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The term has mostly been used to indicate a religious Negro folk-song, originating firstly in the South of the United states during the slavery period. Although born in slavery its traditions have been continued and the Spiritual as a musical genre continues to this day. According to noted Negro musician Dr. Melville Charlton, organist of the Union Theological Seminary at New York for 18 years, "a Spiritual is in a specific sense as an American Negro religious folk-song." He would also include any Negro religious song, not composed, in this category. J. Rosamond Johnson, who has studied, sung and composed the music of his race very extensively, defines a Spiritual as "an American Negro folk-song, who's rhythm derived from the African tom-tom beat, with the substance of its text based on prayer and religious fervour; set to the characteristic musical cadence of Negro melody." His brother, James Weldon Johnson, who wrote a very understanding and instructive preface to Mr. Johnson's collection of Spirituals, puts it in slightly different words when he writes, "They are religious folk-songs origi- nated by the Negro in the South and used strictly for purposes of religious worship." Harry T. Burleigh, who is equally well known as a composer and as soloist of St. George's Church, New York, defines a Spiritual as follows:
"The plantation songs known as Spirituals are the spontaneous outpourings of intense religious fervour and have their origin chiefly in camp-meetings, revivals, and other religious exercises. They were never composed but sprang into life ready made from the heat of religious fervour, during some protracted meeting in camp or church, as the simple, ecstatic utterance of wholly untutored minds, and are practically the only music of America which meets the scientific definition of folk-song." Mr. Burleigh then goes on to state that deep spirituality and rhythm are essential components and makes the rather impressive statement that the voice is not so important as the spirit.
It would appear from these various definitions that there are several fundamental properties of the Spiritual, namely: origin among Southern Negro folk, that it shall have grown up uncomposed, its subject matter religion, and possessed of much fervour; a characteristic melody; its rhythm based on the native African tom-tom beat and finally, that it should be the spontaneous outpouring of the spirit. They are suited to communal singing, often use a call-and-response structure, with between the leader and the group.
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Aint Going To Tarry Here Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Roun Aint Got Time To Die Hall Johnson Aint That Good News All Gods Chillun Got Wings All I Do, The Church Keep A Grumbling Almost Done Toiling Here Amen A Little Talk With Jesus Babylons Falling(2) Babylons Falling Beams Of Heaven (someday) Before Id Be A Slave William E Barton Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel Bound For Canaan Land Bound To Go Bow Low, Mary Buked And Scorned Bye And Bye Changed Mah Name Children Go Where I Send Thee Children We All Shall Be Free City Called Heaven Climbin Up D Mountain Come Down, Angel Come Down Come Go With Me Come Here Jesus, If You Please Come Here Lord Come Unto Me Cry Holy Daniel Saw The Stone Deep River Dese Bones Gwine Rise Again Dey Crucified My Lord De Angel Roll De Stone Away De Blind Man Stood On De Road En Cried Didnt My Lord Deliver Daniel Didnt Old Pharaoh Get Lost Did Your Hear My Jesus Do, Lord, Remember Me Dont Be Weary, Traveler Dont You Let Nobody Turn You Roun Down By The Riverside Down By The River Side Down In The Valley Do Lord Remember Me Dry Bones(2) Dry Bones (1) Dry Bones (third Version) Early In The Morning Every Dayll Be Sunday Evry Time I Feel De Spirit(2) Evry Time I Feel De Spirit Ezekiels Wheel Ezekiel Saw The Wheel Fare Ye Well Free At Last(2) Free At Last (1) Get Away Jordan Git Yo Ticket Give Me Jesus(2) Give Me Jesus (1) Give Me That Old Time Religion Give Me Your Hand Glory, Glory, Hallelujah Going Home Going To Set Down Going To Shout All Over Gods Heaven Good Morning Everybody Good News Got My Letter Go Down, Moses Go Down Moses(2) Go Down Moses (1) Go In The Wilderness Great Day Hail Mary Hangman Johnny Hard Trials Heaven Is A Beautiful Place Hes Got The Whole World In His Hands Hes The Lilly Of The Valley Hes The Lily Of The Valley He Never Said A Mumbling Word Hide A Me His Eye Is On The Sparrow Hold On Hold The Wind, Dont Let It Blow Hold The Wind Hold Your Light Holy Baby (i Shall Send Thee) Holy Bible Holy I Got Over Humble Yourself, The Bells Done Ring If I Have Mah Tickit Lawd Ill Be Sleepin In Mah Grave Im A Rollin Im An Everyday Witness Im A Rollin Im Going To Join The Band Im Going Up Im Gwine Up To Heaven Anyhow Im Runnin On Im So Glad Trouble Dont Last Always Im Troubled In Mind Int That Good News J W Work In Bright Mansions Above In Dat Great Gittin Up Mornin(2) In Dat Great Gittin Up Mornin In The Army Of The Lord In The Morning In This Field It May Be De Las Time Ive Been Buked An Ive Been Scorned Ive Got Peace Like A River I Aint Gonna Grieve My Lord No More I Am A Poor Wayfaring Stranger I Am Free I Am Seeking For A City I Believe Ill Go Back Home I Cant Stay Behind I Couldnt Hear Nobody Pray I Found Jesus Over In Zion I Got A Hidin Place I Got A Home In That Rock I Got A Key To The Kingdom I Got Mah Swoad In Mah Han I Heard From Heaven Today I Know Moon Rise I Mean To Lift Up A Standard For My King I Must Walk My Lonesome Valley I Shall Not Be Moved I Stood On The River Of Jordan I Stood Outside The Gate I Wanta Live So God Can Use Me I Want Jesus To Walk With Me I Want To Be Ready Jesus Gonna Jesus On The Waterside Jesus With Us John Done Saw Dat Numbuh John Saw John Saw The Holy Number John The Revelator Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho Joy To The World Jubilee Judgment Judgment Day Is A Rolling Around Keep Me From Sinking Down King Jesus Is A Listening Kum Ba Yah (come By Here) Kum Ba Yah Come By Here Lawd I Want Two Wings Let The Church Roll On Lift Every Voice And Sing Listen To The Lambs Little Black Train Is A Comin Little David Play On Your Harp Live A Humble Lord, I Don Done Lord, Remember Me Lord I Cant Stay Here By Myself Lord Remember Me Lord Until I Reach My Home Many Thousand Go Marching Up The Heavenly Road |
March Down To Jordan Mary And Martha Mary Had A Baby Mary Wept An Marthy Moaned Master Going To Sell Us Tomorrow Members Dont Get Weary Michael, Row The Boat A Shore Mos (almost) Don Toiling Here My Army Cross Over My God Is A Man Of War My Good Lords Done Been Here My Lord What A Morning My Ship Is On The Ocean Nobody Knows De Trouble Ive Seen Nobody Knows The Trouble Ive Had Nobody Knows The Trouble Ive Seen Nobody Knows Who I Am Nothing Between Now Let Me Fly No Condemnation In My Soul Oer The Crossing Oh, Mother, Dont You Weep Oh, Peter, Go Ring The Bells Oh, Sinner Man, You Had Better Pray Oh Freedom Oh Mary, Oh Marthy Oh Sinner Oh What A Beautiful City Oh Yes Old Zions Children Marching Along One More River One More River To Cross On My Journey Now, Mount Zion Open The Window, Noah O Mary Dont You Weep O Mother Dont You Weep O Rocks Dont Fall On Me O The Dying Lamb O Yes, Lord O Yes Lord Pass Me Not Peace In The Valley Poor Me Poor Mourners Pray On Ride In, Kind Savior Ride In Kind Savior Ride On King Jesus Ride On Moses Rise, Shine, For Thy Light Is A Coming Rise And Shine Rise Up, Shepherd, And Follow Rise Up, Shepherd, And Follow 2 Rise Up Dear Shepherd Rock My Soul Rock Of Ages Roll Jordan, Roll Roll On Roll The Chariot Along Room In There Run Mary Run Run Mouner Run Run Mourner Run Scandalized My Name Shout For Joy Singing Wid A Sword In Ma Han Singin Wid A Sword In Ma Han Sinner, Please Dont Let This Harvest Pass Sinner Please Slavery Chain Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Daughter Some Of These Days Some O These Days Soon A Will Be Done(2) Soon A Will Be Done (1) Soon A Will Be Done 1 Soon A Will Be Done 2 Soon One Mawnin Death Come Creepin In Yo Room Soon One Morning So Glad Ive Got The Stone Stand By Me Stand Still Jordan Steal Away And Pray Steal Away To Jesus Steal Away To Mah Fathuhs Kingdom Study War No More Sunday Morning Band Sweet Canaans Happy Land Sweet Music Swing Low Sweet Chariot(2) Swing Low Sweet Chariot Swing Low Sweet Chariot (1) Swing Low Sweet Chariot 2 Take My Mother Home Tell All The World, John Tell Em Im Gone Thank God Im On My Way To Heaven That Lonesome Valley Theres A Great Camp Meeting Theres A Meeting Here Tonight There Is A Balm In Gilead There Is A Land Of Pure Delight The Baby Gone Home The Blind Man Stood By The Road The Coming Day The Driver The Gift Of God Is Eternal Life The Gospel Train The Hangman Johnny The Heavenly Road The Old Sheep Know The Road The Ship Of Zion The Ship Of Zion (1) The Ship Of Zion (third Version) The Ship Of Zion 1 The Ship Of Zion 2 The Ship Of Zion 3 This Little Light Of Mine This May Be The Last Time This Old Time Religion This World Almost Done Time Is Drawin Nigh To My Fathers House Traveling Shoes Trouble Done Bore Me Down Tryin To Get Home Turn Back Pharaohs Army Until I Reach A Ma Home Until I Reach A Ma Home View The Land Wade In The Water Walkem Easy Walk About Elders Walk Em Easy Walk Together Children Walk You In The Light Want To Go Home Way In The Kingdom Well Soon Be Free Well Understand It By And By Were Marching To Zion Weve Come A Long Way We Am Climin Jacobs Ladder We Are Climbing Jacobs Ladder (1) We Are Climbing Jacobs Ladder 2 We Ll Soon Be Free We Shall Overcome We Shall Walk Through The Valley What Month Was Jesus Born In When Im Gone When I Can Hear My Title Clear When Jesus Comes When The Saints Go Marching In When The Trains Come Along Where Shall I Go Where You There Will The Circle Be Unbroken Wish Is In Heaven Settin Down Wish I Was In Heabum Settin Down Witness For My Lord Woke Up Dis Morning Wonder Where Is Good Ole Daniel Wrestling Jacob Wring My Hands And Cry You Better Get A Home In That Rock You May Bury Me In The East Yo Sins Are Gonna Find You Out Zekiel Saw The Wheel |
There are also many other Christian pieces on this site which are included with other collections, e.g. the Children's Songs section contains quite a few.