Go Down, Moses: Tracing the Roots of the African-American Spiritual - Recordings

Tracing the Roots of the African-American Spiritual

Chicago a cappella's third recording traces the history of the African-American spiritual. Produced by Grammy Award winner Steve Barnett, the disc includes early call-and-response and "Dr.Watt's" style hymns, classic settings by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and virtuosic contemporary arrangements by Moses Hogan, Jester Hairston, Peter Saltzman, and others. This recording was supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Chicago a cappella Records CAC2004
Running time: 59:33
Includes 16-page booklet with historical notes

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TRACK LISTING:

I couldn't hear nobody pray (arr. Smith)

Run to Jesus (Fisk collection)

Elijah Rock (arr. Moses Hogan)

Steal Away (arr. Joseph Jennings)

Go Down, Moses (arr. Peter Saltzman)

Hush! Somebody's callin' my name (arr. Brazeal Dennard)

In dat great gittin' up mornin' (arr. Jester Hairston)

Go, preach my Gospel (ed. Dargan)

Hold on (ed. Jackson)

Hold on (arr. Hairston) [RealMedia file]

Fix me, Jesus (arr. Hall Johnson)

Walk toggeder childron (ed. Nathaniel Dett)

Roll, Jordan, Roll (arr. Willie Richardson/Isaac Freeman/James Hill/Walter Settles/Wilson Waters)

We shall walk thro the Valley (Fisk collection)

Oh, Freedom (arr. Hall Johnson) [RealMedia file]

Go Down, Moses (Fisk collection)

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This collection of 16 African-American spirituals is wonderful, boasting technical prowess tempered with the expressive emotionalism inherent in the genre. The 9 singers in this small mixed-voice ensemble are very talented, with a strong, clear balanced tone. With arrangements by Moses Hogan (pulsing "Elijah Rock"), Joseph Jennings (a stirring "Steal Away") and Jester Hairston ("In dat great gittin' up mornin'," "Hold On") among others - and some great liner notes by group leader Jonathan Miller - the CD is an informative and entertaining overview of the spiritual style.

—A-Cappella.com

The African-American spiritual represents a unique and powerful segment of American music. Now, in a new CD from Chicago a cappella, the roots of a musical art form are traced in a way which amplifies how and why these and other songs helped sustain so many millions during the dark days of American slavery and afterward. In sixteen tracks, this Chicago-based chorus sings of glory and hope. Each of these songs evokes the thrill of the deep devotion from which they sprang. And, though the roots may have been primitive, without formal training, some of these spirituals have a complexity that could rival the polyphonic textures of great baroque masterpieces....While some music in this collection is presented in a more formal style, their velvet harmonies cloak the songs in well-deserved resonance. The CD comes with complete annotation for each work.

—Sherman Kaplan, WBBM-AM Radio, Chicago

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