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| Fisk Jubilee Singers |
Featured on this page loosely in order of first recording if not record release (as possible).
Names are alphabetical, not chronological, per year:
| 1909 | Fisk Jubilee Singers |
This brief section concerns black gospel before the rise of Black Gospel proper via Thomas A. Dorsey and Arizona Dranes. Black gospel is a sibling of blues with its heritage in the Southern plantation. Though notably different from gospel brought to the United States from Europe via Church, classical or folk music, it borrowed from such sources as may. Early gospel came hand in hand with early blues and folk music. Albeit sung at churches throughout the land, gospel as a genre in itself didn't really take flight until the thirties w assistance from electric recording. Prior to that the black gospel genre, for all intent and commercial purposes, pretty much consisted of only one group, the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Broadly considered, gospel music in the United States had two main origins: Its largely European influence was introduced by immigrants via hymns like 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God', composed by Protestant revolutionary, Martin Luther, circa 1528. The words to 'Amazing Grace' were written by Anglican clergyman, John Newton, in 1779. Having been a slave trader prior to that, it's suggested that he drew the melody from black slaves, which leads us to black gospel arising out of the rural South with the southern limb of the blues, the former spiritual (notably Baptist, Methodist or Pentecostal), the latter secular, they interbound like interclasping fingers, yet of two hands as different as were their venues: the blues came with secular concerns like, say, liquor; gospel came with church, and they weren't to be confused.
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| Well to address the
earlier roots of black gospel at least as far back as it was sung along
the Underground Railroad [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6], also known as the Freedom Train of abolitionists
involved in helping slaves escape their Southern masters to destinations in
Canada, Mexico and overseas. Among conductors were such as Peg Leg Joe
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5] and
Harriet Tubman [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]. Among songs sung along its routes is said to be Peg Leg Joe's 'Follow
the Drinking Gourd' published in 1928, though that is disputed at
Follow the Drinking Gourd. Tubman's was a 650-mile route from
Maryland to Ontario, she making the first of 19 successful trips in 1850,
coming to free several hundred slaves during her dangerous career. She
is said to have had a bounty attached to her that rose to $40,000, equivalent to a million
dollars these days. Texts by Tubman were made available in 1966 on
'The Negro Woman' (Folkways Records FH 5523), read by Dorothy Washington.
Also of that period was 'Song of the Free' in 1860, put to the tune of the
blackface minstrel song, 'Oh! Susanna' (Stephen Foster 1848). 'Steal Away' was another
Underground Railroad song composed by Choctaw freedman, Wallace Willis,
sometime before 1862. That was published by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in
1901. The hymn, 'Go Down Moses' was published as early as 1862 by Reverend
Lockwood, arranged by Thomas Baker. The Fisk Jubilee Singers published their
version in 1872. 'Sweet Chariot' was composed by Wallace sometime after
1865. 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore' was published in 'Slave Songs of the
United States' in 1867. 'The Good Old Way',
was also published in 1867 in 'Slave Songs of the United States'. The Jubilee Singers published
another version in 1880 as 'Come, Let Us All Go Down'. That got
recorded as early as 'I
Went Down Into the Garden' (Okeh 40796) on March 22, 1927, by the Price Family
Sacred Singers.
Lead Belly recorded a version called 'Down in the Valley to
Pray' in 1940 for the Library of Congress. See 'Let It Shine On Me: The
Library of Congress Recordings Volume 3' ('91). Also of the Underground
Railroad period was 'Wade in the Water', eventually published in 1901. It
took 'Let Us Break Bread Together' until 1925 in 'The Journal of American
Folklore', also 'The Second Book of Negro Spirituals' by James Weldon
Johnson in 1927. Gospel music was used by the Underground Railroad to
code communications.
(Other codes.)
Per below is a text by Tubman along with hymns written by anonymous slaves at
undetermined times, though all known during the period of the Underground
Railroad. Text by Harriet Tubman Album: 'The Negro Woman' Issued 1966 Voice: Dorothy Washington Hymns of the Underground Railroad Published 1901 Fisk Jubilee Singers Recording: Sunset Four Jubilee Singers 1924 Published 1901 Fisk Jubilee Singers Recording: Fisk Jubilee Singers 1994 Published 1909 Fisk Jubilee Singers Recording: Fisk Jubilee Singers 1909 1940 for the Library of Congress Lead Belly 1953 Paul Robeson Piano: Lawrence Brown 1961 The Highwaymen |
||
 Jubilee Singers 1875 London Source: Hymnology |
The
Fisk Jubilee Singers
were among the earliest black gospel groups, and the only to acquire
nationwide recognition for about six decades until electronic recording,
widespread distribution and other events like
Black Gospel proper expanded
the gospel market. Founded at Fisk
University [founded 1865: 1,
2] in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1871, formations of the Jubilee
Singers continued into the 20th century as the singular act around,
performed for another century into the 21st, and yet sing to this day as a
veritable institution of a vocal group for 150 years now.
The original group of nine was formed and named by George White
[1,
2], Fisk music
instructor and treasurer, after Jubilee Year in the Old Testament book of 'Leviticus',
Chapter 25, concerning transfer of ownership for debt until forgiven each
49th year of each jubilee period, insuring that debt not utterly wipe out
farmers or their families [1,
2,
3,
4]. Three
rough concert tours from 1871 to 1878 put them on the map in addition to
raising funds for Fisk University. John Work II (1871-1925) began
instructing at Fisk in 1904 and would direct the Jubilee Singers until 1923
when John Work III (1901-1967) assumed his position
[Work II: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Work III: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8]. The early decades of the group are left to
references, picking them up here with their first recordings in Camden, NJ, on 1 Dec 1909
resulting in the issue of 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot'
[1,
2] on Victor 16453-A
backed by 'Golden Slippers' recorded on 9 Dec 1909
[ADP].
James Bland, author of 'Golden Slippers', later composed the minstrel song,
'Oh, Dem Golden Slippers',
in 1879. The Jubilee Singers also recorded 'I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray' on
1 Dec 1909, not to be confused with Dorsey
Dixon's later 'Wreck on the Highway' in 1937. The Jubilee Singers also recorded on Edison Amberol and Blue
Amberol cylinders on multiple occasions [audio
of titles 1912-27]. ADP traces eighteen singles gone down with Victor by the Jubilee Singers to
1915 when they moved over to Columbia, beginning a long recording
relationship on 21 October 1915 in NYC w 'Steal Away to Jesus'
[1,
2,
3,
4] issued on Columbia
A2803. Forty years later in 1955 the group issued 'The Gold and Blue Album'
on Folkways Records FP 72 and
Folkways Records FA 2372 [1,
2].
Forty-eight years later in 2003 another version of the group issued 'In
Bright Mansions' on Curb Records D2-78762 [1,
2].
The compilation, 'There Breathes a Hope', saw release on ARCH 5020 in 2010
featuring John Work II (tenor) & the Jubilee Quartet from 1909 to 1916
[1,
2].
The 150th anniversary of the Jubilee Singers was marked by the release of
'Celebrating Fisk!' by Curb Records in June 2020
[1,
2,
3,
4]. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Audio: Deezer,
Internet Archive,
Napster.
Discographies: 45Worlds,
ADP,
Discogs,
Hymnology,
MusicBrainz,
RYM.
Documentaries: by Black History 2019;
'Sacrifice and Glory' American Experience PBS 2019:
1,
2,
3.
See also 'Jubilee' (play) by Tazewell Thompson 2019:
1,
2.
Further reading by source: Claire Armitstead;
Seth Kurke;
Mario Rups.
Further reading by topic: early gospel groups:
1,
2;
Clinton Bowen Fisk: 1,
2;
Fisk University timeline;
negro spirituals: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5;
John Work II & III: 1,
2.
Iconography: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Biblio: "Might Take One Disc of This Trash as a Novelty" by Tim Brooks ('American Music' 2000);
'On the Road to Freedom' by Sandra Graham ('American Music' 2006).
Authority research: Worldcat.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Fisk Jubilee Singers 1910 Recorded 1 Dec 1909 Debut release Side A Composition: Wallace Willis 1865> Recorded 9 Dec 1909 Debut release Side B Composition: James Bland Anonymous traditional Recorded 1 Dec 1909 Issued on Victor 16448 Composition: John Wesley Work II Recorded 9 Dec 1909 Issued on Victor 16487 See also * Fisk Jubilee Singers 1911 Recorded 6 Feb 1911 Issued on Victor 16856 Composition: Clarence Heidelberg Fisk Jubilee Singers 1915 Composition: Wallace Willis <1862 Fisk Jubilee Singers 1920 Cylinder: Edison Blue Amberol 4045 Fisk Jubilee Singers 2003 Anonymous traditional Dove Award Fisk Jubilee Singers 2010 |
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End early black gospel: Fisk Jubilee Singers. |
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