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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

These songs originated in the plantations of the American South. Never composed, Negro Spirituals were spontaneous outbursts of intense religious fervour, invented chiefly in camp meetings, revivals and other religious exercises of their time. It has been suggested that these songs also had other meanings and possibly contained secret codes. For instance they might suggest that a hated overseer was in the vicinity. Or some lyrics might contain clues about the next escape plan. Whatever their original intentions, they are now generally considered as great music and an important contribution to American Folk Songs. 

Based on rhythm (but also with a strong melodic line), these folk songs of the American Negro had an impressive effect on much of the music of America and the western world. Examples include: Swing Low, Steal Away, Sweet Chariot; Go Down Moses; and Deep River. 

Negro Spirituals became prominent in 1871 in concerts by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and became even better known in the 20th Century through the singing of Paul Robson and Marian Anderson. As such, they influenced Jazz and the popular music scene which followed. More than that, however, they significantly influenced musicians and singers the world over. Dvorak was deeply touched by Negro Spirituals, and Tippett used them very effectively in his oratorio A Child of Our Time.

We have chosen a couple of representative songs for our MusicSmiles visit to this wonderful world:

What about first joining us in singing Swing Low . . .? 

OR 

Here's a chance to sing along with that earliest of spirituals  Steal Away . . .

OR 

We could listen to a song by Stephen Collins Foster in 1864, which is food for thought; called Beautiful Dreamer

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