Download History and features of African American Spiritual Music

TEACHING THE HUDSON VALLEY
I SEE FREEDOM
General Music Component
African American Spirituals of the 1800’s
History and Features
History of African American Spiritual Music
 The first spirituals were inspired by African music and Christian hymns. They were called
“corn ditties” because slaves gathered in corn fields to listen to traveling preachers in the
late 1700’s.
 Slaves in the south were allowed to attend church on Sundays. They would stay after and
hold “shouts”. Men and women stood in a ring and began singing and moving around the
circle with the music. The same musical phrase was repeated for hours, the circle moving
faster and faster until people reached an ecstatic state.
 Dancing, hand clapping, and foot tapping often accompanied spiritual music.
 Many spiritual songs were composed spontaneously. There was no hymnbook for early
spiritual songs.
 Slaves also sang spirituals in secret meetings called “camp meetings” where they shared
their joys and sorrows and listened to traveling preachers. Slave owners did not allow
dancing and drumming in slave communities, so slaves would also include these in their
secret meetings. Secret messages and information on escaping from slavery was given at
these meetings.
 Some spiritual songs included covert words that sounded innocent to slave owners but
really contained information on how to escape from slavery. For example, “home” in some
spiritual songs sounds like it means heaven, but it really means a safe place where everyone
can be free. “Chariot” and “train” refer to the Underground Railroad. “Jordan” sounds like it
means the holy land, but it actually refers to Ohio…just across the Ohio River where
escaping slaves could be free.
 Spirituals developed as the church music of African American slaves in the rural south, but
soon spread to free African Americans in the North, and eventually to many other churches.
 Dr. Watts was an English minister in the early 1700’s who wrote many of the melodies the
slaves later turned into spirituals.
 The difference between work songs and spirituals is that work songs dealt with the daily life
of slaves in the south while spirituals were inspired by the messages of Christianity.
I See Freedom – Music: History and Features
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 Some work songs were used to provide rhythm for a coordinated effort (a group of slaves
pulling something heavy).
Features of African American Spiritual Music
 Long Meter Hymns: Preacher or deacon sings words on one note, congregation echoes on
the melody (great system if there are no hymnbooks).
 Full-throated singing style: Singing loudly using the chest voice.
 Falsetto: Singing higher pitches by using the head voice.
 Growling and Moaning: Improvised vocal sound effects that add emotion to the singing
style.
 Call and Response: Soloist sings a phrase that tells the story, group responds with a phrase
that stays the same for either a verse or an entire song.
 Syncopated melody: Surprising rhythm of notes in a melody.
 Accompaniment: percussion instruments most common, also folk instruments (guitar and
banjo) and church instruments (piano and organ) can be used.
I See Freedom – Music: History and Features
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