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Book Description
Revealing the fascinating body of hymnal work that flourished in Southern communities populated by the children of slaves between 1885 and 1925, this stirring collection of spiritual songs sheds light on a vanished era. While these hymns owe much to their rural Southern origin, they are distinct from traditional gospel, borrowing heavily from the oral storytelling tradition of the region and possessing a rousing, repetitive nature. Twenty-four hymns from this underappreciated era in African American music are included, along with an extensive analysis of each work, providing a rare look into a pivotal generation of church music.

About the Author
Wyatt Tee Walker is the senior minister of the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in New York's Harlem community. He is a theologian, author, human rights activist, urbanologist, and international peace advocate. He lives in New York City. James Abbington is an associate professor of music at Shaw University and the author of Let Mt. Zion Rejoice. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Gardner C. Taylor is a renowned preacher and civil rights educator. He lives in New York City.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: An awe-inspiring collection!, September 29, 2004 By  AfroAmericanHeritage (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews The title of this book is a phrase used by Booker T. Washington to describe evenings in his slave childhood, when families sat around the fire discussing spiritual mysteries and paradoxes. These "prayer and praise hymns" (or "neo-spirituals, as Zora Neale Hurston called them) are born of such mysteries, created by men and women of the rural South from approximately 1885 to 1925, navigating their way through the paradoxical time following emancipation, when they were no longer slaves, yet not really free. This genre is not well known and, were it not for Dr. Walker's work, might have passed into obscurity. This awe-inspiring collection (originally published in three volumes under the same title) presents the music and lyrics for 24 songs, arranged for four part harmony. Each song includes an introduction, brief discussion of its Biblical basis, theological mooring, lyric and form analysis, and contemporary significance. You can also experience this music on a CD of the same name. As I write this review, I don't see the CD here at Amazon but it and a companion songbook are available from GIA Publications Inc. giamusic.com Curator, AfroAmericanHeritage.com  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: