What's your style?

One of my instructors in college, Scott Frazier asked me an interesting question a few years ago that I've often pondered. Mr. Frazier is a member of a contemporary Baptist church - very progressive in their musical style (think Truth, Avalon, Christ Tomlin, etc..) - where he is the music director/worship leader. He wondered, "Why do Pentecostals have such a connection with Black Gospel?" We talked a while and I finally concluded that maybe it's just our emotional style of worship that enables us to identify with that particular style.

What I've really wondered lately is how and when did we come to be so indentified with this tyle? When did Black Gospel really impact our church choirs? I didn't come to the UPC until around age 13 and, until a few years later, didn't even KNOW such a sytle existed! Believe me, where I'm from in the Ozarks it's all Southern Gospel all the time!

I recently had a chance to write a paper on blackface minstrelsy from the antebellum years through the early twentieth century. Blackface was the practice of white people "blacking up" with burned cork in order to look "black" so they could caricature slaves and other free blacks of the time and perform in traveling acts. Their motives were many, one of which I believe was to satisfy their curiosity by giving other white folks a glimpse into the life of a slave. They danced, acted and sang, often with themes that we hear in today's black gospel. Songs that reflected their desire for heaven, for God's deliverance, their need for each other. ) They also sang trivial songs in an attempt to portray blacks as simple-minded people who were quite content in their bondage - which was obviously not the case.) The first composers of Black Gospel which eventually evolved into what we know it were Charles Tindley and Thomas Dorsey, both living during the early twentieth century. They wrote songs with themes like, "We are often tossed and driven..", Trials dark on every hand...", When the storms of life are raging, stand by me..."

Dorsey composed both blues and gospel and it is from his roots that I believe we arrived where we are. Thanks, Mr. Dorsey!

Another interesting fact I've read is that early blacks put more emphasis on the rhythm and music rather than on the words, thus the repetition of a single line. On that note, let me say that I really enjoy Black Gospel, but when they start "making a way" and twenty mintues later they're still "making a way" my brain checks out. Call me unspiritual or whatever, but that's where I am.

So we have to admit that the Black Gospel style has had a big impact on the music of our movement, generally. I realize that some regions of the United States don't particularly "get into" that style, but I think I'm safe in saying we "generally" embrace it. We love the emotionalism, the abandonment. Someone told me that the whole idea of "freedom from bondage", which blacks felt literally, we feel figuratively and that's why we embrace it. I could buy that point. I guess I find it fascinating how jazz, blues, rock and gospel all fused together to create this unique, emotional style.

I realize praise and worship, or a more contemporary style, is becoming more and more prevalent, even in our choir music, but I think Black Gospel will always be a core style. Any music history experts out there? I'd love to hear your thoughts.