Transitions – The Birthplace of Gospel Music
 

The Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago, the church where Gospel Music started back in the 1930s, burnt down on Friday night. Mahalia Jackson and the Edwin Hawkins Singers - among others - got their start there.

Interestingly, it was originally built as Kehilath Anshe Ma'ariv synagogue, only housing the Baptist Church since 1922.

define Gospel Music please

Lilith,

Gospel Music is often considered the fusion of hymns with blues. Thomas Dorsey, the music director of the Pilgrim Baptist Church is commonly associated with it. Click here, here, or perhaps here for additional reading.

Hmmm I would argue that slaves who were forced into Christianity by their owners were singing gospel many years before that church came to be. I'd say plantations were the birthplace of gospel music.

I woud have to agree with Lilith here even your first link states that "By a further arbitrary use of the term, however, Gospel music is considered to have begun in the United States, sometimes in the 19th century, first appearing in print in 1874 with the publication of Gospel Songs by Philip Bliss."

Lilith,

Well, you did ask.

I gave what I and others consider to be a substantial answer, and provided references if you were interested. If you tend to an different point of view, more power to you.

There are so many things that slaves contributed to Americana but often those things were not officially sanctioned til they began to appear in the North where they became recognized by the whites such as the Quakers who were supporting the movement from blacks in the rural south to northern communities.

Jseal African American History is my very favorite thing. In fact,at some point I would love to teach it.

Lilith,

The Quakers were not alone.

No and I did not suggest they were. But they are a prominent religious group who help blacks move north.

BTW it's terrible sad about the church burning. What I find interesting is that it connects the African American community and the Jewish community which has at times experienced strained relations.

The church played a major role in the development of gospel music....

It was the place where a base was set to promote it, where it gained a wider audience and many notable gospel singers propelled from. I believe the term was adopted as an affectionate one more than factual in order to give gospel music a home. Such is the same for country music and The Grand Old Opry.

Very true. I just feel that often the south in it's shame over it's participation in slavery or racism often avoids acknowledging itself as the place where many of the great contributions made by those slaves occurred. I am sure my feelings are influenced by having been rasied in rural places where many African American communities and White communities were still completely segregated.

Lilith,

Your position in re the origins of Gospel Music, in contrast to negro spirituals which predate Gospel and are closely associated with American slavery, is intriguing. When it is convenient, would you provide a few references for it? I’d like to see where this goes.

Here are a few more references for your consideration, should you be interested in considering a 20th century genesis for this art form.

On NPR

A History of Gospel Music

Thomas Dorsey, the Father of Gospel Music


Gospel from Spiritual

http://www.negrospirituals.com/

http://wv.essortment.com/gospelmusichis_rutg.htm

My position is that negro spirituals begat gospel music. I have no references to cite as I don't hunt articles to prove my personal feelings. My feelings are good enough to stand alone. They don't need back up. From all that I have read, experienced, and been taught it is my feeling that gospel is an extension of the music that is commonly referred to as spirituals. Time being what most consider the separator of the two. It's quite possible I have lived in places where the two are still one.

I don't have links to prove the case, either, but it's so obviously the case. I will say I studied Musicology as part of my graduate degree & studied music in Canada & touched upon the Underground Railroad's influence on Canadian music.

When slaves were in the plantation, their harmonic pleas to God were called spirituals. When they went to Church, it became Gospel. An outlet for their woes. An outlet for their faith.