1. The Negro Spiritual AN AMERICAN ART FORM:
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES OF SELECTED COMPOSITIONS AND COMPARISONS TO GOSPEL
Dr. Sonja Sepúlveda

2. African Music to the Concert Spiritual
Dr. Sonja Sepúlveda

3. AFRICAN CHARACTERISTICS
Complex rhythms
Percussion and movement
Harmony in open fifths and fourths
Call and Response
Beat emphasis that moves the melody forward
Singers need to move

4. Jesu Waca / African Chant
Praise the name of Jesus, for the name is high.

5. Ahuna Ya Tswanang Le Jesu
Sotho tradition
There’s no one like Jesus. There’s no one like Him. I looked around everywhere. I turned around everywhere. I finally found my Jesus. There’s no one like Him.
L=Z, H=silent, NG=nasal

6. Ezatele / Uyaimose Congo/ Zimbabwe Hymn Tune Ezatele: Come here.
Uyaimose: Come all ye people, come and praise the Most High. Come now and worship the Lord.

7. CONCERT AFRICAN FOLK
African song arranged into a European traditional choral arrangement
Wana Baraka:
Stacks African melodies
Call and response
Open 5ths
Unbridled joy
Latin vowels
Word stress

8. Wana Baraka Kenyan religious tune
They have blessings, those who pray; Jesus himself said so. Alleluia! They have peace, joy and well-being.

9. Bawo Thixo Somandla
South African song, in Xhosa dialect, arranged into European choral style
Stacking melodies
Call and response
Open 5ths
Unbridled joy because of hope
Th=T, X=Click or K, S=Z, ND=spoken, 2nd consonant most important. Q=k

10. Bawo Thixo Somandla
Father God Almighty what are our sins? What have we done that we kill each other thus? This world is full of troubles. On this earth we carry a heavy burden. I have a continuous cry in my heart. Let this be over. Let this cup pass from me.

11. Dubula, a Xhosa folk song
Stacking of melodies
Secular
Polyrhythms
Energy
Movement
Added sounds

12. Dubula, Stephen Hatfield
The honey bird carries sour milk. It is no good for my child. Let us chase him away with a big bang.
XH=click (K sound at back of throat and click backwards like a “kuh” sound), PH=f, TH=t, ND=like hand, NT=plant, G=always hard, even before an “e”, Latin vowels, percussive consonants.

13. Noel Kituba dialect, Congo Call and answer Movement Drums Polyrhythms
Added sounds
Passion
Vowels like Latin

14. Noel
Noel, Jesus has come to live with us. If you want to know the Child, you have to come kneel.

15. CONCERT SPIRITUAL Keeps African characteristics
Concert Spirituals are arranged in European choral format retaining African characteristics
Combines African music with European hymn tune

16. Africa

17. How to Sing the Concert Spiritual
Dr. Sonja Sepúlveda

18. Jester Hairston ( )

19. Performance Concerns in the Spiritual According to Jester Hairston
Dialect/ Style
Use it. All people can do it, no matter their color
Tempo and Rhythm
It is the rhythm that sells the songs
Spirituals bring people together
Unity through purpose with song
Vocal Color
Sing fully and beautifully…
“Sing it with your heart”

20. Purposes of Slave Songs According to Jester Hairston
Religious Spirituals
Images of King Jesus, the devil, judgment day, the Lord, and Heaven
Freedom Spirituals
Refers to Moses, the Hebrews, the people of Israel, and earthly deliverance
Escape Spirituals
Coded or telegraphed spirituals with messages of escape
The Shout and Hollers
Instruction, hypnotic song and dance
Work Songs
Passes time for people who worked in the fields

21. Spiritual Style Categories According to John Work
Call and Response
Rapid in tempo and fiery spirit
Slow sustained, long-phrase melody
Most beautiful
Most popular as solos
Syncopated, segmented melody
Segments of melody or rhythmic patterns
Syncopated figures
Repeated words or word phrases
Fast tempo, usually

22. In Dat Great Gittin’ Up Mornin’ Soloist: Herbert Johnson
Call and response
Religious purpose style
Some dialect, body percussion
Improvisation at the end
Rising keys represent going to heaven
Phonetic decay adds buoyancy
Terrace dynamics, driving energy

23. Angels Rolled De Stone Away Soloist: Michael Loredo
Easter Spiritual
Very chordal
Solo and choir accompaniment
Improvisation at the end
Accompanied concert spiritual-not gospel
Similar to the solo spiritual with piano

24. Birth of the Concert Spiritual
Original Fisk University Singers

25. Birth of the Concert Spiritual
George L. White
First Arranger
of the Concert Spiritual
Ella Sheppard
Fisk Jubilee Soprano,
Pianist, Choral Assistant
and Arranger

26. My Lord, What a Mourning George L. White’s Original Score
Mourning changed to Morning
Many times words that were passed on by the oral tradition were changed
This would change the meaning of the song

27. My Lord, What a Mourning Hymn tune texture
This original text had the word “mourning” which changes the meaning of the song
This was changed by oral tradition
This is the basis of the arrangement by H.T. Burleigh

28. Harry Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949)

29. Performance Concerns of the Spiritual According to H.T. Burleigh
Sing with deep feeling
Rhythm is more important than the voice
Never make them funny…serious music

30. My Lord, What a Mornin’ by H.T. Burleigh
Tempo changes
Added parts
Word stress
Dialect for the word “my”
Use of portato for lilt and energy
Changing “mourning” to “mornin’”

31. We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace arr. Moses Hogan
Religious spiritual that has a slow, sustained melody. These are most beautiful and used many times as solos. The use of word stress is still very important. It also has a climax point that changes the energy and that is stylistic of most slow, melodic spirituals.

32. Deep River, arr. Norman Luboff Soloist: Byron Barr
Like the last two spirituals, this is a slow melodic style that is based on Psalm 23. It is full of hope and also has a contrasting center section. “My” is sung in a dialect and word stress with contrasting dynamics continues to be very important to the style. This spiritual has a solo built into the middle with the choir accompaniment.

33. William Dawson ( )

34. Performance Issues in the Spiritual According to William Dawson
Recreate Spiritual motivations
Dialect
Rhythms are highly syncopated
Keep the tempo
Spirituals are serious music
Observe markings of arranger
Seek the real music

35. Accents of William Dawson
Legato or tenuto -
Strong or marcato ۸
Normal Accent ﺤ
fz or forzando fz
Staccatissimo ▼
Staccato •
Normal and Staccato ﺤ •

36. Portato Device
It achieves a kind of pulsation or undulation, rather than separating the notes. It has been notated in various ways.  Not as heavy as a fp. The pulse of the meter is one of the most important things in performing the Spiritual.

37. Soon Ah Will Be Done Accents

38. Soon Ah Will Be Done by William Dawson
Soloist: Carla Thomas
Combining the two tempos that speak of two different stories
Terrance dynamics
Accents for energy
Unbridled enthusiasm at the climaxes
Portato

39. Roland Carter (b.1942)

40. Performance Issues in the Spiritual According to Roland Carter
Dialect
Don’t over do it
Tempo and Rhythm
There is a direct correlation between the tempo and the purpose of the song
All strong beats are not equal
Understand all the accents
Don’t interrupt rhythmic flow
Vocal Color
Use Italian vowels
Be careful that dark sound does not hurt pitch
Dynamics are relative
Lilt must be flexible
Clipping should not be too harsh

41. In Bright Mansions by George L. White

42. In Bright Mansions by Roland Carter

43. In Bright Mansions by Roland Carter
Thicker texture than White’s arrangement
Use Italian vowels
Lilt of phrases
Combination of Madrigal style & dark tone
Changing meter to accommodate the text
Word stress
Anthem style

44. Undine Moore ( )

45. Performance Issues in the Spiritual According to Undine Moore
Tempo and Rhythm are important
Vocal Color: timbres should be chosen carefully
Scales and their awareness are important
Harmonies with 4ths and 5ths prominent
Sing climax with unrestrained fullness

46. Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord by Undine Moore
Soloists: Paul Nutter and David Simmons
Accents on unusual parts of words
Use of two soloists gives contrast in vocal color
Driving rhythms
Parallel 4ths in soprano and 5ths in the bass and alto

47. Hall Johnson ( )
This is where we stopped

48. Hall Johnson
“The Negro spiritual is a distinct type of music which resembles no other and therefore requires special treatment in performance.”
“The singer who has not first-hand acquaintance with the authentic racial style should have, for the best results, either an intelligent model or a coach who is thoroughly familiar with this music at its source.”

49. Ain’t Got Time to Die Soloists: Byron Barr and David Simmons
Extreme syncopation
Sharp accents
Imploded consonants like the “t” in “ain’t”
Rest after “takes” so you can attack “all”
Clip the “s” on Jesus
Features “lining” by the soloist

50. Keep Your Lamps by George L. White

51. André Thomas (b.1952)

52. Performance Issues in the Spiritual According to André Thomas
Dialect:
Use it but don’t over do it
Tempo and Rhythm:
Drive and energy important
Keep it vibrant and alive
Energy comes from a rapport, “a joy”, built between conductor and choir in rehearsal
Vocal Color:
Rich and at the same time bright with focus

53. Performance Issues in the Spiritual According to Anton Armstrong
Tempo and Rhythm
Most important part of the spiritual
Make sure there are accents and lilt
Appropriate Type of Vocal Timbre/Color
Darker hue is typical of the Afro-American voice
Use of dialect
Phonetic decay
Diphthongs
Schwa
Clipping

54. Keep Your Lamps! Jamey Johnson, Percussion
Demonstration of how the tempo of a song changes the meaning
Coded spiritual
Clipped consonances
Missing word: “Christian journey soon be over” has missing “will”

55. Rosephanye Powell (b.1970)

56. Performance Issues in the Spiritual According to Rosephanye Powell
Prepare history of the song
Study the text like a foreign language
Use the dialect
Stress accents and words
Learn melody without text
“Feel the music”
Use good diction to be understood

57. I’m Gonna Let It Shine Jazz chords peppered throughout the song
Song has thick texture
Rhythm can not drag
Vamp at the end that allows improvisation
Vocal color is lighter in places to allow the tune to come out of the texture

58. Moses Hogan ( )

59. Performance Issues in the Spiritual According to Moses Hogan
Crescendo through long notes
Terrace dynamics
Emphasis on wrong syllable
Clipped vowels
Sing “Off the Voice” for buoyancy
“Embody” the feeling and rhythm
Loss of energy in piano sections
Use correct diction for percussiveness

60. Walk Together Children
Clipped vowels going straight to the consonant
Syncopation
Easy tempo that grooves
Improvisation at the end
Repeated chorus
Terrace dynamics

61. Other Performance Issues According to Moses Hogan
Dialect: Don’t over do
Tempo and Rhythm: Most important
Use consonants for percussiveness
Vocal Color: Full rich singing
Thick texture of voicing can add richness and power

62. Hear My Prayer by Moses Hogan
Slow, long phrase melody
Personal to Moses: reflected his own life and death struggle
Dedicated to Jester Hairston
Word stress

63. My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord by Moses Hogan center section repres

64. My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord Moses Hogan
Call and answer
Altar call at the end
Unbridled enthusiasm
Solo sections
Lilt
“Anchored” means to be saved in the Lord
Clipping and accents

65. Summary of Performance Issues & Practices
Burleigh: feeling, rhythm, serious
Dawson: know motives, keep tempo, observe markings, syncopation, dialect
Hairston: listen to others, use dialect, rhythm most important, sing fully
Thomas: don’t over do dialect, drive and energy important, rapport, rich and focused vocal color.

66. Summary of Performance Issues & Practices
Moses: crescendo long notes for life, terrace dynamics, wrong syllable is accented for sake of rhythm, off the voice, use diction, clip voice, full singing
Powell: Prepare history of the song, study the text like a foreign language
Moore: Sing climax with unrestrained fullness, scales and their awareness are important
Carter: Use Italian vowels, the lilt must be flexible

67. Why keep the Spiritual Alive?
“The spiritual is our American Heritage and will bring all of us closer together through the sharing of this music.”
- Nathaniel Dett

68. The Concert Spiritual

69. Gospel
Dr. Sonja Sepúlveda

70. Gospel Style 1933-Thomas A. Dorsey Influence of Jazz and the Blues
Precious Lord Take My Hand.
Influence of Jazz and the Blues
It adds instruments such as organ, drums, piano, guitar or sax and adds a driving beat.
Gospel was a direct outgrowth of the Spiritual. The Gospel song is accompanied. The Concert Spiritual is almost always a cappella unless it is a solo arrangement.

71. Gospel Characteristics
Call & Answer
Fast syncopated melody or slow syncopated long phrased melody
Melodies that are more ornamented
Many polyrhythms
Instrumental accompaniment: tambourine, drums and piano
Ostinato melodies and rhythms
Driving beat
Chicago was the cradle of the Gospel

72. Leaning On the Everlasting Arms
Hymn tune
Dareion Malone, piano

73. God’s Gonna Set This World On Fire with I’m Gonna View That Holy City
arr. Moses Hogan
Soloist: David Simmons

74. Hallelujah from “The Cry of Jeremiah”
Rosephanye Powell

75. ‘Til I Die arr. by Herbert Johnson Soloist: David Simmons

76. The Storm Is Passing Over
Arr. by Barbara Baker

77. All Right by Robert Winder
Soloists: David Simmons and Beth Tuten
Clipping
Solos in contrast with the chorus

78. He Never Failed Me Yet by Robert Ray Soloists: Beth Tuten and David Simmons

79. The Spiritual and Gospel: Our American Heritage
“It is our American heritage and will bring all of us closer together through the sharing of this music.” Nathaniel Dett