Ea Hlolang

Ea Hlolang is a rousing anthem of four verses, beginning in call-and-response style. It originated as hymn no. 122 in Lifela tsa Sione (Songs of Zion), the Sesotho hymnal that Moerane must have known very well as a member of the Lesotho Evangelical Church. This hymnbook was first published in 1844 with many of its texts written by Lesotho missionaries and music drawn from composers of the day: the original tune of Ea Hlolang was written by 19th-century French composer, Ignaz Pleyel, for example. Moerane does not alter the text by missionary Louis Duvoisin, which draws upon natural imagery – fountains, reeds, and palms – found in the Bible, but he creates a new musical setting that is triumphal and uplifting. In order to help choirs learn this song, a free mp3 of the lyrics spoken by Mpho Ndebele is downloadable when the song is purchased along with a rehearsal mp3 of the song at a slow tempo.
Duration: 4’16”

The audio sample below was generated from the Sibelius file of the score and the sample on the right shows the first page of the score.