Carnegie Hall

PART 1: Religion and Black Americans

Have your students read aloud the following text written by a historian and scholar in 1977:

“Before Africans were brought to the Americas, most of them practiced the religion of their individual societies. Traditional African worship often involved drumming, chanting, prolonged dancing and music making, and altered states such as trances and spirit possession. Most Americans, who were predominantly Christian or secular, did not approve of African religious practices, so slaves were forbidden to practice their African faiths. Drums and other items associated with traditional religious practice were confiscated because loud instruments were associated with the organization of slave revolts.

“Introducing Christianity to slaves was a controversial issue. Some slave owners feared that the Christian ideals of universal brotherhood would cause slaves to resent their masters and revolt. Other slave owners believed that Christianity would have moral and spiritual benefits for slaves, so they encouraged religious education, and invited preachers to hold meetings for the slaves to pray and worship.

“Despite their eventual acceptance into Christianity, slaves and freed African Americans were constantly pressured about how they should or should not express their religious beliefs. Some ministers, both Anglo American and African American, actively discouraged such vestiges of African-style worship as dancing, clapping, shouting, and the singing of spirituals.

“To escape religious oppression, many slaves would hold independent prayer meetings and church services late at night in secret locations deep in the woods. In this way, African Americans were able to practice religion freely as they saw fit. Spirituals played a central role at these meetings, and new ones would be regularly improvised and composed to address the needs and prayers of the day.”—Dena Epstein (1916–2013), Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War; presented in edited form.

Discuss these questions as a class:

• What are some of the obstacles forced upon Black Americans during the era of American slavery in practicing religion? How did they adapt?
• How was religion used to divide society in this era and how can different belief systems bring people together today?

PART 2: Establishing Personal Beliefs and Perspectives, and Listening to a Personal Expression of Belief

In order to make a personal connection for your students, have them consider these questions.

• Name two people whom you admire.
• What kind of person do you want to be known as? What do you hope other people will say about you?
• What is something you strongly believe in?
• How might you respond when you encounter someone who believes different ideas from you? How can you find some middle ground, or else respectfully acknowledge the differences?

Play the Fisk Jubilee Singers’ recording of “I Want to Be a Christian,” a spiritual expressing heartfelt religious desires. Discuss these questions as a class:

• Why would a Black American in the 1800s sing “I Want to Be a Christian”?
• Why might a Black American in the 1800s refuse to sing “I Want to Be a Christian”?

CREATIVE EXPLORATION

• Sing the melody of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (PDF)” from the sheet music.
• Listen to the Fisk Jubilee Singers’ arrangement and ask the students to notice at least three different ways the performers sing in unison, sing in harmony, and use call-and-response phrases.
• Affirm the students’ observations and provide additional insight. Some key singing techniques to underscore include use of call and response, solo voices, harmony, unison, and hummed drones. Discuss this question as a class:
  • What other techniques could be added?
• Work as a team to incorporate some of these techniques in creating a new rendition of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”