Transcript Musical and Historical Explorations

Musical and
Historical
Explorations
Music of African American composers and the
Negro Spiritual.
By LaKedria C. JohnsonLozano, MA
The History of the Negro Spiritual
• The origin of the negro spiritual is widely debated
among scholars today.
• The debate is whether or not spirituals actually came
from the slaves or if they originated elsewhere.
• These spirituals were created by a group of people (
Slave or otherwise) living in a hostile environment.
• Slaves were not allowed to read or write so the music
was never written down.
Text of Negro spirituals
• The texts were either biblical or inspirational, It
provided a temporary distraction to the harsh
conditions of the work.
• The text also provided slaves with instructions
on how to navigate the underground railroad.
Which was a gateway to their freedom.
• Spirituals teach great lessons in life, such as
forgiveness, restoration, love, atonement and
social justice
Negro Spirituals and their influence on music today.
• The influence these songs have had on music today are
evident in churches of every denomination and in very
specific genres of music such as jazz, country, R&B, gospel
music , and church music from many denominations.
• . Gospel music is influenced more so by these spirituals than
a lot of other church music and hymns. For use as an
example of this, you hear “Precious Lord, take my hand”, an
early 19th century gospel song written by Thomas Dorsey,
which was based on a Negro spiritual sang throughout
churches of every single kind today.
Popular African American
Composers.
Spirituals and Art Songs
Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949)
Published a book called Jubilee Songs of
the United States of America.
This was the first time arrangements of
spirituals had been set for voice and piano
and were made available to concert singers.
Margaret Bonds ( 1913-1972)
One of the first black composers to gain
recognition in the United States.
Best Known today for her frequent
collaborations with Poet Langston Hughes
Her arrangement of “He’s got the whole
world in his hands” is performed very
often.
Hall Johnson ( 1888-1970)
Best Known today for his arraignments of
Negro Spirituals for Voice, Piano and Choir
Also known for his presentation explaining
the significance of spirituals as American
music
William Grant Still ( 1895-1978)
Widely known for his success as an arranger
and as a composer. His contributions to the
world of music are many, as he has composed
a number of operas and ballets, and choral
and orchestral music.
Most Popular work composed: “African
American Symphony” for Orchestra
First African American Composer to have his
work premiered by a major orchestra.
Composer Influences.
Spirituals and Art Songs
Composer Influences
The Composers discussed all have
common influences.
1. Texts by African American Poets (
Langston Hughes, etc.)
2. Negro Spirituals.
3. Songs will be inspirational,
Instructional or biblical
Listening Guide
When listening to the following pieces. Pay
attention to these key elements.
1. Dialect
2. Expression
3. Musical Influence
4. Text
5. Note that all performers have their own way of
interpreting the pieces. This is what makes this
music special.
Songs for study
• “ Every Time I Feel de spirit “- Hall Johnson
• “ Swing Low Sweet Chariot” - Hall Johnson
• “Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile” – Harry Burleigh
• “Idolatry” – William Grant Still
• “Black Pierott” – William Grant Still
• “I too” ( from Three Dream Portraits) – Margret Bonds
• “He’s Got the Whole World in his Hands”- Margret Bonds
References
OsagieII, Omo, and Iyobosa Solomon. "Their Souls Made them Whole: Negro
spirituals and lessons in healing and atonement." Western Journal of Back Studies
, 2007 : 34-41.
www.artofthenegrospiritual.com
http://www.burleighsociety.org/
www.williamgrantstill.com