Pick a Bale of Cotton

Pick a Bale of Cotton was the most challenging work in this series to arrange because there is so little material in the original song. It is a field work song based on four bars of music. The arrangement presented here features extensive instrumental material designed to provide the performers a truly participatory experience where they are provided with some very real work to do. The form features a multiple part introduction beginning with a lively double duo, featuring several types of percussion. These multiple introductory parts present additional material that serves to accompany the melody and provide the bridging and episode music. In addition to the song and introduction there are several canonic episodes and a short passacaglia based on a variant of the ground figure used in the Shenandoah arrangement from this series. Not surprisingly the work concludes with a hard working, multi-part coda.