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The Omaha Gospel Complex in Historical Perspective

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The Omaha Gospel Complex in Historical Perspective University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Great Plains Quarterly Great Plains Studies, Center for Summer 2000 The Omaha Gospel Complex In Historical Perspective Tom Jack College of Saint Mary Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly Part of the Other International and Area Studies Commons Jack, Tom, "The Omaha Gospel Complex In Historical Perspective" (2000). Great Plains Quarterly. 2155. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly/2155 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Great Plains Studies, Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Plains Quarterly by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. THE OMAHA GOSPEL COMPLEX IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE TOM]ACK In this article, I document the introduction the music's practitioners, an examination of and development of gospel music within the this genre at the local level will shed insight African-American Christian community of into the development and dissemination of Omaha, Nebraska. The 116 predominantly gospel music on the broader national scale. black congregations in Omaha represent Following an introduction to the gospel twenty-five percent of the churches in a city genre, the character of sacred music in where African-Americans comprise thirteen Omaha's African-American Christian insti­ percent of the overall population.l Within tutions prior to the appearance of gospel will these institutions the gospel music genre has be examined. Next, the city's male quartet been and continues to be a dynamic reflection practice will be considered. Factors that fa­ of African-American spiritual values and aes­ cilitated the adoption of gospel by "main­ thetic sensibilities. By focusing the research stream" congregations during the 1930s and on perceptions and descriptions provided by 1940s will then be addressed. In conclusion, the role of Salem Baptist Church as a focal point and instigator of musical change from the 1950s to the present will be described . The accepted definition of the word "gos_ pel," as found in the Oxford English Dictionary, reads, "'the glad tidings (of the Kingdom of God)' announced to the world by Jesus Christ. Tom Jack is an adjunct faculty member at the College Hence, the body of religious doctrine taught of Saint Mary, Omaha and Lincoln, where he teaches by Christ and His apostles; the Christian rev­ courses in ethnomusicology and the history of jazz and elation, religion or dispensation." This defini­ rock & roll. tion also describes the word as "short for gospel music [italics in the original]."2 Gospel music in the tradition of black Christianity, the sub­ [GPQ 20 (Summer 2000): 225-341 ject of the effort at hand, has twice been given 225 226 GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY, SUMMER 2000 articulate and insightful definition by Afri­ Several of Watts's texts were incorporated can-American scholar Pearl Williams-Jones, for use in the spirituals, improvised hymns born who wrote, "The term 'Afro-American gospel of oral tradition and the first form of African­ music' is used to refer to a particular body of American musical expression to achieve contemporary black religious music which is worldwide recognition.8 Beginning in 1871, the sum total of our past and present socio­ black colleges choirs such as the Jubilee Sing­ economic and cultural traditions. Afro-Ameri­ ers of Fisk University performed programs can gospel music is characterized by its use of showcasing "arranged spirituals," formalized texts of poetic imagery, poly-rhythms with for the concert stage, to enthusiastic audiences strong emphasis upon syncopation, melodies in the United States and Europe.9 Professional based upon the traditional 'blues scales' (which singing troupes modeled after the college or­ consists of the lowered thirds, fifths, and sev­ ganizations later journeyed as far abroad as enths) and European harmonies."3 She elabo­ Africa, Australia, and Asia. 10 rated on the cultural ethos a few years later, Concurrent with the appearance of the saying, "Black gospel music, a synthesis of West college choirs, the tradition of male quartet African and Afro-American music, dance, harmonizing was a fixture of many African­ poetry and drama, is a body of urban contem­ American communities by the 1870s. "Jubilee porary black religious music of rural folk ori­ quartets" were featured as subgroups within gins which is a celebration of the Christian many of the Fisk Jubilee-type troupes, and by experience of salvation and hope. It is at the 1890 had surpassed these larger ensembles in same time a declaration of black selfhood popularity. 11 Usually performing a cappella, the which is expressed through the very personal quartets gradually moved from a polished, medium of music."4 homophonic texture toward a less restrained Gospel music today is the latest stage in a style that reflected vocal and rhythmic inde­ musical continuum whose foundation was in pendence more characteristic of the folk place over one hundred years ago. The first church aesthetic. The rapid proliferation of African-American denomination was the Af­ these "gospel quartets" at the local level is rican Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.), attested to by the formalized quartet competi­ officially chartered in Philadelphia in 1816.5 tions that occurred during the 1920s and Its bishop, Richard Allen (1760-1831), had 1930sY earlier compiled A Collection of Spiritual Songs It is at this point that the impact of indi­ and Hymns Selected from Various Authors by viduals becomes most apparent in the gospel Richard Allen, African Minister (1801), the first repertoire. Jon Michael Spencer states that hymnal designed specifically for use by Afri­ the first original hymn collection of the Tran­ can-Americans.6 The formal worship service sitional Period, or Pre-Gospel Era (1900-30), of early African-American Protestantism re­ was published by Charles Price Jones in 1899.13 lied on, for the most part, the same repertoire Philadelphia pastor Charles Albert Tindley used in the white Protestant church. The works (1851-1933) has long been credited as fore­ of the English composer, Isaac Watts (1674- most of the early composers in the gospel tra­ 1748), for example, were particularly well re­ dition. 14 While Tindley compositions such as ceived, and to this day this body of hymns is "Stand By Me" and "The Storm is Passing simply referred to in the vernacular of the black Over" are standards in the contemporary gos­ church as the "Dr. Watts." The performance pel repertoire, the minister's most significant style was one of "lining-out," also called "surge­ contribution may be the inspiration be pro­ singing" or "long-meter," wherein a line of vided as a musical model for the man gener­ text is recited or sung by a leader and then ally considered to be "the father of gospel sung in response by the congregation.7 music," Thomas DorseyY THE OMAHA GOSPEL COMPLEX 227 Thomas Andrew Dorsey (1899-1993) was George Robinson Ricks has observed, "While born in the small rural community of Villa the use of instruments was forbidden in the Rica, Georgia. As a youth, Dorsey had consid­ orthodox Negro church, their introduction by erable exposure to sacred music. His father Holiness groups gave the music a 'different was an itinerant Baptist preacher and his sound than just handclapping."'21 The com­ mother a church organist. In spite of this reli­ monplace piano and organ might be joined by gious background, Dorsey attained initial no­ drums, guitar, saxophone, harmonica, or any toriety in the decidedly secular blues market number of instruments, the whole augmented of Chicago, accompanying and writing songs by the ubiquitous tambourines of the congre­ for such well-known performers as Gertrude gation.22 "Ma" Rainey and Tampa Red (Hudson Considering the diversified instrumenta­ Whittaker). By 1929 Dorsey had abandoned tion, the shadings of jazz and blues that per­ popular music to focus exclusively on sacred meated Pentecostal music is not surprising. compositions, imbued with musical sensibili­ Sanctified accompaniment was typified by the ties of blues and jazz, which he called gospel "stomping" approach of blind pianist Juanita songs. 16 Dorsey founded the Dorsey House of Arizona Dranes of Texas, whose sty Ie drew on Music in 1932 and became the first indepen­ barrelhouse and other secular traditions. 23 dent publisher of black gospel. That same year, Popular music elements were in fact so pro­ along with Magnolia Lewis Butts (ca. 1885- nounced that some saw Holiness music as "es­ 1949) and fellow Georgia native Sallie Mar­ sentially the sacred counterpart of the blues, tin (1896-1988), he established the National frequently the sacred text being the only dis­ Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses tinguishing element."24 Examining musical in Chicago, chartered in 1939 and the first change in black religious practice, John Wesley nationwide organization devoted to the Work singled out the Holiness church as the genre. 17 Aided greatly by the promotional ef­ place where "music is exploited to a degree forts of Martin, Dorsey's songs were introduced that probably is not attained in any other de­ not only into black churches from coast to nomination."25 Eventually, the aesthetic pref­ coast but "by 1939, four of Dorsey's composi­ erences of Sanctified musical expression tions were included in a songbook, printed in "moved beyond the boundaries
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