Big Blog 1: Gospel Music

 History of Gospel Music:

Gospel music is a genre of Christian music. It is used to refer to songs sung by both white and African American Christians. Worship between these two groups were similar, however some differences crept in over time, so now Gospel music is more associated with African Americans and became deeply rooted within the African American church.

Gospel music is comprised of hymns and other songs borrowed from oral traditions of the African American culture. Hymns were brought over by Europeans who settled in North America. During slavery, many African Americans would sing while working to combat the pain and suffering of slavery. Slaves could often hear their masters and other whites singing these hymns during the Sunday service and modified the songs into a call and response format (This gave rise to spirituals, which later influenced the development of Gospel music). While hymns were introduced in the 18^th century, the 17^th century was dominated by psalm singing. Later, in the 19^th century, denominational hymns gained popularity. Because instruments were not readily available to churches, most early gospel songs were accompanied with hand clapping and stomping, or even nothing at all.

The term ‘gospel’ was coined by a man named Thomas Dorsey in 1921. He later became known as the father of Gospel music and wrote many songs including “Precious Lord”. Here is his song below.

Development of Gospel Music:

One event that helped spread and popularize Christian music were the Religious Revival Movements, like the Great Awakening from 1730 to 1770. During the Great Awakening, the religious culture and awareness increased in the colonies. This led to revival spirituals that emphasized choruses, refrains, repeated lines and repetitive passages. This made it easier for people to learn and memorize, thus making them extremely popular.

Singing schools were introduced during this time in New England, where they taught new way to sing hymns, which was shape-note singing. This led to the development of gospel music because people could now read things like rhythms, harmonies, staffs, and how to sing syllables.

Another event that furthered the development of gospel music was the Great Migration in 1910. This was the movement of 6 million black Americans  to Northern, Midwestern, and Western states. They brought with them their new ways to sing hymns and spread them across northern and western America. Eventually, this new way to sing hymns became what today knows as gospel music.

In the 1930’s, gospel music was promoted by individual publishing houses, which were more affordable. Thomas Dorsey’s publishing house, Dorsey House of Music, was created in 1932 and was one of the most influential publishing houses. Some other popular publishing houses included Roberta Martin Studio of Music, Good Shepherd Music House, and Ward’s House of Music.  

In 1947, a woman named Mahalia Jackson released a song called “Move On Up A Little Higher”. She put the gospel genre into the mainstream, as she was the first gospel artist to sell one million copies. Another popular group was the Golden Gate Quartet. In 1957, the Golden Gate Quartet came out with their version of a song called “Go Down Moses”. The song is earliest attested to the Fisk Jubilee Singers around 1870. The original song is an African American spiritual but modernized into a gospel song by the Golden Gate Quartet. It’s a song about the “liberation of the ancient Jewish people from Egyptian slavery, a story recounted in the Old Testament. For enslaved African Americans, the story was very powerful because they could relate to the experiences of Moses and the Israelites who were enslaved by the pharaoh, representing the enslavers…”. Another popular gospel singer, Bernice Johnson Reagon, sang a song called “Come and Go with me to that land” in 1965. It is another modernized cover of the 1930’s version, recorded by Blind Willie Johnson and it takes on more of a gospel blues vibe. This song sings about going to the promised land (Heaven). Here are each of their songs below.

Modern Day Gospel Music:

Modern day gospel music is a form of joyful, rhythmic, and spiritual music deeply rooted in church communities all around the United States. Gospel music is a crucial part of worship among the Christian community and helps them connect with and praise God. Some modern-day gospel singers and groups include Andrae Crouch, Take 6, The New York Community Choir, and the Cultural Heritage Choir. Nowadays, gospel songs are performed as solos, small ensembles, large ensembles, and by people of all ages, genders, and race. Today’s gospel songs are more harmonically complex than earlier versions, and instrumentation possibilities are basically endless. Instruments can range anywhere from synthesizers to drums to full on orchestras. For example, here is Marion Williams 1992 recording of “Amazing Grace”.

In today's gospel music, vocals are usually characterized as being very dominant with a strong use of harmony. And of course, using Christian lyrics. Between the different instruments and vocal rhythms, gospel music can have a quite complex rhythm. Other times, they can have a pretty basic rhythm. It really depends on how you want to sing it. Gospel music often has a strong, syncopated beat and an emphasized melody. Gospel lyrics are usually message driven. They often talk about the Christian life as well as being in the presence of God. The message of a gospel song is often enhanced by the melody.

Other modern day gospel singers and groups are the Edwin Hawkins Singers, Hillsong Worship, and Marvin Snapp. One of Edwin Hawkins songs is called "Oh Happy Day". It was recorded in 1967. Hillsong Worship came out with their song "Here I Am To Worship" in 2005. Two years after, "Never Would Have Made It" by Marvin Snapp was released. Their songs are below:

Citations:

“African American Gospel  :  Ritual and Worship  :  Musical Styles  :  Articles and Essays  :  the Library of Congress Celebrates the Songs of America  :  Digital Collections  :  Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/musical-styles/ritual-and-worship/african-american-gospel.

Austin, David. “Christian Music and Melody.” Twoedged Sword, 19 Mar. 2016, http://www.twoedgedsword.org/christian-music-and-melody.

“Gospel Music.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_music#Contemporary_Black_gospel_and_gospel_rap_(1970s%E2%80%93present).

“Performance Styles and Musical Characteristics of Black Gospel Music.” The Free Library, https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Performance+styles+and+musical+characteristics+of+black+gospel+music.-a0201441659.

“What Is Gospel Music?” Study.com, https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-gospel-music-definition-history-artists.html#:~:text=Gospel%20music%20was%20born%20from,had%20settled%20in%20North%20America.