Commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for their 2012 convention, The Cry of Jeremiah marks the first major work from the pen of Rosephanye Powell. Taken from passages in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, the four movements follow the prophet's feelings of abandonment and redemption by God. Powell's music combines this ancient text with music that draws simultaneously from both the African American musical heritage as well as the classical music traditions.