Spirituals Essay Research Paper It is almost

Spirituals Essay, Research Paper

It is almost impossible to identify the author of a spiritual or to pinpoint its original form. Typically, spirituals are created by nonprofessional musicians, changed by other singers and passed along from one generation to the next. As the song is passed along it starts to change. The changes that take place become a part of the original song and eventually the music takes on a different form. Over the span of years the authors’ names are forgotten.

The composer who wishes to create a new spiritual has three main choices in creating it. Consciously or unconsciously, he or she may, (1) improvise upon a song already in existence; (2) combine material from several old songs to make the new one; or (3) compose the song entirely of new materials. The African tradition favours the first process. Improvisation is a big factor in this tradition that changes are made with each new performance. The melody of a song often serves as ever changing structure for the text.

Slave spirituals were included in the African tradition of improvisation. Much of the evidence indicates that a large number of the slave songs represent “variations upon a theme”. Many spirituals are all combinations and variations of other songs. No doubt many of these songs were brought over from Africa and passed down from parents to children. Almost every contemporary source contains references to slaves born in Africa who helped to keep African traditions alive in their communities. Moreover, the fact that new slaves were continuously being brought over into the 1860s helped to revive traditions that were in danger of dying out.

To return to the choices available to the spiritual composer, it seems that the black composer might often used the first technique in producing the spirituals. Which consisted of taking a spiritual and improvising to create a new spiritual. When the Africans were brought over into slavery they were forced to take on their masters religion. The Africans used many the hymns that were sung in church and integrated them into their songs. The following hymn was popular among black slaves as far back as 1801, when it was published in Richard Allen’s hymnal, and through the years of slavery it was cited several times as a favorite among black singers.

Behold the awful trumpet sounds,

The sleeping dead to raise,

And calls the nations underground:

O how the saints will praise!

Behold the Saviour how he comes

Descending from his throne

To burst asunder all our tombs

And lead his children home.

But who can bear that dreadful day,

To see the world in flames:

The burning mountains melt away,

While rocks run down in streams.

The falling stars their orbits leave,

The sun in darkness hide:

The elements asunder cleave,

The moon turn’d into blood!

Behold the universal world

In consternation stand,

The wicked unto Hell are turn’d

The Saints at God’s right hand.

O then the music will begin

Their Saviour God to praise,

They all are freed from every sin

And thus they’ll spend their days!

After singing this hymn, the slave composer realizes the significance of the events that will take place on Judgment Day according to the text, and has a personal response, “My Lord, what a morning!. The slave composer then uses motives from the hymn but rephrased the slave’s own words. The result is an entirely new song with its own form and music.

My Lord, what a morning,

My Lord, what a morning,

My Lord, what a morning,

When the stars begin to fall.

You’ll hear the trumpet sound,

To wake the nations underground,

Looking to my God’s right hand,

When the stars begin to fall.

You’ll hear the sinner mourn

To wake the nations underground, Looking to my God.s right hand, When the stars begin to fall.

You’ll hear the Christians shout,

To wake the nations underground, Looking to my God.s right hand, When the stars begin to fall.

A good example of changing an existing song and improvising to make a new one is Jacob.s Ladder. This is the main theme behind Jacob.s ladder:

It is a straight forward piece of music written in the key of C major and in Common Time. Each restatement of the phrase .We are climbing Jacob.s ladder,. steps up a certain increments to give the feeling that there is actually a climbing action. The basic pattern of notes stays somewhat the same. In each statement the tonic note is played for 1,3,1 beats, then moves down a major 3rd for 3 beats and the moves up a perfect fifth for 1, 3,1 beats. The next statement starts a major 2nd above the tonic note. In the last statement begins a major 6th above the tonic and stays there for 1,3,1,3,1,3 beats then move down a major 2nd for 1 beat and then down a major 2nd for 3 beats. Each verse is ended with the same phrase that brings together the whole song.

The Staple Singers on the CD Freedom Highway (which you will find on the tape provided) sing their own version of Jacob.s Ladder. One of the first differences that is noticed is the addition of new words. “Rise and shine, give God the glory. are added as a first verse to the s

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать