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Overview

The African American musical genre known as the antebellum folk spiritual assumed an identiﬁable shape sometime after the arrival of African slaves on the North American continent but long before the American Civil War. In her initial analysis of the genre, Maultsby writes: "As a form of religious expression performed primarily in contexts free of White control, antebellum folk spirituals were outside the boundaries of consciousness for the vast majority of the White American public" (Maultsby 2015, 60). Unfortunately, before the advent of audio recordings, researchers can only surmise what these early sounded like by using extant descriptions and a few recordings made decades later in isolated churches throughout the South. Still, what has survived gives us an idea of what the spirituals said and a hint of their music.

Be ready to:

Define the term etymology and use of the term "spiritual" as found in the publications Slave Songs of the United States and Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands.

List at least three types of standard musical (melodic) scales used in the spiritual.

Explain the term heterophony and demonstrate its use with another student.

List the eight characteristics of a spiritual and discuss a selected spiritual focusing on one of the eight spiritual characteristics.

Describe the difference between folk spirituals and arranged spirituals.

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Lyrics to Concertized Spiritual "Lit'l Boy" and German Lied "Du Bist Die Ruh"

"Lit'l Boy" ♫ Concertized Spiritual Roland Hayes	"Du Bist Die Ruh" ♫ German Lied Franz Schubert
LYRICS "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Sir, I'm only twelve years old."	LYRICS Du bist die Ruh, Der Friede mild, Die Sehnsucht du Und was sie stillt.
This Lit'l Boy had them to remember, That He was born the twenty-fifth of December Lawyers and doctors were amazed And had to give the Lit'l Boy praise.	Ich weihe dir Voll Lust und Schmerz Zur Wohnung hier Mein Aug und Herz.
"Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Sir, I'm only twelve years old."	Kehr ein bei mir, Und schließe du Still hinter dir Die Pforten zu.
Lawyers and doctors stood and wondered, As though they had been struck by thunder; Then they decided while they wondered, That all mankind must come under.	Treib andern Schmerz Aus dieser Brust! Voll sei dies Herz Von deiner Lust.
"Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Sir, I'm only twelve years old."	Dies Augenzelt Von deinem Glanz Allein erhellt, O füll es ganz!
The Last time the Lit'l Boy was seen, He was standin' on Mount Olivet Green. When He's dispersed of the crowd, He entered up into a cloud.
"Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Lit'l Boy, how old are you?" "Sir, I'm only twelve years old."

Down in the Valley

We'll run and never tire
We'll run and never tire
We'll run and never tire
Jesus sets poor sinners free

Maya Angelou

History, despite its wrenching pain
cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage,
need not be lived again.