Choice
"The present work will be welcomed by singers, choir directors, and reference librarians. Some 65 collections (including many titles out of print) were analyzed for this index, the first published in more than half a century. The main body is an alphabetical list of spirituals, and there are indexes of first lines, alternate (variant) titles, and topics. Highly recommended for all libraries."
Review
The present work will be welcomed by singers, choir directors, and reference librarians. Some 65 collections (including many titles out of print) were analyzed for this index, the first published in more than half a century. The main body is an alphabetical list of spirituals, and there are indexes of first lines, alternate (variant) titles, and topics. Highly recommended for all libraries.
ChoiceDoes this book fill a gap in the literature? Absolutely. The author tells us that in the 1930s the Cleveland Public Library published an index that was reissued in 1991, but the Abromeit volume is the first new book that has been published in more than fifty years. This was verifed by a search of the library online databases. Although information on some spiritual can be found in standard song indexes, this new volume concentrating on spirituals for the solo voice will find wide usuage in every kind of library.
RUSQAn Index to African-American Spirituals for the Solo Voice is highly recommended for all music collections. It will be especially valuable to larger public and academic collections that may have a number of the original spiritual collections. It will also be a valuable source to be collected by individuals who work with choirs or otherwise study this form of music.
American Reference Books AnnualIt is an essential guide to spirituals in collections published since the 1930s, and libraries will want to have it.
Notes
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