SYMPHONIC GOSPEL SPIRIT Sunday 1 March 2020 Welcome Kathryn McDowell Milton Keynes Community Choir and the LSO Community Choir, directed by David Lawrence. Tonight’s concert opens with a selection of spirituals arranged for choirs and orchestra, in addition to a capella pieces which will be sung by the London Adventist Chorale. After the interval, André Thomas will conduct his celebratory Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy, which combines Latin mass texts with lyrics from the gospel tradition and elements of jazz and blues. A huge thanks to all those taking part in elcome to tonight’s LSO concert tonight’s performance. I hope that you enjoy at the Barbican. For the first time the show and that you’ll join us again soon. ever, the Orchestra is performing a Later in the month, François-Xavier Roth full programme celebrating gospel music, returns to conduct Bartók’s The Wooden curated by conductor and composer André Prince – a favourite of conductors throughout J Thomas, who visits us from Florida, and the 20th century – and to champion the whose reputation in the US for orchestral music of under-celebrated French composer and gospel collaborations goes before him. Paul Dukas. I am delighted that André Thomas is joined by soprano NaGuanda Nobles, tenor Jason Dungee and pianist Brandon Boyd as soloists. Now he joins us in London, sharing his specialist skills and musicianship with Kathryn McDowell CBE DL the LSO, London’s community choruses and Managing Director the London Adventist Chorale, directed by London Symphony Orchestra Ken Burton. To bring together the musicians performing tonight, we have developed links with local gospel and community choirs through LSO Sing, an initiative which encompasses choirs, Singing Days and the LSO’s choral concerts at the Barbican. I am thrilled to welcome over 300 singers performing tonight, drawn from the Hackney Empire Community Choir, Hannah Brine Choirs from East London, the 2 Symphonic Gospel Spirit Tonight’s Concert Your Visit arr Marsh In That Great Getting Up Morning There are a range of restaurants and cafés arr André J Thomas The Drinking Gourd on-site that are open before tonight’s Trad Swing Low, Sweet Chariot concert, including the cafeteria-style André J Thomas Goin’ Up to Glory Barbican Kitchen on Level G, restaurant arr Hogan This Little Light of Mine and bar Bonfire on Level 1, and foyer bars arr Bonds He’s Got The Whole World in on all levels. His Hands arr Rogers Scandalise My Name André J Thomas Beautiful City arr Hogan Every Time I Feel The Spirit arr Boyd Until I Reach My Home Interval – 20 minutes Tyson arr Abels How Majestic André J Thomas Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy McDaniels arr Abels What a Mighty God André J Thomas conductor NaGuanda Nobles soprano Jason Dungee tenor Brandon Boyd piano London Adventist Chorale Ken Burton choral director LSO Community Choir David Lawrence choral director Hackney Empire Community Choir Hannah Brine Choirs Milton Keynes Community Choir London Symphony Orchestra Approximate end time: 9.10pm 1 March 2020 3 Gospel An Overview ospel is music of the church, by the church and for the church. It is an important part of church services and black gospel is known for being expressly vibrant and emotional. Gospel songs nurture the church faithful and are often used to inspire and engage new members of the congregation. The gospel songs in this evening’s concert are drawn from American black culture and black gospel heritage in the United States. These songs are rooted in the black church, which serves as the central community for African-American people, and is a foundation of African-American music. The earliest documentation of these songs comes from folksong collectors who published lyrics and sometimes music in folklore journals. Early recordings — made before and during World War II — also record the songs’ origins. Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson photographed by Although there is speculation about the Carl Van Vechten roots and history of some of these songs, there is no doubt about their beauty. If the purpose of music is to raise the spirit, move the heart and touch the soul, then these songs fulfil music’s highest purpose. Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee was established after the American Civil War (1861–1865) to teach formerly enslaved people and their children to read and write. In 1871, Fisk was in dire financial straits, so PROGRAMME NOTE BY DON CUSIC a group of singers were organised to give concerts to raise money for the school. Don Cusic is an American author, songwriter and record producer who is best known as The Fisk Jubilee Singers were the first a historian of US popular music. He is the group to bring spirituals to the American author of 28 books, including biographies public, who had only heard the songs of Eddy Arnold, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard performed by black-faced minstrels. The and Gene Autry. spirituals had been passed down through 4 Symphonic Gospel Spirit the oral tradition in black churches and recorded the song with the Geoff Love on plantations, representing an authentic Orchestra. It was first released in the music from the African-American people UK, on Parlophone Records, and reached which was embraced by the wider American number 12 on the UK charts in 1957. It was public when they first heard them. then released in the United States on The songs included ‘Steal Away to Jesus’, Capitol Records, reaching number one on ‘Go Down, Moses’, ‘Nobody Knows the Billboard’s pop chart where it remained for Trouble I See’, ‘Were You There (When They four weeks. The song has been recorded Crucified My Lord)’, and others that have many times since, including a version by become standards. legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who charted in Billboard’s Hot 100. Fisk also pioneered the quartet of male singers, primarily because traveling with ‘Every Time I Feel the Spirit’ found female singers required a chaperone, and in particular popularity in arrangements for 1910, the Fisk Jubilee Quartet became the African-American quartets, though it was first to record ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’. Mahalia Jackson who solidified its place in the popular canon with her 1962 version The biblical source of ‘This Little Light of which won that year’s Grammy Award for Mine’ is Matthew 5:14–16, where Jesus tells Inspirational Recording. his followers ‘You are the light of the world’ and ‘No one lights a lamp and puts it under But the songs explain themselves. a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it You only need ears to hear the beautiful gives light for all who are in the house. In and haunting melodies or have a heart the same way, let your light shine before and soul that is open to being touched by men, so that they may see your good works music. It is a music made for the soul and and give glory to your Father in heaven.’ In the attentive listener will hear and feel its 1956, Ray Charles recorded ‘This Little Girl soulfulness. • of Mine’, a secular version of the song. During the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, the song became a Civil Rights anthem, popularised by Fanny Lou Hamer and other Civil Rights activists. The ‘drinking gourd’ is the constellation of the Big Dipper. The North Star (Polaris) is close to the constellation, so ‘Follow the Drinking Gourd’ became a ‘code’ song to guide slaves North as they escaped. ‘He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands’ was first published in 1927 but became an international pop hit in in 1958 after English schoolboy Laurie London (b 1944) 1 March 2020 5 Song Texts In That Great Getting Up Morning In that great gettin’ up morning … In that great a-gettin’ up morning You’ll see the stars a-fallin’ Fare thee well, fare thee well You’ll see forked lightning You’ll see Christians rising I’m a-gonna tell you ‘bout the comin’ of You’ll see the righteous marching the judgment You’ll see my Jesus coming! Fare thee well, fare thee well With all His holy angels Take the righteous home to glory There’s a better day a-comin’ Fare thee well, fare thee well In that great gettin’ up morning … In that great gettin’ up morning … The Drinking Gourd The Lord spoke to Gabriel Follow, follow the drinking gourd, Fare thee well, fare thee well For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you Go and look behind the altar to freedom, Fare thee well, fare thee well If you follow the drinking gourd. Take down that silver trumpet When the Sun comes back And the first quail calls, Fare thee well, fare thee well Follow the drinking gourd. Blow your trumpet, Gabriel! Fare thee well, fare thee well The riverbank makes a very good road. Lord, how loud should I blow it? The dead trees will show you the way. Peg foot, travelling on, Fare thee well, fare thee well Follow the drinking gourd. Blow it calm and easy Fare thee well, fare thee well The river ends between two hills, Do not alarm my people Follow the drinking gourd. Fare thee well, fare thee well There’s another river on the other side, Tell them to come to the judgement Follow the drinking gourd. Fare thee well, fare thee well When the great river meets the little river, In that great gettin’ up morning … Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a-waiting for to carry Gabriel, blow your trumpet! to freedom, Fare thee well, fare thee well If you follow the drinking gourd.