The decision to present an all-spiritual
program was an easy one for MUSICA! and me. It is our favorite
genre to perform. The depth of emotion, tonal colors, and rhythmic
urgency still speaks to performers and audiences today. A greater
appreciation of their evolution can be gained by reviewing the
conditions that nurtured them.
Forbidden to practice their native African religions, slaves converted
to Christianity and learned the European songs of their masters’
churches. Seeking a private expression of their faith, slaves
often met secretly, lest owners suspect a rebellion was being
planned. At camp meetings, joys, pains, and hopes were shared
while listening to itinerant preachers and through singing corn
ditties, precursors to spirituals. While work songs dealt with
the rhythms of daily labor, spirituals drew on stories from the
Bible that spoke of slavery and freedom (Moses) and the gospel
of Jesus Christ (Good News). They differed from hymns and psalms
learned in white churches in that they were a far more personal
way of expressing the sorrows of slavery and their hope of freedom
– whether spiritual or literal.
To escape the harsh conditions and personal anguish they suffered,
many slaves attempted to escape (fly) to freedom in the northern
states. Referred to as ‘Sweet Canaan’ ‘Promised
Land’ and ‘over Jordan’ in song, it was literally
found across the Ohio River. Many slaves traveled by way of the
Underground Railroad, a secret organization of people and trails
that carried them safely to freedom. They would usually “steal
away” in the night by way of hand lights and moonlight to
avoid being caught. They walked (“waded”) in water,
where dogs would lose their scent. They occasionally hid in wagons
of hay or produce bound for market (‘chariots’). These
chariots stopped at “stations”, meaning any place
where slaves could find safety along the way. Thus, spirituals
like “Wade in the Water”, “Let Me Fly”,
“Gospel Train” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
became code songs for the Underground Railroad, signaling departure,
communicating hiding places, means of travel, and trusted conductors.
After slavery was abolished in 1865, some African Americans attended
schools and colleges. One such college was the Fisk Free Colored
School. A former white Union Army sergeant, George L. White, became
treasurer and one of the first teachers there. Occasionally, White
noticed a group of students singing quietly for recreation so
he invited them to his home for informal singing. He soon arranged
fund-raising concerts for the fledgling choir to raise funds for
the financially troubled school. White trained the singers ‘to
sing in a natural way with softened tones and their mouths open
wide enough to fit a finger between the teeth.’ ‘S’s
were often omitted. Blend was paramount. In fact, they often rehearsed
on tour at pianissimo levels so as not to disturb other hotel
guests. This approach would become their characteristic sound,
quite a contrast to the robust field songs. The courage of the
Fisk Jubilee Singers enabled them to perform this music publicly
at a time when African-American colleges and churches thought
it wrong to sing this music for white audiences at the close of
the 19th century. The Fisk Jubilee Singers overcame this attitude,
and transformed the spiritual from improvised renditions of the
painful songs of their ancestors, usually performed in private,
to formal written-out arrangements sung in formal attire for audiences
world-wide.
It is this formal tradition of spiritual performance that MUSICA!
and I honor and recreate for you. This music touches us deeply.
We hope its timeless messages and harmonies resonate with you
and inspire greater exploration of its roots, its performers,
and its musical influence on current forms of American sacred
music.
Robert Jones, Artistic Director
