Bobbie,

This is a derivative work, and borrows some lines from the old standard, even as that old standard borrowed lines from Ezekiel's original. I seriously thought of including that old negro spiritual--at least in part--into this reworking in a more formal way. I especially like the part that goes...

The toe bone connected to the foot bone,
The foot bone connected to the ankle bone,
The ankle bone connected to the shin bone,
The shin bone connected to the knee bone...clear on up to the head bone.

I might rework this piece intentionally to achieve that.

In the past, I've used portions of older hymns as bridges, intros and conclusions to newer parallel materials on quite a few occasions. The only thing necessary to do in this sort of borrowing of previously existing material is to note in the copyright application which parts you are borrowing and which parts are original in your new work.

In a piece called "Gospel Seed" I wrote a few years back in Idaho, the chorus for "Bringing in the Sheaves" was dropped in as a bridge. In another piece called, "Hello, Little Old Ladies", I employed the melody for "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" with altered words in a bridge section to poke a little gentle fun at the sometimes stale and boring worship styles in certain congregations. In "Singing Hymns on the City Bus", I included a verse of "Amazing Grace" just before the final chorus for pacing and to enhance the storyline. In live performance, an inserted snatch of a well known standard in no wise detracts from the newer composition. It simply adds immediate familiarity for the listener, connecting what they already know with what I'm introducing that is new.

Think I'll see if I can do something similar here. Thanks for your comments.

Skip

P.S. (A litle later...) I've gone back and done a rewrite with your comments in mind. Check it out above.




Last edited by Skip Johnson; 09/24/07 04:31 PM.