General Characteristics and Performance Practices of Gospel during Its Golden Age
As the genre matured and grew in importance greatly during its Golden Age, we will begin our discussion of its instrumental characteristics there. The Pentecostal sect nurtured gospel bands and believed that God made all instruments for praise and worship, as did King David of the Old Testament. In addition to tambourines, cymbals, and drums, they eventually added other ones such as the piano and organ-of particular note is the Hammond B-3 organ. Jazz bands in the New Orleans and Chicago jazz styles influenced the gospel bands that accompanied soloists and groups and played instrumentally during worship services, funerals, concerts, anniversaries, and various occasional events. A few of these bands include Kings of Harmony (Washington, DC), Sons of Thunder (Brooklyn, NY), and Sounds of the South (Savannah, GA). Eventually, gospel bands became gradually more acceptable among congregants.
They played more dynamically, rhythmically, or added an instrumental accompaniment as the response to the vocalist's call-such as the organ response to the singer heard in "Angel on Vacation" (starting at 00:29) by Alex Bradford and The Bradford Singers. And on occasion there would be an instrumental section between the singer's verses/chorus such as in this video at 01:33-01:49 of the Clara Ward Singers performing "Swing Low Chariot:"
"Swing Low Chariot"- Clara Ward Singers [ 00:00-00:00 ]
As was the case with the early gospel, during the golden age of the Gospel, instrumentalists also borrowed characteristics and performance practices heard in secular styles at the time (as will be shown later on), namely blues (use of blue notes and the 6/8 meter) and rhythm and blues (boogie-woogie and shuffle rhythm). For these reasons, we will also cover instrumental characteristics as illustrated in selected performances.
Whether in church or elsewhere, you can often hear and see the following characteristics of the gospel and its performance practices. The video below by The Clara Ward Singers performing "Travelin' Shoes" and "When the Saints Go Marching In", demonstrates the ensuing characteristics and performance practices:
| Use of tambourine | 00:03-01:26 (it is played throughout the entire song) |
| Call-and-Response | 00:15-00:28 (between the solo voice and background singers) |
| Repetition | 00:15-00:28 (such as the words "travelin' shoes" sung by the background singers) |
| Handclapping | 00:28-01:59 (the singers are clapping the backbeat, counts 2 and 4, throughout the entire song) |
| Lyrics are presented in a corroborative fashion | 00:29-00:50 (the lead voice makes a statement that is completed by the background singers) |
| Vamping | 00:56-01:14 (as the soprano holds a high pitch, the background singers "vamp" or repeat the same phrase "travelin' shoes") |
| Syncopation | 01:18-02:00 (syncopation is heard separately in the lead voice and background singers' part, and when combined a greater since of syncopation is heard) |
The following characteristics and performance practices apply to the voice and instruments:
The next section will cover various music characteristics, performance practices, and techniques specific to group sizes such as solo, quartet, vocal group, and choir.
Precious Lord
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
It's a Highway to Heaven
It's a highway to heaven
None can walk up there
But the pure in heart
It's a highway to heaven
Walking up the king's highway