TABLE OF CONTENTS

History and Early Origin of American Music, American Song, American Composers and American Singers from the Colonial Era to the 21st century: The Afro Slaves and English Pilgrims Brought Music to America. The Colonial Era. Music and Songs from 1606 to 1776 . America’s First Songs Book. The First Singing Schools in America. Early American Conservatories of Music and Voice for Teachers. Ballads and Political Songs in American Musical History. Sea Shanties and Songs of the Sea. The Early Afro American Music. The Spirituals. The Camp Songs. The Work Songs. The Underground Railroad Songs. The Leaders and the Pioneers. 

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR /POST-COLONIAL ERA MUSIC AND SONGS: American Music and American Songs from 1776 To 1860. The Early Afro-American Music and Songs. Negro Spirituals and Slave Songs. The First Singers in America. History of Slaves “Spirituals”. Songs and Music Before 1865. Negro Spiritual Songs Development. The Three New Kinds of Negro Songs. Black Singers Sing in Code. Music and Songs Between 1865 and 1925. Music and Songs Between 1925 and 1985. The Black Renaissance. The Gospel Music in America. From the Early Days to Present: The Dorseys. Different kings of "Gospel Music" and "Gospel Songs". Characteristics of  black gospel music. Alex Bradford, James Cleveland, Thomas Andrew Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Gospel music and Jazz and Blues. 

Gospel Music in the 19th century: The Fisk University Gospel Chorus. Elvis Presley and Gospel music. Eva Jessey. William Grant Still  HISTORICAL RETROSPECTIVE: Early 20th century. The history of American gospel music from its dawn to present. The songs, the music, the lyrics, the composers, the singers. Albertina Walker. The Caravan. The RUN DMC Group. The Staple Singers. Kirk Franklin. 1860-1900 civil war/reconstruction eras. Metrical psalmody. The great awakening. Revivalism movement. Fundamentalism. Evangelicalism. Sunday school songs. Camp meeting songs. Romanticism. D. L. Moody. Sacred songs. Ira Sanker. Frances Jane Crosby. Gospel hymnody. Specifics of the 19th and early 20th centuries gospel song. Evangelical standards for church music. Contemporary gospel music

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Chronological History Of                                           

American Music And American Songs  

The Afro Slaves and English Pilgrims Brought Music to America

By Maximillien  de Lafayette

                                                                                           THE COLONIAL ERA: From 1606 To 1776

The very first kind of music and songs in America was the “Religious Music” of the early colonists. This early kind of music and songs consisted of hymns brought to America by English settlers and pilgrims from Plymouth and Southhampton. They were first published in Holland in 1612 and were referred to as  “The Ainsworth Psalter”.

In 1612 in Amsterdam, Henry Ainsworth published his “Book of Psalms” for the use of English  congregations and included 39 tunes from England, France and Holland. The “Ainsworth Psalter” was brought to Plymouth Colony in 1620 by pilgrims and was used by those congregations which separated from the mother church in the homeland. At that time in history, another kind of psalmody was developed in other regions in the form of a non-metrical Anglican chant. 

The non-metrical system was created in order to avoid any alteration in the biblical texts. An Anglican chant usually begins with a first portion of a line to be “harmoniously” sung on a sustained pitch ending with final syllables in minimal series of chords. The Anglican chant was strictly observed and highly recommended, for it preserved the authenticity of the Hebraic psalms. In America, a metrical system was used by the Episcopal Church until the 19^th century.

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AMERICA’S FIRST SONGS BOOK

He went one step further (one very daring step for the era), he introduced “new” translation of the old books. One of his most famous tunes is still en vogue today and frequently sung in America’s churches. You guess it: “Joy To The World, The Lord Is Come”. As such, Isaac Watts became America’s First Christian Gospel Composer. Yet, at that time in history, those marvelous tunes were not adopted by the Anglican Church! He was very avant garde for his generation, he appeared to his generation as exactly Elvis Presley appeared to American families and broadcasters in the early sixties! However, liberal and independent believers welcomed the style and creative innovation of Watts and began to sing his songs in their churches and at home. The greatest hit of the era was Gloria Patri which enjoyed success in all Christian congregations and affiliations. At one time, this song became the favorite of the Anglican Church. Back to the “Bay Psalm Book”, a few years after its first publication date, the book knew  numerous editions and finally, it was used by several congregations for  over one hundred years. Yet, the earlier editions did not include songs! The third edition of 1651 which was revised by Henry Dunster and Richard Lyon promised new additions such as poetic lyrics and tunes. But, unfortunately, it failed to deliver and protect its promises. Religious music lovers or frankly all music and singing lovers of any style and genre had to wait for the ninth edition of 1698 to see some good tunes and good stuff included for the first time in any religious hymns book. The third edition did contain music and songs by John Playford's  composed in 1654 and taken from his book “A Brief Introduction To The Skill Of Music”, published in Great Britain in 1654. Finally, we are going somewhere! The religious hymns became more vivacious, more lyrical, more rhythmic and most certainly more appealing to the masses. Call it by today’s standards “the Fake Book Of Songs” of the era! One important thing to remember: It was Old Time Religion! Old Time Music. No composer, writer or musician dared to shake and bake while writing or composing a religious hymn. Otherwise, he/she will end up having his/her super alone with his/her dog!

Poster of a Musical Act by An Afro-American Pianist: Self Explanatory!

Hymns and Psalms were the songs of du jour. They were widely used by colonists between 1606 and 1667. At that time in history, few could read and write. Therefore, hymns were learned, recited and chanted through “vocal tradition”. Clergymen, pastors, preachers and school teachers taught the populace how to sing those religious songs. In comparing the “White Religious Music and Songs” with the early “Negro Music” or the “Slave Spiritual Music”, we find striking similarities such as:

1-Learning the songs by heart;

2-Chanting the hymns (songs) in fields, churches and family gatherings;

3-The majority of songs were not written but verbally transmitted;

4-One single aspect dominated and defined the character and nature of songs; The Religious aspect for the White Colonists and the Spiritual aspect for the Afro-Americans (The Slaves).

5-The best singers of the era were women; black and white women alike. At that time in history, men never learned how to sing properly!

6-No songs were accompanied by musical instruments, except Afro-Americans who used home made drums, and tam tams. Sometimes, Afro-American will substitute drums with thick trees branches and sticks.

Photo: May C. Hyers

Photo, below: Early Afro-American Recording Artists

                                                                                Sara Martin             Mamie Smith   Clarence Williams

Note about Yankee Doodle:

Almost, at the end of the war, when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, it was reported that, while the British played The World Turned Upside Down, the Americans played Yankee Doodle.  

FIRST SINGING SCHOOLS IN AMERICA:                                                                     

EARLY AMERICAN SCHOOLS “CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AND VOICE” FOR SINGERS

Photo: Ananias Davisson

“The Sacred Harp Singing” is a non-denominational musical event participation. Participant singers sit in a hollow square and face inward and each singer takes a turn as a leading solo performer while beating with his or her hands. Songs were chosen from “The Sacred Harp” a songbook published in 1844 by B. F. White and E. J. King. The music in the singing book is printed in "patent notes". The  musical note head represents the syllables FA , SOL , LA , and MI ..This style of singing originated in the colonial era. It was practiced in singing schools which were established in 1700 and were considered as America’s first music institutes. They were known also as the “Shape-Note Singing Schools”. They offered short course in note-reading and sight-singing which lasted two or three months. The curriculum focused primarily on “sacred music”.   In 1816, Joseph Funk (1777-1862) and Ananias Davisson (1780-1857) both from Rockingham County in Virginia, became the first Southern singing masters to publish their own songs. Others followed suit. William Walker’s “The Southern Harmony”  became a national best seller, over 600,000 copies were sold between 1835 and the beginning of the American Civil War. “The Sacred Harp” a songbook published in 1844 by B. F. White and E. J. King enjoyed a very large popularity in the Southern states and was number two on the “sale bill board. Around 1840,  new folkloric tunes were added to the repertoire
of the Southern singing masters and were called  the “ folk hymns” in the tradition of “Amazing Grace”. After 1841, several musical organizations and groups were officially established and prospered rapidly. Organizations like the “Southern Musical Association” which was created in 1845 and “Chattahoochie Musical Association” which was chartered in 1852. Unfortunately, those singing schools lost popularity just after the American for obvious reasons. There are three different kinds of singing schools: 1- Shape-note singing schools are associated with the "little-book" seven-shape gospel repertoire. 2-"Tune book" schools are associated with surviving 19th-century books such as The Christian Harmony and the Sacred Harp. 3- Denominational schools which are affiliated with churches, such as The Primitive Baptist and The Church of Christ

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Ballads and Political Songs in American Musical History

The Girl I Left Behind Me