Protest and Praise: Sacred Music of Black Religion

Here is a skillful tracing of two tracks in the evolution of musical genres that have evolved from black religion. Songs of protest developed from the spiritual through social-gospel hymnody to culminate in songs of the civil-rights movement and the blues. Born in rebellion they envision the Kingdom of God.Songs of praise by contrast express adoration. Beginning with the ring-shout Spencer follows the history of intoned declamation through the tongue song Holiness-Pentecostal music and the chanted sermon of the black preacher. Spencers approach termed theomusicology unlocks the wealth of African-American sacred music with a theological key. The result is a fascinating account of a peoples struggle with God in history.