Where Was The "Hand Of Service And The Influence Of The Negro Woman" Felt The Most?

This site is devoted to traditional African American spirituals, and some data is given about the early Gospel songs. The parts of this site are:

History, how the spirituals change is linked to the History of African American

Singers at diverse periods

Composers during and later the slavery period

Search gives the lyrics of over 200 traditional spirituals

Shop to acquire books and records of spirituals

Before 1865

The tunes and the beats, before 1865

The tunes and the beats of negro spirituals and Gospel songs are highly influenced past the music of their actual cultural environs. It means that their styles are continuously changing.

The very first negro spirituals were inspired by African music fifty-fifty if the tunes were not far from those of hymns. Some of them, which were called "shouts" were accompanied with typical dancing including hand clapping and pes tapping.

SHOUTS
Later regular a worship service, congregations used to stay for a "band shout". Information technology was a survival of primitive African dance. So, educated ministers and members placed a ban on it. The men and women arranged themselves in a ring. The music started, maybe with a Spiritual, and the ring began to move, at first slowly, and then with quickening pace. The same musical phrase was repeated over and over for hours. This produced an ecstatic state. Women screamed and fell. Men, wearied, dropped out of the ring

Some African American religious singing at this time was referred as a "moan" (or a "groan"). Moaning (or groaning) does not imply hurting. It is a kind of beatific rendition of a song, often mixed with humming and spontaneous melodic variation.

The lyrics before 1865

In the early nineteenth century, African Americans were involved in the "Second Awakening". They met in camp meetings and sang without any hymnbook. Spontaneous songs were composed on the spot. They were chosen "spiritual songs and the term "sperichil" (spiritual) appeared for the first time in the book "Slave Songs of The United States" (by Allen, Ware, Garrison, 1867).

Every bit negro spirituals are Christian songs, nigh of them business organization what the Bible says and how to live with the Spirit of God. For instance, the "night days of bondage" were enlightened by the hope and faith that God volition not go out slaves lonely.

Past the way, African Americans used to sing outside of churches. During slavery and later, slaves and workers who were working at fields or elsewhere outdoors, were immune to sing "work songs". This was the example, when they had to coordinate their efforts for hauling a fallen tree or whatever heavy load. Even prisoners used to sing "concatenation gang" songs when they worked on the road or on some construction projection.

But some "drivers" too immune slaves to sing "repose" songs, if they were non apparently against slaveholders. Such songs could be sung either by only one soloist or by several slaves. They were used for expressing personal feeling and for auspicious one another. So, fifty-fifty at piece of work, slaves could sing "surreptitious messages". This was the case of negro spirituals, which were sung at church, in meetings, at work and at home.

The meaning of these songs was most often covert. Therefore, only Christian slaves understood them, and even when ordinary words were used, they reflected personal relationship betwixt the slave singer and God.

The codes of the outset negro spirituals are oftentimes related with an escape to a complimentary country. For example, a "home" is a safe place where everyone tin live free. And then, a "abode" can mean Heaven, but it covertly means a sweet and free country, a haven for slaves.

The ways used past fugitives running to a complimentary country were riding a "chariot or a "train".

The negro spirituals "The Gospel Train" and "Swing low, sugariness chariot" which directly refer to the Secret Railroad, an informal organization who helped many slaves to flee.

The lyrics of "The Gospel train" are "She is coming... Go onboard... There's room for many more than..." This is a direct telephone call to become way, by riding a "train" which stops at "stations".

Then, "Swing low, sweetness chariot" refers to Ripley, a "station" of the Hole-and-corner Railroad, where avoiding slaves were welcome. This town is atop a hill, by Ohio River, which is not easy to cantankerous. So, to reach this place, fugitives had to wait for help coming from the hill. The words of this spirituals say, "I looked over Hashemite kingdom of jordan and what did I see/ Coming for to carry me home/ A band of angels coming afterward me"

Here is an example of a negro spiritual and its covert meaning:

There IS A Balm IN GILEAD

This is a well-known negro spiritual, which has an interesting meaning.

The "balm in Gilead" is quoted in the One-time Attestation, but the lyrics of this spiritual refer to the New Testament (Jesus, Holy Spirit, Peter, and Paul). This difference is interesting to comment. In the Old Attestation, the balm of Gilead cannot heal sinners. In the New Attestation, Jesus heals everyone who comes to Him.

And then, in the book of Jeremiah, several verses speak nigh Gilead. In affiliate 22, v. 6 and 13: The Lord says (nigh the palace of the king of Judea) "Though y'all are like Gilead to me, similar the summit of Lebanon, I will surely make you like a desert, like towns inhabited... Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labour".

In the aforementioned book of Jeremiah, affiliate 46, v. 2 and 11, "This is the message (of the Lord) confronting the ground forces of Pharaoh Neco ... Become up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Girl of Egypt, simply you multiply remedies in vain; here is no healing for you".

In the New Attestation, the four Gospels say that Jesus healed many people whatever their conditions: he tin heal the poor. A Christian who feels the Spirit must share its faith and "preach", like Peter and Paul.

Betwixt 1865 and 1925

The lyrics between 1865 and 1925

Spirituals were sung at churches with an active participation of the congregation (as information technology is usual in a Pentecostal church building). Their lyrics mainly remain like to those of the first negro spirituals.

They were often embellished and they were also called either "church songs" or "jubilees" or "holy roller songs". Merely some hymns were changed by African American and became "Dr Watts"

Dr WATTS

Dr Isaac WATTS was an English minister who published several books: "Hymns and Spiritual Songs", in 1707, "The Psalms of David" in 1717. The diverse Protestant denominations adopted his hymns, which were included in several hymnals, at that time.

Missionaries reported on the "ecstatic delight" slaves took in singing the psalms and hymns of Dr Watts.

In his volume "The Religious Instruction of the Negroes in the United States" (1842), the White minister Charles Colock Jones recommended highly some hymns of Dr Watts ("When I Can read My Title Clear", etc.). He wrote: "One great advantage in teaching them (slaves) good psalms and hymns, is that they are thereby induced to lay aside the extravagant and nonsensical chants, and catches and hallelujah songs of their own composing".

However, in the early 1800s, Black ministers took seriously the admonition of Dr Isaac Watts: "Ministers are to cultivate gifts of preaching and prayer through report and diligence; they ought too to cultivate the capacity of composing spiritual songs and practice it along with the other parts of the worship, preaching and prayer". So, homiletic spirituals were created past preachers and taught to the congregation past them or past deacons.

During the post-Ceremonious War period and later, some congregation conducted services without hymnbooks. A deacon (or precentor) set the pitch and reminded the words in half-singing half-chanting stentorian tones. The people chosen their songs "long-meter hymns (because the tempo was very low) or "Dr Watts", even if they have not been written by this admirer.

The detail feature of this kind of singing was its surging, melismatic tune, punctuated after each praise by the leader'southward intoning of the next line of the hymn. The male voices doubled the female voices an octave below and with the thirds and the fifths occurring when individuals left the melody to sing in a more comfy range. The quality of the singing was distinctive for its hard, full-throated and/or nasal tones with frequent exploitation of falsetto, growling, and moaning.

The beats of Dr Watt's songs were tedious, while there are other types of spirituals. These beats are ordinarily classed in 3 groups:
- the "call and response chant",
- the deadening, sustained, long-phrase melody,
- and the syncopated, segmented melody,
- "Call and response"

For a "call and response chant", the preacher (leader) sings one poesy and the congregation (chorus) answers him with another poetry.

An example of such songs is "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot":

SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT

Lead: Swing low, sweet chariot
Chorus: Coming for to bear me home
Lead: Swing depression, sugariness chariot
Chorus: Coming for to comport me dwelling house
Lead: If you get there before I do
Chorus: Coming for to carry me domicile
Lead: Tell all my friends, I'm coming too
Chorus: Coming for to bear me home

- "Irksome and long-phrase song"

Hither are some examples of negro spirituals with a slow, long-stage melody.

MP3
"I'm Troubled in Mind", by Spiritual Workshop Paris, click hither

- "Syncopated melody"

For the syncopated, segmented melody, the tempo is ordinarily fast and the rhythm features a "swing". This concerns spirituals sung at church, by a group (not past a soloist). The rhythm of such a spiritual is based on the swinging of head and body. The swaying of the torso marks the regular beat, only more or less strict in fourth dimension. The singer takes the central beat, almost monotonously, with his left hand, while he juggles information technology with his right mitt

MP3
"Sky" by JoAnne Stephenson, acc. Lorna Young-Wright click here

Between 1865 and 1925, many tunes were arranged as classical European pieces for choirs. Some negro spirituals had been sung during worship services.

Here are negro spirituals sung by a congregation during a worship service.

MP3
"His eye is on the sparrow", click hither

Between 1925 and 1985

The lyrics between 1925 and 1985

As traditional negro spirituals connected to exist sung, new Gospel songs were created. The lyrics of these new songs dealt with praising the Lord, with personal improvement and with brotherly community life. Many of them were inspired past social bug: segregation, lack of dearest, drugs, etc.

For the struggle for Ceremonious Rights, in the 1960s, negro spirituals similar "Nosotros shall overcome", "Oh Freedom" and "This Little Light of Mine" used to be sung.

Sometimes the words of traditional negro spirituals were slightly changed and adapted to special events. For example, the words of "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho (and the walls came tumbling down)" were changed into "Marching 'round Selma".

MARCHING 'Circular SELMA

Marching 'round Selma like Jericho,
Jericho, Jericho
Marching 'round Selma like Jericho
For segregation wall must fall
Look at people answering
To the Freedom Fighters call
Black, Brownish and White American say
Segregation must fall
Good evening freedom's fighters
Tell me where y'all're bound
Tell me where you're marching
"From Selma to Montgomery town

During this catamenia, some Gospel songs were more secular. They were included in shows like "Tambourine to Celebrity" (by Langston Hughes). In the 1970s, mainly Edwin Hawkins ("Oh Happy Day") created the "pop-gospel"». This type of singing needs several instruments to back-trail the singers who are ofttimes assembled in choirs.

The music betwixt 1925 and 1985

Between 1925 and 1985, negro spirituals were sung in local communities. Some scientists, such as Alan Lomax and John Lomax, collected them, as they were spontaneous performed.

At the aforementioned time, composers, such as John West. Work, bundled their tunes. Some of these composers , such as Jester Hairston, were influenced by the Black Renaissance. This means that their arrangements were influenced past the European classic music.

After 1925, artists created Gospel songs, which were either "soul" or "hard beat". The number of instruments accompanying singers increased.

Later on 1985

Some composers, such every bit Moses Hogan, arranged traditional negro spirituals.

The new Gospel songs created afterward 1985 are of ii types. The first type concerns songs, which are for either worship services or special events in churches. The 2d type includes songs, which are for concerts. They are more or less secular even when they speak of Christian life.

This section is organized
past Spiritual Workshop, Paris (France)
Contact u.s.a.