One of the earliest Gospel singers were Mahalia Jackson. Listen to her perform “Be Still, My Soul.” Listen to the orchestration; also note the timbre of her voice and the style in which she sings. Mahalia Jackson seems to blend the typical hymn-style with the spiritual-style.
Out of the spirituals evolved Gospel music: “African-American singing enthusiastically affirmative of the singer’s religious faith” (Crossroads in Music, p. 88). Gospel music is often characterized by the leader-chorus format, where the lead singer entices the choir (or audience) to respond. This is known as the “call and response pattern.” Orchestration often include a choir, piano, Hammond organ, and sometimes percussion instruments, as well as the bass guitar and electric guitar.
Below are four YouTube-videos showing clippings from a BBC-documentary entitled “The History Of Gospel Music”:
After having watched the snippets from the BBC-documentary, what would you say are the most influential socio-economic or cultural events or trends that contributed to the development of Gospel music?
The YouTube-video below tells a short history of the Davis-Sisters, a once famous Gospel ensemble that came to a sad end.
Listen to the Davis Sisters perform "By and By". As the song progress try to describe it using all the music-terminology you have learned so far.
Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Religious Music: Spirituals
You can read more about the history of negro spirituals at NegroSpirtuals.Com.
Listen to the short documentary in the video clip below, then describe what you think are the “spirituals”.
Negro spirituals can readily be identified as a type of folk music – “the music of the people”. Crossroads in Music (p. 63) explains that “folk music communicates on a direct personal level and is readily accepted by a large percentage of the population. An important defining feature of folk music is the anonymity of its creators. In addition, it is usually performed by amateurs and – at least in recent years – has been most often transmitted by oral tradition…”
“The spiritual is the first combining of African and European elements” (Crossroads in Music, p. 104). Negro spiritual are the songs that were originally sung by African-American slaves and were one of the main influences from which Gospel music, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, country and rock ‘n roll would eventually evolve.
There are basically two types of spiritual: the leader-chorus and the verse-and-refrain. “The leader-chorus type closely resembles the call and response type so characteristic of African singing: in both, lines of text sung by a soloist alternate with a sung group response. Songs that tell a story are often in verse and refrain, the action is told in a series of verses, and each verse is followed by a refrain . . . Spirituals often combined the two types. Singers would raise and lower notes, slide from note to note, and add melodic embellishments to emphasize the emotional content of the words. These traits closely resembled the traditional elements of African singing” (Crossroads in Music, p. 104).
Water is a common theme in spirituals because it had both a spiritual meaning as well as a practical value. Spiritually water refers to baptism and the washing away of sins. Jesus also identified Himself as the source of Living Water, the source of Everlasting Life. On a practical level slaves fleeing from the slave masters were admonished to “Wade in the Water,” so that they could not easily be tracked. The word “wade” means to walk through shallow water.
Listen to Yolanda Rhodes singing “Wade in the Water”:
Another famous water-themed spiritual is “Take me to the Water (to Be Baptised)”, sung here by Nina Simone.
Listen to Alison Krauss singing “As I went down to the river to pray”
To be free from slavery was about both freedom from their physical slave masters, but also free from their spiritual slave master – namely Satan and sin. The song “Steal Away” is an example of a song that reflects this double meaning. Listen to “Steal Away” as sung by Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole.
Apart from “Amazing Grace”, one of the most famous spirituals is “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.” Listen to it in the YouTube-video below. This version by Etta James starts to sound more like Gospel Music – which we will take a look at in the next post. You can also listen to a Gospel rendition of "Amazing Grace" by Aretha Franklin below that.
How do you think spiritual music differ from Gospel music?
Listen to the short documentary in the video clip below, then describe what you think are the “spirituals”.
Negro spirituals can readily be identified as a type of folk music – “the music of the people”. Crossroads in Music (p. 63) explains that “folk music communicates on a direct personal level and is readily accepted by a large percentage of the population. An important defining feature of folk music is the anonymity of its creators. In addition, it is usually performed by amateurs and – at least in recent years – has been most often transmitted by oral tradition…”
“The spiritual is the first combining of African and European elements” (Crossroads in Music, p. 104). Negro spiritual are the songs that were originally sung by African-American slaves and were one of the main influences from which Gospel music, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, country and rock ‘n roll would eventually evolve.
There are basically two types of spiritual: the leader-chorus and the verse-and-refrain. “The leader-chorus type closely resembles the call and response type so characteristic of African singing: in both, lines of text sung by a soloist alternate with a sung group response. Songs that tell a story are often in verse and refrain, the action is told in a series of verses, and each verse is followed by a refrain . . . Spirituals often combined the two types. Singers would raise and lower notes, slide from note to note, and add melodic embellishments to emphasize the emotional content of the words. These traits closely resembled the traditional elements of African singing” (Crossroads in Music, p. 104).
Water is a common theme in spirituals because it had both a spiritual meaning as well as a practical value. Spiritually water refers to baptism and the washing away of sins. Jesus also identified Himself as the source of Living Water, the source of Everlasting Life. On a practical level slaves fleeing from the slave masters were admonished to “Wade in the Water,” so that they could not easily be tracked. The word “wade” means to walk through shallow water.
Listen to Yolanda Rhodes singing “Wade in the Water”:
Another famous water-themed spiritual is “Take me to the Water (to Be Baptised)”, sung here by Nina Simone.
Listen to Alison Krauss singing “As I went down to the river to pray”
To be free from slavery was about both freedom from their physical slave masters, but also free from their spiritual slave master – namely Satan and sin. The song “Steal Away” is an example of a song that reflects this double meaning. Listen to “Steal Away” as sung by Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole.
Apart from “Amazing Grace”, one of the most famous spirituals is “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.” Listen to it in the YouTube-video below. This version by Etta James starts to sound more like Gospel Music – which we will take a look at in the next post. You can also listen to a Gospel rendition of "Amazing Grace" by Aretha Franklin below that.
How do you think spiritual music differ from Gospel music?
Religious Music: Hymns
We start our discussion on modern Religious Music with “Finlandia” by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. A part of the last section in this symphonic poem is known as the “Finlandia Hymn”. The symphonic poem was composed in 1899 while Finland was suffering under Russian dictatorship. Listen and hear if you recognize it – the “Finlandia Hymn” starts around 5 minutes 20 seconds into the YouTube-video below and lasts until around 7 minutes 7 seconds; elements of it is again recognizable at around 8 minutes.
Try to identify the instruments used in this recording of the “Finlandia Hymn.” Listen to the different timbres and take note how the density changes. What causes the density to change?
The “Finlandia Hymn” has become well known as a Christian hymn – “Be Still, My Soul”. Listen to it sung by Izzy.
Now listen to it sung by rock artist Sheryl Crow.
How is the orchestration different in the rendition with Izzy compared to the one by Sheryl Crow? Describe the difference in musical instruments used. How is the density different? Can you describe the difference in timbre between Izzy’s voice and Sheryl Crow’s voice?
The lyrics that is usually sung to the melody of the “Finlandia Hymn” (“Be Still, My Soul”) was originally written in German (“Stille meine Wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen”) by Katharina Amalia (1752). It was later translated into English by Laurie Borthwick (1855).
Listen to Ginny Owens, CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) artist, use the same lyrics but sing it to a completely different melody.
How will you describe the difference in the “Finlandia Hymn”-melody compared to Ginny Owens’ melody?
Of the three versions (Izzy's, Sheryl Crow's, and Ginny Owens'), which do you prefer and why?
Try to identify the instruments used in this recording of the “Finlandia Hymn.” Listen to the different timbres and take note how the density changes. What causes the density to change?
The “Finlandia Hymn” has become well known as a Christian hymn – “Be Still, My Soul”. Listen to it sung by Izzy.
Now listen to it sung by rock artist Sheryl Crow.
How is the orchestration different in the rendition with Izzy compared to the one by Sheryl Crow? Describe the difference in musical instruments used. How is the density different? Can you describe the difference in timbre between Izzy’s voice and Sheryl Crow’s voice?
The lyrics that is usually sung to the melody of the “Finlandia Hymn” (“Be Still, My Soul”) was originally written in German (“Stille meine Wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen”) by Katharina Amalia (1752). It was later translated into English by Laurie Borthwick (1855).
Listen to Ginny Owens, CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) artist, use the same lyrics but sing it to a completely different melody.
How will you describe the difference in the “Finlandia Hymn”-melody compared to Ginny Owens’ melody?
Of the three versions (Izzy's, Sheryl Crow's, and Ginny Owens'), which do you prefer and why?
Instruments
The Voice
It is impossible to have music without musical instruments; the most important musical instrument being the voice. Thus everybody with a voice (which is technically every person) have with them an instrument to produce music. In certain settings the voice is the only instrument, for instance in a cappella singing, which is often used in religious music. A cappella music is singing without instrumental accompaniment.
Voices differ greatly in their timbre. Listen, for instance to Doris Day singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me”. Now compare her voice with that of Louis Armstrong singing the same song. How do these examples differ in timbre?
Wind Instruments
“Wind instruments are those in which the sounds is produced by a vibrating column of air” (Crossroads in Music, p. 49). Wind instruments are divided into woodwinds and brass-winds.
String Instruments
“Instruments in which the sound is generated by a vibrating string are called string instruments” (Crossroads in Music, p. 50).
Percussion
“Percussion instruments that produce a sound when struck or shaken. Drums are almost exclusively percussion instruments in which the sounds is produced by the vibration of a stretched piece of skin or plastic (a head)” (Crossroads in Music, p. 50).
Synthetic Instruments
“Synthetic instruments are those in which the sound is produced electronically, not by the vibration of some natural material. Instruments such as synthesizers use oscillators to produce sound electronically. Other instruments such as the electric guitar, in which a natural vibration is amplified and/or modified electronically, are not synthetic instruments” (Crossroads in Music, p. 56).
“Instruments that do not create sound but trigger the actions of a computer/synthesizer are called controllers. These include guitar controllers, drum machines, keyboard controllers, wind controllers, and keyboard mallet controllers. Computers are also able to reproduce natural sounds through a process called sampling. A sampler is a device that takes successive digital snapshots of a natural sound over time. The digital information can then be used to recreate the sound synthetically. In another process called sequencing, the digital data that is necessary to play back MIDI [Musical Instrument Digital Interface] sequences and files is stored in a computer” (Crossroads in Music, p. 57).
Ensembles
"Instruments and/or voices that perform together are called ensembles. Such groupings provide for greater diversity in volume, pitch, and timbre than a solo voice or instrument can create" (Crossroads in Music, p. 57).
Since the 20th century, orchestras (big ensembles) used an orchestra seating plan to arrange the different instruments.
Please familiarize yourself with the basic instruments and their sounds/timbres. This will help you to more effectively discuss a song and its orchestration.
It is impossible to have music without musical instruments; the most important musical instrument being the voice. Thus everybody with a voice (which is technically every person) have with them an instrument to produce music. In certain settings the voice is the only instrument, for instance in a cappella singing, which is often used in religious music. A cappella music is singing without instrumental accompaniment.
Voices differ greatly in their timbre. Listen, for instance to Doris Day singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me”. Now compare her voice with that of Louis Armstrong singing the same song. How do these examples differ in timbre?
Wind Instruments
“Wind instruments are those in which the sounds is produced by a vibrating column of air” (Crossroads in Music, p. 49). Wind instruments are divided into woodwinds and brass-winds.
String Instruments
“Instruments in which the sound is generated by a vibrating string are called string instruments” (Crossroads in Music, p. 50).
Percussion
“Percussion instruments that produce a sound when struck or shaken. Drums are almost exclusively percussion instruments in which the sounds is produced by the vibration of a stretched piece of skin or plastic (a head)” (Crossroads in Music, p. 50).
Synthetic Instruments
“Synthetic instruments are those in which the sound is produced electronically, not by the vibration of some natural material. Instruments such as synthesizers use oscillators to produce sound electronically. Other instruments such as the electric guitar, in which a natural vibration is amplified and/or modified electronically, are not synthetic instruments” (Crossroads in Music, p. 56).
“Instruments that do not create sound but trigger the actions of a computer/synthesizer are called controllers. These include guitar controllers, drum machines, keyboard controllers, wind controllers, and keyboard mallet controllers. Computers are also able to reproduce natural sounds through a process called sampling. A sampler is a device that takes successive digital snapshots of a natural sound over time. The digital information can then be used to recreate the sound synthetically. In another process called sequencing, the digital data that is necessary to play back MIDI [Musical Instrument Digital Interface] sequences and files is stored in a computer” (Crossroads in Music, p. 57).
Ensembles
"Instruments and/or voices that perform together are called ensembles. Such groupings provide for greater diversity in volume, pitch, and timbre than a solo voice or instrument can create" (Crossroads in Music, p. 57).
Since the 20th century, orchestras (big ensembles) used an orchestra seating plan to arrange the different instruments.
Please familiarize yourself with the basic instruments and their sounds/timbres. This will help you to more effectively discuss a song and its orchestration.
Assignment #2 (Due Sept 23)
Choose any one of the three songs below.
Regina Spektor -- "Fidility"
Harry Connick, Jr. -- "Hear Me in the Harmony"
Justin Timberlake -- "Love Stoned / I Think She Knows Interlude"
Write a short (typed) essay in which you describe its Melody, Harmony, Rhythm and general Form. Remember to make use of the terminology you have learned this week.
Some ideas:
Regarding the “Melody” you could identify the melody and explain why you think it is a successful melody or not. Talk about the melodic contour, the type of motion (generally conjunct or disjunct notes), and range.
Regarding the “Harmony” you could include who or what is performing the harmony and what makes up the harmonies of this song. You may also mention consonance and dissonance, chord progressions and so one.
Regarding the “Rhythm” you could describe how you think it contributes to the song. You may also talk about the meter of the song and mention if there is polyrhythm and/or syncopation.
Also say how you think the music (melody, harmony & rhythm) contribute to the lyrics (or not).
Proper essay form:
Remember that a proper essay should have in introductory paragraph, some body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. The introduction and conclusion should resonate. Your essay should also include a clear heading in the top left corner (with your name, name of this class and the date the assignment is due). There should also be a title which should be centered.
Any essay which does not comply with the basic principles of academic essay writing will not be graded.
Regina Spektor -- "Fidility"
Harry Connick, Jr. -- "Hear Me in the Harmony"
Justin Timberlake -- "Love Stoned / I Think She Knows Interlude"
Write a short (typed) essay in which you describe its Melody, Harmony, Rhythm and general Form. Remember to make use of the terminology you have learned this week.
Some ideas:
Regarding the “Melody” you could identify the melody and explain why you think it is a successful melody or not. Talk about the melodic contour, the type of motion (generally conjunct or disjunct notes), and range.
Regarding the “Harmony” you could include who or what is performing the harmony and what makes up the harmonies of this song. You may also mention consonance and dissonance, chord progressions and so one.
Regarding the “Rhythm” you could describe how you think it contributes to the song. You may also talk about the meter of the song and mention if there is polyrhythm and/or syncopation.
Also say how you think the music (melody, harmony & rhythm) contribute to the lyrics (or not).
Proper essay form:
Remember that a proper essay should have in introductory paragraph, some body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. The introduction and conclusion should resonate. Your essay should also include a clear heading in the top left corner (with your name, name of this class and the date the assignment is due). There should also be a title which should be centered.
Any essay which does not comply with the basic principles of academic essay writing will not be graded.
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