Gospel Song (19th century)

The gospel song (also: Revival song, song of salvation, faith, song, in English: Gospel Song, Gospel Hymn ) is a kind of spiritual song from the American church music, especially from the 19th century.

In addition to Fanny Crosby Philip P. Bliss and Ira D. Sankey among the most important representatives of the gospel song. The latter was associated with an evangelistic campaign with Dwight Moody whose cantor and composer, he was several volumes of Gospel Hymns out song books of the revival movement. The songs in it were known church hymns, spirituals Camp Meeting, Sunday School Songs, Songs from the YMCA song book, or new compositions by composers of the northern states. Philip P. Bliss in 1874 published his fifth collection of songs titled gospel songs.

The gospel song has to be distinguished from the more general term Gospel, which was used in English in the 17th century for hymns. Today, even sentimental hymns, religious folk songs, Shape -Note Hymns and Spirituals are called Gospels.

History

Formation

Beginning in the late 1850s, it came in the second half of the 19th century in the urban north of the USA strengthened to revival Aktvitiäten as camp meetings, inter-faith prayer meetings and evangelistic campaigns. Especially the extremely growing cities New York City, Boston and Chicago were the focal point of this religious movement that was supported by a proletariat of factory workers.

This environment called for easily learnable new hymns with simple and rousing melodies in which the evangelistic statement was mediated attractive and uncomplicated. On revival hymns were sung in the style of the Sunday School Songs initially often. New songs for revivals, however, soon took various religious and secular influences on, among whom the style of the Sunday School to the 1870er/80er years developed songs of 1850er/60er years to a type which in English usage as a gospel song, Gospel Hymn, White or Northern White Gospel Gospel is referred to in German as gospel song, song of salvation and revival song.

Root

The earliest influences of gospel songs come from the Camp Meeting Song and American folk music, especially the Irish- or Scottish -born residents of the Appalachian Mountains. Also, the shape -note tradition of the mid-19th century has influenced the gospels.

However, the central influences of gospel songs come from the popular secular music of the mid to late 19th century: Parlor Songs by Stephen ( Collins) Foster ( the songwriter Oh Susanna from! ) And others, the style of popular ballads like The Battle Hymn of the Republic or when Johnny Comes Marching Home, rhythm and melodic structure of the music of the American Brass Bands ( by composers such as John Philip Sousa, Henry Fillmore and Karl King), who already in the 1850s and intensified as a military march music during the Civil War (1861-1865 | 65) was present in the northern states everywhere.

The development of the Sunday School song to gospel song took place in the context of American Romanticism, which was for the aesthetics of the secular and the spiritual culture of America in the late 19th century of great importance. Death is always present by a high infant mortality, epidemics ( in Memphis dying in 1873 10% of residents in an epidemic ) and through the American Civil War (1861-1865 ), with over 630,000 victims is, in many secular ballads leave dying girl, about shipwrecks, about fallen soldiers and fresh graves on sonnenbeschiener Heath, about ghosts and the afterlife central theme. The lake, the home and the mother are the focus of popular poetry.

Well-known composers

Among the most important composers of the gospel song include:

• Literature professor and Baptist minister Robert Lowry (1826-1899), who composed songs over 500 Gospel, including Shall We Gather at the River (1864, melody also common to Which cheers, what a joy ), One More Day's Work for Jesus (Text by Anna Bartlett Warner (1820-1915), German by Theodor Kübler than a day's work for the Savior ), and let the hearts always cheerful ( text by Johann Abraham Reitz for an English presentation of Fanny Crosby ( 1820-1915 ) ),
• William H. Doane (1832-1915), composer of melodies Pass me not, O gentle savior (1870, text by Fanny Crosby, German by C. Ott as Do not go by, O Saviour ), brethren, for the work and take the Name of Jesus with You (1899, text by Lydia Baxter ( 1809-1874 ), German by Ernst Gebhardt O, how sweet sounds of Jesus name! )
• Charles C. Converse (1832-1918), composer of What a Friend We Have in Jesus (1868, text by Joseph M. Scriven ( 1819-1886 ), German by Ernst Gebhardt What a Friend We Have in Jesus )
• Philip Bliss (1838-1876), head of a music institute in Chicago, from 1874 musical partner of the preacher Major Daniel Webster Whittle in evangelistic meetings and editor of the collection of gospel songs (1874 ), composer and lyricist of Will You Meet Me at the Fountain (1874, German by Ernst Gebhardt as a meeting I thee well at the source) and at the feet of Jesus (1876, German as to the Saviour's feet ), composer of Precious promise (Text nathanie Niles, as German Empire promises) and often you sprinkle seeds on hard way
• William J. Kirkpatrick (1838-1921), composer of He Lifted Me ( text by Fanny Crosby, German Chr Reuss as Redeemed I am blessed in Jesus)
• Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908), first superintendent of the Sunday school and choir director, long-term collaboration with the outstanding evangelist Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) as its music director ( conductor of singing on evangelism events), on evangelism campaigns in England; Edited a number of collections of songs and composer of 1,200 songs, including Light after Darkness ( Frances Ridley Havergal text from ( 1836-1879 ), German of Johanna Meyer as a light after dark ), Fading away like the stars of the Morning (Text by Horatius Bonar, German fade as common as the shimmering stars) There are lonely hearts to Cherish (1881, text by George Cooper, German by Walter Rauschenbusch as Some heart wants almost tiring )
• James Mac Granahan (1840-1907), composer of O Word of Words (1876, German by Ernst Heinrich Gebhardt as I know a word so wonderfully ),
• George Coles Stebbins (1846-1945), choir director in Chicago and Boston, composer of Come with Thy Sins to the Fountain (1885, text by Fanny Crosby, German by W. Appel Come to the source of life) and where no cloud more piles (Text by Walter Rauschenbusch for an English presentation of LW Mansfield).

The late song compositions by William Batchelder Bradbury (1816-1868) and George Frederick Root (1820-1895) fall into this stylistics.

The most productive and most important lyricist of the gospel song was Fanny ( Jane ) Crosby, the author of more than 8000 texts that found for gospel songs use, in addition to the already mentioned example Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine ( German Heinrich Rickers is as blissful knowledge, my Jesus, music by Phoebe Knapp- Palmer ), Safe in the Arms of Jesus (1868, German by Ernst Heinrich Gebhardt O in the arms of Jesus or safety in the arms of Jesus, set to music by William Howard Doane ) (1832-1915) and Thou My Everlasting portion (1874, German Dora Rappard as Lord, my Savior and my shepherd, set to music by Silas Jones Vail ).

Characteristics

Typical of the gospel song of the 1870s and 1880s is a ubiquitous dotted rhythm, usually with a straight stroke ( Pass me not, O gentle savior ) or alternatively a composite of triplets clock with swinging rhythm (At the feet of Jesus). The harmonic motion is easy to understand and is based almost exclusively on the three basic functions of the major scale. The melodic material of gospel songs is usually very limited, often based on triads, pentatonic scales and repeated notes with occasional chromaticism. The lines created by repetition, sequencing or motives reversal less frequently than parallel pairs of antecedent and consequent modulation with feedback modulation ( Fading away like the stars of the Morning ). Most gospel songs have a chorus, some with obbligato accompaniments to sun tones in the melody ( Where not a cloud billowing ).

The goal of gospel songs, the evangelistic message across rough, catchy and attractive, finds its clearly reflected in the lyrics: Usual textual content of gospel songs are the call to repentance, or to the ( missionary ) work for the Lord or the description of complicated emotions as the joy of having found the Saviour or the security in Jesus Christ. Complex theology, differentiated emotions or special poetic elaboration missing.

The gospel songs reached a high popularity in revival meetings. They found their way into numerous official hymnals. Many of them have been translated into the German language and since then also belong in Germany as gospel songs to the fixed service component mainly Free Churches.

Recordings ( selection)

Listed below are the Gospel song publications especially devoted, however, the partial may also contain other sacred works such as hymns and German hymns.