In the Spring of 2001 I received a commission from the Dale
Warland Singers to write a short "folk" type choral arrangement. I had discovered a tune in a folk song book
called "The Lone Wild Bird." I
fell in love with it, made a short recording and asked my good friend and
colleague, Michael Dennis Browne to write new words for this tune. The tune is
taken from The Southern Harmony Songbook" of 1835. It is pentatonic and that is part of its
attraction. Pentatonic scales have been
extant for centuries and are prevalent in almost all musical cultures
throughout the world. They are
universal. Michael crafted three verses
and gave it the title "The Road Home." He writes so eloquently about
"returning" and "coming home" after being lost or
wandering. Again, this is another
universal theme and it has resonated well with choirs around the world as this
simple little a cappella choral piece has become another "best
seller" in our Paulus Publications catalogue and now threatens to catch up
with "Pilgrims' Hymn." It is
just more evidence that often the most powerful and beautiful message is often
a simple one.
Stephen Paulus
May 2013
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