African-American Identity and the Use and Reception of Music Within a Seventh-Day Adventist Church in New York City, 1970 – 2010

University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Music Music 2013 “WE SANG ALLELUIA, PRAISE THE LORD!”: AFRICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY AND THE USE AND RECEPTION OF MUSIC WITHIN A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY, 1970 – 2010 Jeryl Lee Cunningham-Fleming University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Cunningham-Fleming, Jeryl Lee, "“WE SANG ALLELUIA, PRAISE THE LORD!”: AFRICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY AND THE USE AND RECEPTION OF MUSIC WITHIN A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY, 1970 – 2010" (2013). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 15. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/15 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Music by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained and attached hereto needed written permission statements(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine). I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless a preapproved embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. 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Jeryl Lee Cunningham-Fleming, Student Dr. Everett McCorvey, Major Professor Dr. Lance Brunner, Director of Graduate Studies “WE SANG ALLELUIA, PRAISE THE LORD!”: AFRICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY AND THE USE AND RECEPTION OF MUSIC WITHIN A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY, 1970 – 2010 ________________________________________ DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS PROJECT _______________________________________ A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky By Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Everett McCorvey, Professor of Music 2013 Copyright © Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming 2013 ABSTRACT OF DOCTORAL PROJECT “WE SANG ALLELUIA, PRAISE THE LORD!”: AFRICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY AND THE USE AND RECEPTION OF MUSIC WITHIN A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY, 1970 – 2010 The Ephesus Seventh-day Church, one of the first Black SDA churches that were formed in the New York City area during the late 1920s and early 1930s, is one church that has been faced with the challenge of maintaining traditional repertoire and musical practices, while including more popular genres and styles that lay outside the SDA guidelines. Located in Central Harlem, Ephesus is surrounded by the cultural and historical influences within the Harlem community. The Ephesus Church, based on extant hymnals and the recollections of church members, continued in the Euro-centric musical traditions of early SDA churches until the 1960s, when it began to explore African-inspired musical practices. Around 1970, close in time to the SDA 1972 Music Guidelines were instituted, a struggle between Euro-centric versus Afro-centric musical cultures became apparent. Following introductory chapters on the history of African- American membership in the SDA Church from the 19th century to the early 20th century and early musical leaders of Ephesus Church, the musical practices of Ephesus from 1970 to 2010 serves as the focus of this study. KEYWORDS: Music, African-American, Seventh-day Adventists, Identity, Religion Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming April 7, 2013 “WE SANG ALLELUIA, PRAISE THE LORD!”: AFRICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY AND THE USE AND RECEPTION OF MUSIC WITHIN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY, 1970 – 2010 By Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming Dr. Everett McCorvey Director of Project Dr. Lance Brunner Director of Graduate Studies April 7, 2013 Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong… Ecclesiastes 9:11, NKJV …let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1, NKJV Though this document is an individual work, it would not have been possible without the insight and direction of many people. I would first like to that my advisor, Dr. Everett McCorvey, for his support, along with the members of my committee: Dr. Kevin Holm-Hudson, Dr. Angelique Clay-Everett, Professor Robert Haven, and especially Dr. Diana Hallman, and Chester Grundy, for their counsel and support. I would like to thank Dr. Dedrick Blue and the members of the Ephesus Seventh- day Adventist Church, especially the Chancel Choir, and the Music Ministry (Ron Liburd, Chairman), for their love and support. Also, a special thanks to the participants in this study: Dr. Dedrick Blue, Marvin Brown, Sandy Byrd, Everyl Chandler-Gibson, William and Laura Chesson, June Gardner, Sybil Gooden, Frances Goodine, M. H., Omar Jackson, Caroline Jones, Wessie Jones, Denise Joseph Saint-Louis, Jaime Kowlessar, Kim Lewis, Ron Liburd, Elihu McMahon, Joseph Merriweather, Jake Nixon, Jr., Renee Nixon-Simmons, Harold Stenbar, Dr. Lonieta Thompson-Cornwall, Gloria Waithe, and Eugene Washington. A special thank you to Greg Hodges and the Ephesus Communications Department for the photos and recordings of various church events. I would like to give special acknowledgement to Chester and Ann Grundy, my home away from home. Thanks for your editing help, your constant encouragement, and especially reminding me to eat and rest. I would also like to give special thanks to La’Shelle Allen for her transcription help. iii How can I say thanks to my family for their unconditional love and support? To my parents, John and Ruby Cunningham: thanks for your constant encouragement, and for keeping me grounded and on task. To my sister, Dr. Stacey Wallen: thanks for paving the way through this doctoral process and offering your support and practical advice. To my brother-in-law, Anthony Wallen, and my “children,” Temple, Ransom, and Hendrix: thanks for the fun and laughter and unconditionally loving “Auntie Jeryl.” To my mother-in-law, Ruby Fleming, and my sister-in-law, Karin Miranda, thanks for your love and support. To my husband and best friend, Hollis B. Fleming, II, I can’t begin to express my gratitude. I’m sure you had no idea that the trek would be this long. Thanks for your unconditional love and understanding, for encouraging me when I wanted to give up, for making me laugh at the moments when I needed a reprieve, for holding me during those times I needed to be held, for praying for me when I couldn’t pray for myself, for being exactly who God has made for me. It’s your turn now. Last and most important, I give praise and honor to the Most High God, the Head of my life, in whom I live and have my being. Thank you for birthing this thing in me and for guiding me through the most awesome experience of my life! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ……..……………………………………………………………….iii List of Figures ...………..……………………………………………………….............viii PART ONE Chapter One: Introduction ...……………………………………………………………...1 Descriptions and Goals of Study ...………………….….………………………....1 Need for Study ...………………………………………………...…………...….. 5 Limitations of Study ...…………………………………………..………………. 6 Methodology and Demographic Results ...………………….…..………………...8 Literature Review ...………………………………….…………..………………14 Chapter Overview ...……………………………………………...…………...…17 Chapter Two: History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church ……………………….…..19 History of the Organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church ………...…...19 Black Involvement in the Millerite Movement ...………………………….…….21 Organization and Expansion ...……….………….….……………………...……24 Efforts in the South ...…………………………………………..………………..26 The Establishment of Oakwood University ...……………...…............................31 From Rural to Urban Evangelism ……………………………………………….34 Black Membership in North America …………………………………………...36 Chapter Three: Music in the Seventh-day Adventist Church ...…………………………40 Music in the Early Adventist Movement .…………………………...…………..40 Hymns as the Main Musical Source …………………………………………….42 Hymnals in the Twentieth Century ……………………………………………...46 Emergence of African American Musical Styles ………………………………..50 Chapter Four: History of Ephesus SDA Church ...…………………………………...….58 Early Beginnings of Ephesus SDA Church ...………………………………...…58 Music in the Black SDA Church in Harlem Before 1970 …………...………….66 Musicians at Ephesus: 1920 – 1940 ...………..……………………………….…69 Jennie Irvis ...………………………………………………………….…69 Musicians and

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