Part of a series on |
Slavery |
---|
Slave Songs of the United States was a collection of African American music consisting of 136 songs. Published in 1867, it was the first, and most influential, [1] [2] collection of spirituals to be published. The collectors of the songs were Northern abolitionists William Francis Allen, Lucy McKim Garrison, and Charles Pickard Ware. [3] The group transcribed songs sung by the Gullah Geechee people of Saint Helena Island, South Carolina. [4] These people were newly freed slaves who were living in a refugee camp when these songs were collected. [5] It is a "milestone not just in African American music but in modern folk history". [6] [7] [8] [9] It is also the first published collection of African-American music of any kind. [10]
The making of the book is described by Samuel Charters, with an emphasis on the role of Lucy McKim Garrison. [11] A segment of History Detectives explored the book's history and significance. [12]
Several notable and popular songs in the book include:
The book provides instructions for singing, which is accompanied by a discussion of the history of each song, with potential variations, interpretations of key references, and other related details. In the Dover edition, Harold Courlander contributes a new preface that evaluates the book's significance in both American musical and cultural history.
Part of a series on |
Slavery |
---|
Slave Songs of the United States was a collection of African American music consisting of 136 songs. Published in 1867, it was the first, and most influential, [1] [2] collection of spirituals to be published. The collectors of the songs were Northern abolitionists William Francis Allen, Lucy McKim Garrison, and Charles Pickard Ware. [3] The group transcribed songs sung by the Gullah Geechee people of Saint Helena Island, South Carolina. [4] These people were newly freed slaves who were living in a refugee camp when these songs were collected. [5] It is a "milestone not just in African American music but in modern folk history". [6] [7] [8] [9] It is also the first published collection of African-American music of any kind. [10]
The making of the book is described by Samuel Charters, with an emphasis on the role of Lucy McKim Garrison. [11] A segment of History Detectives explored the book's history and significance. [12]
Several notable and popular songs in the book include:
The book provides instructions for singing, which is accompanied by a discussion of the history of each song, with potential variations, interpretations of key references, and other related details. In the Dover edition, Harold Courlander contributes a new preface that evaluates the book's significance in both American musical and cultural history.