4Real Forums: Recommend a Spirituals cd?

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Topic: Recommend a Spirituals cd?

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CKwasniewski
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Posted: Feb 03 2009 at 9:02am \| IP Logged

Can anybody recommend a gospel/ negro spirituals cd? I've always liked those songs, but I also want something for our american history studies.

Thanks!
ck

CrunchyMom
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Posted: Feb 03 2009 at 9:31am \| IP Logged

I haven't actually listened to this one, but my first thought that *I* would go to is Chanticleer. I figured they had one, and sure enough, they do. They often put well chosen and arranged spirituals (including some sacred harp which isn't so much negro but is more the traditional a capella hymns from Appalachia) on their regular collections. Also, I have been able to find most of their cds in our library system.

How Sweet the Sound

I have listened to their newest release, Mission Road, and it is lovely. It is music that the frontiers would have heard in their missions 200 years ago in California and Mexico with music from Mexican born Manuel Sumaya.

Mission Road

AND, this one looks nice, too. Though it incorporates sacred folk music from all over, the title piece is my personal favorite of the sacred harp/traditional American hymns

Wondrous Love

You could also look into collections of song by Aaron Copland. He was sort of the "first" American composer and was one of the first to seriously start collecting American folk melodies.

So, that was probably way more than you wanted, but I personally don't think that a lot of contemporary gospel music does justice to America's tradition of sacred music. If you are interested mostly in the more modern interpretations, I always thought the soundtrack to Sister Act had really good arrangements.

Hope that helps.

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Lindsay
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CKwasniewski
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Posted: Feb 03 2009 at 12:36pm \| IP Logged

Lindsay,
Thanks for these recs--they were just what I wanted. We love Chanticleer too! I found some samples and "How Sweet" sounds great!

I'll be getting Mission Road before long too.

I also found out that a french priest wrote a book on Negro spirituals--comes with a cd too--looks interesting!

Trouble I've seen

thanks,
ck

Waverley
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Posted: Feb 04 2009 at 9:29pm \| IP Logged

I would strongly encourage you to borrow from your library a CD by Mahalia Jackson. She has a greatest hits CD that is incredible. As an interesting historical note and if you will be listening to her music during Black History Month (February), Mahalia Jackson sang prior to Dr. King giving his I Have A Dream speech. Many historians believe that Dr. King had a different prepared ending to his speech but while he was speaking Mahalia Jackson, who was sitting behind him, kept encouraging him to "Tell them about the dream Martin." As a result, he broke from his prepared comments to deliver his most famous words.

Thomas Dorsey is considered the Father of Gospel music and there are several CDs with various artists singing his songs. My favorite is Precious Lord: Recordings of The Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey. Many of the songs are spirituals. This is also a nice CD because you get a wide variety of gospel sounds - men, women, groups, individuals, and acapella.

I can't wait to check out the CDs mentioned above as well.

CKwasniewski
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Posted: Feb 07 2009 at 3:50pm \| IP Logged

Waverley,
Thank you -- I'll check out these cds!

ck

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