Gospel Music in America
The term "Gospel music" applies to a body of music
that was developed in the United States during the
twentieth century primarily in the south-eastern part
of the country and in portions of the Midwest and
the East. It is a Christian music that was not
necessarily developed by the body of churches, but
independently. In other words, the singers and
performers were primarily church-going, Biblebelieving Christian people, but their music wasn't
always directly an outgrowth of a church
organization.
Types of Gospel Music
There are three styles of gospel music that were developed.
These styles were developed independently of each other
because of racial and physical separation.
1. Mountain Gospel
2. Southern Gospel
3. Black Gospel
Mountain Gospel
➲
From the Southern
Appalachian
Mountains, we have a
tradition of sacred
music that is a
national treasure. It
dates back a hundred
years, is still alive
today, and its offshoot,
Bluegrass Gospel
Music, is a powerful
force in music today.
Development of Mountain Music
The mountain gospel style developed in the Southern
Appalachian mountains in Kentucky, Southwestern Virginia,
Northeastern Tennessee, and Northwestern North Carolina.
This music (in the past called "hillbilly music") sprang forth from
a deeply religious people living deep in the hills. Bible-believing
and devoted, religious music formed a major part in the life of
these rural peoples not only in their worship services, but as a
part of their daily existence also.
There are two types of mountain music: 1) the traditional style
that was passed down and developed during the twentieth
century and 2) the bluegrass style that was developed by Bill
Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, including Earl Scruggs and
Lester Flatt.
Southern Gospel
➲
From the Southern
states of the US, we
have a sacred music
tradition that is
important and alive
today. Southern gospel
quartets and family
groups are one of the
few remaining positive
music traditions in this
country. American Idol
Ruben Studdard sings
in the Southern Gospel
style on his new album
released in 2004.
Development of Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel originated at the turn of the century in the
Southeastern United States with sacred quartet singing by white
groups.
●The pioneer of this music was the Tennessee-resident James D.
Vaughan, who created the first major white sacred quartet, then
established a publishing company to make and sell books of the
quartet music, including his own compositions.
●
A great tradition of quartet singing was perfected by the Blackwood
Brothers, the Statesmen Quartet, the Rangers Quartet, the
Harmoneers, and the Homeland Harmony Quartet. The quartet style
of singing continued into the 1960s when another stream of southern
gospel music developed best described as family groups.
●
Family groups...
The first family groups actually stem back to the 1930s with the
Carter family group known as the Chuck Wagon Gang. In the 1940s,
the Spear Family and the Chuck Wagon gang became very popular.
The family group tradition came into full fruition and by the 1980s
and 1990s was thriving in the Southeast United States.
●
Family groups are gospel groups that may or may not sing four-part
harmony, and are mainly groups comprised of family members (for
example mom and pop, and the kids). This tradition fortunately still
thrives today in the Southeastern U.S. and, along with mountain and
bluegrass styles, is one of the few positive music traditions that
remains in this country.
●
Black Gospel
Black Gospel music originated in the final third of
the nineteenth century with black "jubilee" groups
that were formed in colleges primarily located in the
Southeastern United States. These groups sang in
four-part harmony and were called quartets. One of
the earliest and certainly the most successful of
these groups was the Fisk University Jubilee
singers. The jubilee style of singing continued,
while evolving, well into the 1940s.
Meanwhile, a tradition of church singing and composition was pioneered
by such people as Charles Albert Tindley, Lucie Campbell, W. Herbert
Brewster and Kenneth Morris. Thomas A. Dorsey who began using the
term "gospel music" in the 1930s and in conjunction with such singers
as Roberta Martin, Mahalia Jackson, Robert Anderson and Sally Martin,
gave birth to a new style of gospel music that developed in Chicago and
in other mid-western and eastern cities.
Timeline Of Black Gospel Musicthe early years
1650 - A cappella singing is singing in harmony
without musical instruments. It is represented in
all types of music. For example, field work
songs, and spirituals.
1865 - Freedom songs. Freedom from slavery.
1872 - Fisk Jubilee Singers. Other colleges
started jubilee singing groups. They performed
locally.
Spirituals vs. Gospel
Spirituals and gospel music are two of several different kinds of
music that originated in the experiences of African American people.
Spirituals and gospel music are related to each other, but they
developed at different times in history: Spirituals rose out of the
experience of enslaved Africans in Colonial America, and gospel
music developed in the early twentieth century in cities.
Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, was the place where the
African American spiritual was developed for presentation in concerts
all over the United States and Europe, to white as well as black
audiences. The treasurer of the university, George White, organized the
Fisk Jubilee Singers to give concerts to raise funds for the university.
There were eleven men and women in the group, and most of them
were formerly enslaved African Americans.
Fisk University Jubilee
Singers
One of the sources of black gospel music was
the black "jubilee" groups that were formed in
colleges primarily located in the Southeast
United States. These groups employed quartet
singing with four-part harmony. One of the
earliest and certainly the most successful of
these groups was the Fisk University Jubilee
singers, a male quartet that sang Negro
spirituals. The jubilee style of singing
continued, while evolving, well into the 1940s.
Timeline Of Black Gospel Musicthe 1920s
1900 - Hymns and Hymn books were written and copyrighted for
congregational singing.
1921 - The Gospel Pearls, a song book, was introduced at the
National Baptist Convention in Chicago. Solos and Congregational
singing.
1923 - Beginning of gospel recordings on Race Records. Records for
"Negroes." The blues race records began in 1921
Timeline Of Black Gospel Musicthe Golden Era
1940s - The Golden Era of Gospel Music began. Gospel groups were
promoted by religious promoters. The audiences gave a free will offering
to hear gospel quartets and singers.
1945 - After World War II. Singers and quartets became professional with
non-religious managers and promoters. Several groups appeared on a
single gospel show. Audiences paid to hear music.
1948 - Singers and quartets became more than four members. For
example, the Mighty Clouds of Joy.
Popular Golden Era Black
Gospel Groups
Tindley Gospel Singers
●
Golden Gate Quartet
●
●
Jackson Southernaires
Dixie Hummingbirds
●
Wings Over Jordan
●
The Swan Silvertones
●
The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi
●
The Angelic Gospel Singers
●
Sweet vs. Hard Gospel
Sweet Gospel
Close harmony
●
Precise attacks and
releases
Hard Gospel
Energetic and intense solo and
background singing
●
●
Understated, yet firm
rhythmic accents
●
Preaching style of delivery
●
Exaggerated physical gestures
●
Blind Boys of Mississippi,
Mighty Clouds of Joy, Swanee
Quintet
●
Dixie Hummingbirds, Soul
Stirrers, Harmonizing Four
●
Mahalia Jackson-
“The World's Greatest Gospel Singer”
Mahalia Jackson has been acclaimed America's greatest
gospel singer by world press and publicity. She is
certainly the best known, with a career that included
television, radio, and concerts. Her early repertoire leaned
heavily upon songs of her Baptist beginnings such as
"Amazing Grace," and "The Day is Past and Gone." She
recorded her first record in May 1937 for Decca, "God's
Gonna Separate the Wheat from the Tares," and the
Baptist hymn "Keep Me Every Day."
Historian Horace C. Boyer, stated:
“Jackson was not the first, and possible not the finest, gospel singer, but it was
largely through her compelling contralto voice and her personality that people of all races
throughout the world came to respect gospel music as an idiom distinct from classical
black spirituals” (New Grove Dictionary of American Music, 524).
Timeline Of Black Gospel MusicEnd of the Golden Era
1951 - Doo-Wop was a pop style of quartet harmonies of croons. Many
male singers changed from gospel quartets to doo-wop singing.
1956 - Gospel Iyrics and harmony were present in secular songs. An
example, Sam Cooke, "A Change is Going to Come." Several gospel
singers became Soul Singers.
1960 - the late 1960s was the end of the Golden Era of Gospel Music.
Gospel choirs became dominant. The Edwin Hawkin's Choir sang "Oh
Happy Day," it was tops on the billboard charts.