - - - - 3 Like thunder 15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I ain't got long to stay here. - - - - - - - My Lord He SA. Like thunder I ain't got long to stay My Lord He Like thunder - - - - - - I ain't got long to stay here. My Lord He TB Like thunder - - - - - - I ain't got long to stay here. My Lord He 19 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SA. calls me, He calls me by the thunder. The trum-pets sound wi - calls me, He calls me by the thu nder. - The trum-pets sound wi calls me, He calls me by the thu nder. - The trum-pets sound wi - TB calls me, He calls me by the thu nder. - The trum-pets sound wi - molto legato, appasionato 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23 Steal a-way steal a-way, SA. thin-a my soul. I ain't got long to stay here. thin-a my soul. I ain't got long to stay here. Steal a way, steal a way, TB thin-a my soul. I ain't got long to stay here. Steal a-way, steal a-way, thin-a my soul. I ain't got long to stay here. Steal a-way, steal a-way, 28 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - div-. steal a-way to Je-sus. Steal a-way, Steal a-way home. I ain't got long to SA. steal a way to Je su s. Steal a way, Steal a-way home. I ain't got long to div. steal a - way to Je sus. Steal a-way, Steal a-way home. I ain't got long to TB Steal a-way home. I steal a - way to Je su s. Steal a-way, ain't got long to 5 33 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - stay here oo - - - - - - - - - - oo - - - SA. stay here. oo - - - - - - - - - - oo - - - stay here. oo - - - - - - - - - - oo - - - TB Bari Solo Steal a - way, steal a-way, steal a-way to Je su s. stay here. oo - - - - - - - - - - oo - - - al niente 38 - - - - - - - - - rit. - - - - - - - - - - oo - - - - - - - - I ain't got long to stay here SA. rit. oo - - - - - - - - I ain't got long to stay here. rit. oo - - - - - - - - I ain't got long to stay here. TB Steal a-way, ste - al a-way home. End solo. rit. oo - - - - - - - - I ain't got long to stay here. 6 "Steal Away" is a black American spiritual. Its words, and those to other Underground Railroad songs, had a double meaning: Into the nineteenth century, some of the spirituals took on another layer of signifcance as they became a means of communication. Plantation owners were well aware of the Underground Railroad operated by northern abolitionists, southern sympathizers, and former slaves. Laws forbade slaves to learn to read and write, and public meetings were not allowed. Illiterate slaves had little chance to plan any resistance to their dismal conditions. Singing became not just an expression of faith in life afer death, but a means to organize for freedom. “Wade in the Water” and “Follow the Drinking Gourd” were spirituals that gave actual instructions to runaways. “Steal away to Jesus” literally means to follow the teachings of Christ, but it doesn’t take too much imagination to understand it as a call to meeting. Listeners would sneak of to the woods to learn to read, plan an escape, or organize an uprising. Nat Turner used this song to call out his followers in 1831 in Southampton, Virginia, when he led a short-lived revolt resulting in the deaths of 55 white people and the eventual execution of up to 200 slaves. Although there are complications in teaching about the horrors of American Slavery, there are bigger problems in not teaching about slavery. Some educators let their worries about teaching the subject deter them from giving slavery the attention it deserves. This is where music steps in. “Those who do not read history, are doomed to repeat it” -George Santayana.