Shine On Me
Performance Notes
Like many Africa-American spirituals, the melody of “Shine on Me” is built on a pentatonic scale, and it utilizes a text that has multiple meanings. The original text of this spiritual can be found in the opening chorus:
Shine on me, Shine on me.
I wonder if the lighthouse will shine on me.
The second line of the text metaphorically represents a search for guidance and direction on both a physical and a spiritual level. The additional text and melodies in this arrangement are partnered with the original melody so as to create harmonic progressions consistent with the African-American singing tradition.
The arrangement should be performed expressively and with a lilt. Close attention must be given to the rhythmic and stylistic nuances placed in the score. Although each musical line must have its own character, focus must also be given to the harmonies that result when the musical lines are combined.
About the Composer
Rollo A. Dilworth (b. 1970, St. Louis, Missouri) is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities and Music Education at the North Park University School of Music in Chicago, Illinois. He recently completed requirements for the Doctor of Music degree in Conducting Performance at Northwestern University, and he holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, respectively.
An award-winning composer and active conductor, educator, and clinician, Dilworth has taught choral music at the elementary, secondary, and university levels. His performing endeavors have taken him to the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. In addition to composing music in the choral genre, his research interests are in the areas of Africa-American music and music education curriculum and instruction. He is an associate conductor and composer-in-residence for the jubilate Children’s Choir of the North Shore in Northfield, Illinois, and he serves as Minister of Music at Martin Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Chicago, Illinois.