"Wade in the Water" is a famous African-American spiritual. The catchy melody was already written in the 19th century and has its origins in the singing of African slaves in America. With their songs, the oppressed people told of their suffering, but also of hope and confidence. On the one hand, singing helped them to deal with their hard physical work, but on the other hand it was also considered a solemn confession of their faith.
Before a printed form of the musical text of "Wade in the Water" was published in 1901 for the first time, the melody had only been handed down orally. Finally, in 1925, the first sound recording was released. Countless interpretations by famous musicians such as Ramsey Lewis, Herb Alpert and Klaus Doldinger followed. The German jazz trumpet player, composer and arranger Markus Götz has also attended to the unmistakable melody and presents a gripping gospel rock for wind orchestra with his arrangement.
Serie Sound Classics No. 31