Black gospel music, often called gospel music or simply gospel, is the traditional music of the Black diaspora in the United States. It is rooted in the musical practices of enslaved Africans such as call-and-response, polyrhythmic patterns, and what is now considered Blues harmony and form. It is also the liturgical music of the Historic Black Church. During the 1960s era in the South, it was described as the "soundtrack of the struggle for civil rights", helping create unity and faith for the work.
As a popular form of commercial music, Black gospel was revolutionized in the 1930s by Thomas Dorsey, the "father of gospel music", who is credited with composing more than 1,000 gospel songs, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". Dorsey also created the first gospel choir and sold millions of copies of his recordings nationwide. The Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago, Dorsey's home church, is currently in development as the National Museum of Gospel Music.
History
Background: 18th century–late 19th century
Black gospel music has roots in the Black oral tradition—the passing down of history via the spoken word rather than in writing. Griots performed in West Africa. In colonial America, where enslaved Africans were prevented from being formally educated, oral and otherwise non-written communication became the method not only for cultural patrimony, but for virtually all communication.
Some of this communication (including work songs sung in the fields) was used to organize, including plans for retaliation against their enslavers and for escape. This eventually led to the banning of drums in many parts of colonial America, as well as other instruments related to West African patrimony.
As such, most Black churches relied on hand- clapping and foot-stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. West African dance and ring shout traditions developed among early Black Christians into shouting, in which fast-paced gospel music is accompanied by equally rapid (often frenzied) dancing. (In its modern form, this is also known as a "praise break".) This, along with the repetition and "call and response" elements familiar to West African music, helped to engender an ecstatic, trance-like state and to strengthen communal bonds. These elements also enabled illiterate members the opportunity to participate.Jackson, Joyce Marie. "The changing nature of gospel music: A southern case study." African American Review 29.2 (1995): 185. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. October 5, 2010.
Useful in the fields and in the church house, Negro spirituals (and the traditions associated with them) were the earliest form of Black gospel. In 1867, a compendium of slave songs titled Slaves Songs of the United States was issued by a group of Northern abolitionists. It is also the first such collection of African-American music of any kind, and included a number of early Black gospel songs, including "Down in the River to Pray" (then titled "The Good Old Way").
In 1871, the Fisk Jubilee Singers were formed, an a-cappella Black gospel ensemble formed to fundraise for Fisk University, an HBCU in Nashville.
Initial "gospel" music era: late 19th century–1910s An early reference to the term "gospel song" appeared in Philip Bliss' 1874 songbook, Gospel Songs. A Choice Collection of Hymns and Tunes, describing songs that were easy to grasp and more easily singable than the traditional church hymns, not unlike Watts' works from a century prior. This latter tradition was used in the context of the growing revival/camp meeting tradition, a form of worship familiar to Black Christians, who had often been forced to meet in large outdoor spaces due to racism and other concerns.
This increasingly interracial tradition would eventually morph into the larger Pentecostal movement, which began in a markedly interracial fashion in Los Angeles and helped Black gospel expand nationwide across racial boundaries. Sister Rosetta Tharpe would emerge from the Black Pentecostal tradition as the first notable gospel recording artist. Arizona Dranes, the first-recorded gospel pianist, came from similar roots during this period and helped introduce ragtime stylings to the genre. On the other hand, many Black Christians during this time (especially those in the North) had adopted a much milder form of Christian worship than their enslaved predecessors, reflecting more influence from Europe than from Africa.
Thomas Dorsey era: 1920s–1945
Thomas Dorsey, a longtime secular artist, went gospel in the 1920s and revolutionized the genre by fusing it with his former style. With biblical knowledge from his father, who was a Baptist minister, and taught to play the piano by his mother, he called himself "Georgia Tom", and worked with blues musicians when the family moved to Atlanta. He went north to Chicago in 1916 and, after receiving his union card, became a notable artist in the area and also joined Pilgrim Baptist Church. He dropped secular music after a second conversion experience in 1921 at the National Baptist Convention, but quickly returned to the work for economic reasons, performing with artists like Ma Rainey.
While Pentecostalism grew on the West Coast and elsewhere, Black Christians in the South began to develop a quartet (and quartet-ish) style of a cappella gospel music, occasioning the rise of groups such as Julius Cheeks & Sensational Nightingales, the Swan Silvertones, The Soul Stirrers, the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, the Fairfield Four, and the Golden Gate Quartet.Gospel allmusic Retrieved 16 December 2024 Many other gospel musicians began to gain fame in this era as well, such as Blind Willie Johnson and Blind Joe Taggart. Such groups and artists, while popular in the Black community, largely escaped the notice of White America.
Thomas Dorsey left secular music behind for good after the sudden death of his wife and newborn son."Thomas A. Dorsey". "Southern Music Network". Southern Music in the 20th century. eb. October 14, 2010.
Dorsey attempted to share his gospel music with other but was initially shut down due to his secular background and the impact blues had on his gospel trajectoryHowever, the tide turned in . It has been said that 1930 was the year traditional black gospel music began, as the National Baptist Convention first publicly endorsed the music at its 1930 meeting.
Dorsey was responsible for developing the musical careers of many African-American artists, such as Mahalia Jackson. In 1942, the gospel group the Sensational Nightingales was founded, joined in 1946 by another gospel singer Julius Cheeks. Wilson Pickett and James Brown were influenced by Julius Cheeks.
1946–1970s Following World War II, gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite elaborate. In 1950, black gospel was featured at Carnegie Hall when Joe Bostic produced the Negro Gospel and Religious Music Festival. He repeated it the next year with an expanded list of performing artists, and in 1959 moved to Madison Square Garden.
In 1964, the Gospel Music Association was established, which in turn began the Dove Awards (in 1969) and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (in 1972). Both of the latter two groups began primarily for Southern gospel performers, but in the late-1970s, began including artists of other sub-genres. Also in 1969, James Cleveland established the Gospel Music Workshop of America. Late 1970s, Mighty Clouds of Joy and the Canton Spirituals released gospel albums.the Canton Spirituals allmusic Retrieved 25 December 2024
Contemporary era: 1980s–present With the continuing rise in popularity of music as a form of radio, concert, and home entertainment, came the desire of some gospel artists to "cross over" into the secular genres and spaces that would afford them more exposure and success. This often came with a shift in musical style, taking on elements from secular music itself. This did not come without controversy, as many artists of this new urban contemporary gospel genre (like The Clark Sisters) would face criticism from churches, standard-bearers of the traditional genre, and the Black Christian sphere at large, as their new work was often seen as a compromise with "the world" and its sinfulness. Their album sales would speak for themselves, however.
This pattern would repeat itself in subsequent decades, with new artists like Yolanda Adams, the Clark Sisters, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, and Kirk Franklin making increasingly more bold forays into the secular world with their musical stylings, facing criticism from many within their tradition.Kirk Franklin bring the reunion tour 313presents.com Retrieved 20 December 2024 They gained commercial success in the R&B chart and the current sphere of Black gospel recording artists is almost exclusively of the urban contemporary bent.
Musical elements Vocals Even though the way gospel music is sung varies greatly between different denominations within the Historically Black Church, there are trends that can apply in most cases. Gospel music is generally sung in four part harmony between soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. There is normally instrumental accompaniment, but acapella is also frequently used. This harmony can carried out both with large choirs or with small groups. In traditional forms, sometimes called the Congregational Song (usually with a 12 or 16 bar form), there is a call and response between the soloist and choir. The soloist is expected to improvise lyrics during the vamp and modulate to a higher key at the apex of the song. Choirs rarely sing harmony in root position and will flip the voicing. Contemporary forms often mix elements of Classical singing such as polyphony but maintain the call and response form. The most famous example is Richard Smallwood's Calvary. Singers interject sacred acclamatory phrases such as "hallelujah," and "yes, Lord," which serve both musical, theological, and social functions.
Instruments Musical instruments in Gospel music carry specific musical functions and social though specific instruments used may vary depending on geographic location, denomination, and local tradition. The primary instruments are the B3 organ and the piano. However, gospel ensembles will also have an electric bass and a drum set. In large studio productions, there may also be a string orchestra or horn sections. While uncommon, some gospel ensembles will include a single saxophonist. Singers and participants may also use tambourines and other hand held percussion instruments.
Piano While originally rejected by the Black community in favor of the guitar, , the piano serves as the primary rhythmic and harmonic anchor. In some ensembles, the melody is doubled on the piano to support the singers. Gospel piano voicings are chordal in their nature and are played in a heavily syncopated manner. Singers rely on the piano for tonality but it also embellishes with passing chords and fills in for a bass. In traditional styles, it is not normal to have independent melodic development from the piano. However, "breaks" and filling "riffs" are common when singers drop out for a few beats. Roberta Martin was the first person to introduce this practice.
B3 Organ