Religion Essay 代写： Gospel Music The History Theology

The history and many dynamics of Gospel music, gospel music has been around for quite some time. It is a lifetime experience, always living, always changing and most of all always becoming the foundation that gives moral, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to great and powerful people of the world. The definition of Gospel is a type of Christian music influenced by soul and r and b that developed in the churches that black people went to in the south of the U.S. in the past. It is sung by groups of singers who have powerful voices. Gospel music consists of large groups of people doing vocals, often in a polyphonic manner. Sometimes there is a lead singer in the vocal group. In accompaniment with the vocals are normally piano/organ playing, electric guitar playing, clapping, and/or tambourine shaking. Gospel music was founded in 1870, coming from hymns and melodies of music that was popular at the time. At that time it was popular only with Caucasians, and therefore it was mainly a Caucasian style. At this time, the elements of today's gospel music had not come in. It was mostly singing. As for the text of the music, it would most often be about salvation and the conversion to the Christian religion. It was about 1930 when the African American version of gospel music arose. It was based on hymns, much like the Caucasian style of gospel music, but it had elements of African American styles. This was when the elements of gospel music that we know now came in to being. The songs would often break out into dance, due to the liveliness of the music. Today, there still remains a line between the Caucasian and the African American style of gospel music. But the two styles have shared elements and have allowed each other to influence each other's styles.. Gospel Music is a shining beacon of hope, a fantastic journey of joy divine, and a triumphant victory in God that comes from deep down in the souls of God's Chosen People. The greatest melodies and the most stimulating songs have been given to this Nation and the World through the African American experience. There has been no other event in history that has been more compelling, convincing, or persuasive than Gospel Music. Some of the most beautiful music of all times was born out of intense grief and suffering, and Gospel Music is no exception. It is the Alpha and Omega of God's spiritual principle that plays upon the keyboard of men's integrity. It is a resonance, an echoing sound throughout the ages that has surrendered the wonders of God's Almighty creations. After thousands of years, the sound of Gospel Music is still enthralling and captivating because it stands against the social background as a shadow of today's community problems and dilemmas. From the 1930's to the 1960's desperate circumstances controlled our lives; despair and hope, life and death; but Gospel Music mirrored our predicaments as a collective group of people, it reflected upon our social status, and eventually reverberated in our made up minds that God was indeed on our sides. After thousands of years, the sound of Gospel Music is still enthralling and captivating because it stands against the social background as a shadow of today's community problems and dilemmas. From the 1930's to the 1960's desperate circumstances controlled our lives; despair and hope, life and death; but Gospel Music mirrored our predicaments as a collective group of people, it reflected upon our social status, and eventually reverberated in our made up minds that God was indeed on our sides. The prologue of Gospel Music owes its grandeur and its sense of veracity to Thomas Andrew Dorsey who is called the "Father of Gospel Music." He combined Christian praise with the rhythms of jazz and blues. Mr. Dorsey wrote many songs, two of his greatest were "Precious Lord" and "Peace in The Valley." Both of these songs were written after the tragic death of his wife and newborn son. These songs have become community owned songs, as singers and listeners throughout the world relate to the words of assurance that are delivered and adopted in the messages. The influence of Mahalia Jackson is evident in her style and references to the storms of life and of the good that is produced through overcoming adversity. Her melodious voice stirred listeners as they "Moved on up A Little Bit Higher" and invited them to participate in her songs. She developed a flair for composing songs that moved the heart and regenerated the soul of a people who looked to the hills from whence cometh their help. The songs were so exciting and popular that congregations automatically joined in the singing and shouting as they lifted up the name of Jesus. Religious freedoms stood in the forefront of a people who knew that God was the beginning and the end. The methodical beats of and the syncopation rhythms of Mrs. Albertina Walker and the Caravan gave birth to a brand new gospel experience. With her words representing patience, endurance, survival, and staying power, her voice rekindled the awesome power of God as she told Him in song "Lord Keep Me Day by Day." Her dominant presence in religious song has been formulated, devised, developed, and shared among all generations. The Caravan along with Mrs. Walker presented a wholesome type of devotion that rekindled a loyalty, which inspired the people to rise up and become God fearing. Mrs. Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois and began singing in the youth choir at the West Point Baptist Church at an early age, and joined several Gospel groups thereafter, including The Pete Williams Singers and the Robert Anderson Singers. Albertina was greatly influenced by Mahalia Jackson her friend and confidante. Mahalia Jackson took her on the road when she was just a teenager. "Mahalia used to kid me. She'd say, 'Girl, you need to go sing by yourself." Albertina Walker did just that. In 1951, she formed the group called The Caravans. She was given the title "Queen of Gospel Music" initially by such notables as the late Reverend James Cleveland and Jessy Jackson for her outstanding achievements within the genre after the death of Mahalia Jackson in 1972. The great struggle of the 1960's until 1980 was a struggle of the common man. It was a battle for rights against privileges, the long, slow, and awkward striving for government, this syncopation consisted of the people, by the people, and for the people- the struggles which were identical in Blacks, Whites, Brown, and Others. In outward form there is difference and variety, but at the heart of each individual there is equality. James Cleveland expresses this in song "Lord Do It." Elvis Presley who sung and won a Grammy for "He Touched Me" written by Andrea Crouch and a song by Walter Hawkins "God Is" gave stamina and determination to sing the Lord's song even in a strange land of struggling. And in this common struggle of man / woman we have found that no one member can win or can lose alone. For we are all in this struggle of life together, look around; the musical chord of brotherhood joins us unified together. Against the most revered and arrogant institution of entrenched Segregation that this Nation has ever experienced, Black people came to believe that we were somebody and that We do count in the great scheme of things. It is impossible for us to understand the development of Gospel Music without some knowledge of the temptations that have crossed our faith. In analyzing those factors that have entered into our moral and spiritual lives, we find that the part that slavery has played in the drama of African Americans life that was experienced in this new land. There are many different styles/types of gospel music some of the following are spiritual, traditional, gospel, country, blues, soul, Celtic, reggae, and contemporary. Spirituals are folk songs developed by black slaves, who applied African musical traditions to Christian themes. Many spirituals follow a simple call-and-response, making them appropriate for singing both in church and while at work in the fields. Traditional gospel, sometimes referred to as black gospel, was codified by the composer and singer Thomas A. Dorsey in the 1930s and generally features a large church choir, often fronted by one or more soloists. Traditional gospel has been the jumping-off point for a number of other styles. An uneasy detente between the music of the Lord (gospel) and so-called music of the devil (blues), blues gospel emerged in the late 1930s, with artists such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Vera Hall and the Rev. Gary Davis adding blues styling to traditional gospel numbers. Also known as Christian country or white gospel, country gospel is a cross of traditional spirituals with country and Appalachian folk music. Contemporary country gospel, however, has taken on a more sound closer that of modern pop. Examples of artists in the genre include the Carter Family and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Soul gospel was a variation on black gospel pioneered in the 1950s by a number of church quartets, including the Soul Stirrers and the Pilgrim Travelers, as well as solo artists, including Aretha Franklin. While religious in subject matter, soul gospel was marked by its raw, often sexually charged display of emotion. A precursor to Southern soul, many soul gospel artists, such as Sam Cooke, one-time lead of the Soul Stirrers, crossed over into mainstream, secular success. Celtic gospel music is a hybrid of traditional southern gospel music infused with Celtic influences. The songs are usually derived from the black gospel canon, but the arrangement is usually distinctly Celtic. Celtic gospel is particularly popular in Ireland. Another hybrid form, reggae gospel is musically identical to reggae, with singers making use of the traditional off-beat accenting endemic to the genre, but the lyrics substitute Rastafarianism for Christianity. Reggae gospel is seldom found outside of Jamaica. Contemporary gospel, pioneered in the 1980s by groups such as Bebe & CeCe Winans and Take 6, is a more polished version of traditional gospel, drawing influences from modern R & B, jazz, blues and even hip-hop. Most contemporary gospel is recording in a slick, radio-ready format and musically most resembles "urban" music of the kind performed by artists like Boys II Men, Toni Braxton and Mary J. Blige. One can pursue the roots of gospel music through the academic discipline of ethno-musicology (going back to Europe and Africa), through a study of the 2,000-year history of church music, and through a study of rural folk music traditions. When it comes to the African American experience, gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century. Coming out of an oral tradition, gospel music typically utilizes a great deal of repetition. This is a device to promote group participation.[citation needed] And the repetition of the words allowed those who could not read the opportunity to participate in worship. During this time, hymns and sacred songs were lined and repeated in a call and response fashion, and the Negro spirituals and work songs emerged. Due to the enslaved Africans attending their masters' worship services, the 17th-century influences on Negro spirituals and work songs were the traditional hymns which the enslaved had heard in worship services. Worship services served several purposes; not only were they a means by which the Africans could be monitored, but they also served as a reinforcement of the slavery indoctrination. Quite often, readings were from the Apostle Paul's writings which outlined being good servants and loving, obeying, and trusting one's master. At this time it was also illegal for more than a handful of blacks to congregate without supervision. This meant that the black people were not free to worship on their own and had to attend worship services with their master. At these services, their understanding of Christian doctrine grew, and music played a role in that experience. The worship music (hymns) of the whites became the backdrop for the music that the enslaved Africans would use at their eventual worship meetings. Most of the churches did not have musical instruments to use. There would be guitars and tambourines available every now and then, but not frequently. There were not regular church choirs that existed at this time, and they did not use a piano very often. Most of the singing was done a cappella. At its most basic level, gospel music is sacred music. It is a unique phenomenon of Americana which had its earliest iterations toward the end of the nineteenth century. It is folk music which suggests that it and its secular counterparts are greatly influenced by each other. Just as much of the contemporary gospel music of today sounds like R & B and Hip-Hop, so did most of the early gospel music sound like the Blues. Gospel, meaning "good news," derived its name from it close connection with the gospels (books in the New Testament). As we look at the common themes in the gospels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, we find many references to God's goodness and mercy. In order to reach the widest possible audience, there are no "style" restrictions on gospel music; only the thematic content remains constant. Coming out of an oral tradition, gospel music typically utilizes a great deal of repetition. This is a carryover from the time when many post-Reconstruction blacks were unable to read. The repetition of the words allowed those who could not read the opportunity to participate in worship. Gospel music over the centuries has ministered to the downtrodden and disenfranchised. To sing about a God who comes in the nick of time to deliver his people from uncomfortable circumstances is a consistent theme, which has been at the core of gospel music. This music has been enjoyed for many decades and it continues to grow in its variety and sound. Gospel music has a history which can be traced to the 18th century. During this time, hymns were lined and repeated in a call and response fashion and the Negro spirituals and work songs came on the scene. Because the enslaved Africans attended their masters' worship services, the seventeenth century influences on Negro spirituals and work songs were traditional hymns the enslaved Africans heard in worship. Worship services served several purposes; not only were they a means by which the Africans could be monitored, but they also served as a reinforcement of the slavery indoctrination. Quite often readings were from St. Paul where made to being good servants and loving, obeying, and trusting one's master. At this time it was also illegal for more than a handful of blacks to congregate without supervision. This meant that the blacks were not free to worship on their own they had to attend worship services with their master. At these services they would grow closer in their understanding of Christian doctrine and role that music played in that experience. The worship music (hymns) of the whites masters became the backdrop for the music the enslaved Africans would use at their eventual worship meetings.

The unlawfulness of the blacks congregating did not keep them from secretly holding "campground" meetings. These meetings were typically held at a distance from the main house to assure discretion and avoid possible punishment. It was during these such meetings that "newer" renditions of traditional hymns were developed. It is often wondered how such creativity and beauty could have come out of such a dismal time. As we listen to gospel music today with its sometimes downtrodden themes, it continues to be curious how such beauty and richness can emanate from troubled times. In the tradition of the black church, call and response in singing and in speaking has been and continues to be a foundation on which the gospel is delivered. Through this participatory delivery system beliefs are reinforced. There is an expectation that when there is agreement with either the spoken word or song because of either its content or its contexts that verbal affirmation will be given.

Refernces

http://christianmusic.about.com/od/artistsandbands/tp/history101.htm

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15799coll9

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4233793