The arranger WROTE IT THAT WAY! Look at the score!

@@HerbertVRPJones I actually had to check why you were replying to me because it has been over 6 months since I had made the comment to this video. I guess you are just now seeing my comments or you had to think about it, I really don't know. But all you did was say that the person who wrote this piece wrote the so called long irritating soprano note into the arrangement. That honestly doesn't answer the question that I asked and still doesn't explain anything. Why did the person write in that long note like that? Why did he want to torture the sopranos and make them do that irritating long note like that? That note makes no sense at all and it does get irritating listening to it and all it does is make it sound like the sopranos are having a note holding contest. But just to say that the composer wrote the long note in this piece does not explain why or for what reason. And I'm sure some of the ladies in the soprano section had a hard time doing the note as well, even with stagger breathing it had to be difficult. But to say that the composer wrote the arrangement with this long note in there still doesn't answer the question why or what for. But I guess you and others don't look at things like this in that way.

@@vernonson66 You are exactly correct about me JUST SEEING THE COMMENT. Thanks for reiterating your query. It is my understanding that the arranger, Roland Marvin Carter, wrote the latter part of the Spiritual where the Sopranos sustain the “A” while the ATB utter the chant, is to reflect the early “metered-style” singing of the early African-American Church. (Long sentence)…. In/During the devotional period of the Worship Service, the “moaners” who hum this one note (drone) while the remaining worshippers who chant lyrics.

@@HerbertVRPJones thank you for your reply back and since you were respectful and you didn’t put me down for some of my negative comments, I’m going to return the respect to you. I appreciate you explaining what you read about the long held drone by the sopranos on the above word. Out of all the times I have commented on other videos like this, you are the first person to actually care enough to attempt to explain the reason behind the drone part in the later half of this arrangement. For that, my hat comes off in respect and gratitude to you. I have other slight complaints but not against you or anything. I guess I’m wondering why do the sopranos have to do the long drone and I’m wondering why can’t the various choir conductors have the men in the tenor section do the long drone and give the sopranos a break. I’m sure it would probably have to be in a slightly lower key but I think the tenors could do this note just as well. But again I honestly wish the long drone wouldn’t be done in the first place because as I mentioned before it gets irritating after a while and I’m sure the sopranos or whoever would be doing the long note are probably getting irritated as well because they can’t breathe like everyone else. There is actually another version of this same song that is a different arrangement but still the same lyrics and so forth but there is no long held note or drone in the other arrangement and in my opinion sounds so much better than this one because there is no sustained note. I think it is the arrangement by K Lee Scott and it sounds so much better. I honestly don’t like the one by Roland Carter due to the long note in the 2nd half of the piece. Anyway, thanks for your reply and for trying to explain some of the details of this version of this song.

@@vernonson66 Not a problem at all. We ALL have different appreciation(s) of music and even life experiences. Your opinion matters, as do you. Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to do so. If you wish, I can share your opinion with the arranger; perhaps he would shed some “additional insight” pursuant to the arrangement. At any rate, I hope that I did shed a little insight. Thanks again. Herb