1. Messages of Freedom, Hope and Life

2. Traditions slaves brought from Africa:  Stories and Storytelling  Language  Customs Where slaves came from in Africa:  Cameroon  Congo  Nigeria  Togo  Guinea  Ivory Coast  Senegal  Dancing  Music  Group singing

3. Spirituals  Sung by enslaved African-American people in the United States  Originated in the United States between 1740 and 1900  Use oral tradition – Songs are passed by word of mouth  Deeply emotional with lyrics that often used code words about freedom, and a desire to escape slavery

4. Spirituals developed…  As people sang as they worked  As people celebrated events  When people made them up on the spot or used a familiar tune with different lyrics  As people draw from African song and dance  As a way to communicate coded messages

5. Messages  Explain the hardship of slavery  Give hope for a better life  Express religious faith  Draw from religious and biblical texts

6. Types of Spirituals  Call and response – a ‘leader’ begins a line, which is then followed by a choral response; often to a fast, rhythmic tempo Examples: Good News, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Go Down Moses  Slow and melodic - Songs with sustained, expressive phrasing, generally slower tempo Examples: Deep River, Balm in Gilead, Calvary  Fast and rhythmic – Songs that often tell a story in a faster, syncopated rhythm Examples: Witness, Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit, Elijah Rock, Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho

7. Performance Tips  Phrasing: breathing is allowed in the middle of phrases when placing emphasis on important key words  Lyrics: words often are shortened and consonants soften or left out all together  Improvisation: permitted especially by soloists  Repetition: give more meaning to lines and individual words and make all repetitions sound different

8. Dynamics and Rhythm  Use the entire dynamic range from very soft to the to very loud  Explore shading and degrees within soft and loud and a balance between parts  Syncopated rhythms can be improvised

9. Movement and Expression  Interpretive Movements : based on words in the song such as bending, leaning, swaying to bring animation to the song  Facial Expressions: important in order to convey meaning to the listener  Calls and Shouts: welcomed in spirited fast tempo spirituals  Rhythmic Movements: clapping and stomping add to the performance