GOSPEL MUSICTopic: Art and Entertainment

Marina RuizZhenia Yakubovich

Roots of Gospel Music

Gospel is the teaching or revelation of Christ. The term 'Gospel‘, regarding a music style, is attributed to Thomas A. Dorsey in the 1930s.

Gospel music has its roots in the African American spirituals that were sung by slaves, converted to Christianity, beginning in the 1700s.

Some slave spirituals began as variations on Christian hymns, but over the years many original compositions were created.

Most of these songs were passed down orally, since very few slaves had access to methods of writing music.

Singing was a way of resisting awful circumstances of the life of American slaves. Their spirituals sang of a beautiful life after death as a way to inspire each other.

http://www.musicianguide.com/featured_biographies/pages/cmx6f3mvkg/Child-Gospel-Brief-History-Gospel-Music.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/music/gospel_1.shtml

http://voices.yahoo.com/a-brief-history-roots-gospel-6856262.html?cat=33

Some features of Gospel

Gospel music is a large body of American religious song with texts that reflects aspects of the personal religious experience of Protestant evangelical groups, both white and black.

Written to provide a Christian alternative to secular life and music, Gospel Music always retains the common praise theme of worshipping God.

Is a musical genre featured by the dominant use of choirs and the important use of harmony. Usually is singed by a soloist and a choir that responds.

In general the music is singed a capella, but sometimes it can have instrumental accompaniment with guitar or organ, also the singers often clap hands for do it more rhythmically.

Gospel songs are usually performed in a slow or moderate tempo, although the type known as a ‘shout’ is sung very fast.

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Keywordsdeliverance: the process of being rescued or set free

to harmonize: add notes to a melody in order to produce harmony

percussive percussion: the striking of one solid object with or against another with some degree of

force preacher: a person who delivers a religious address to an assembled group of people

slave: a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them; who works very hard without proper remuneration or appreciation

Video Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tkoMPKI19o&feature=relmfu

In your opinion, why gospel music is so widespread

nowadays?

Thank you for your attention!