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The Evolution of Sacred Music and Its Rituals in Watauga County, North Carolina: a Comparison of Congregational Song in Two Independent Missionary Baptist Churches

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The Evolution of Sacred Music and Its Rituals in Watauga County, North Carolina: a Comparison of Congregational Song in Two Independent Missionary Baptist Churches THE EVOLUTION OF SACRED MUSIC AND ITS RITUALS IN WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: A COMPARISON OF CONGREGATIONAL SONG IN TWO INDEPENDENT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES A Thesis by MEREDITH ABIGAIL DOSTER Submitted to the Graduate School Appalachian State University in partial fulfillment for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2010 Center for Appalachian Studies THE EVOLUTION OF SACRED MUSIC AND ITS RITUALS IN WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: A COMPARISON OF CONGREGATIONAL SONG IN TWO INDEPENDENT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES A Thesis by MEREDITH ABIGAIL DOSTER May 2010 APPROVED BY: James R. Goff Chairperson, Thesis Committee Susan E. Keefe Member, Thesis Committee Conrad E. Ostwalt Member, Thesis Committee Patricia D. Beaver Director, Center for Appalachian Studies Edelma D. Huntley Dean, Research and Graduate Studies Copyright by Meredith A. Doster 2010 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT THE EVOLUTION OF SACRED MUSIC AND ITS RITUALS IN WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: A COMPARISON OF CONGREGATIONAL SONG IN TWO INDEPENDENT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES Meredith Abigail Doster, B.A., Barnard College M.A., Appalachian State University Chairperson: James Goff, Jr. Shape-note traditions are both a style and practice of rural hymnody that contribute to the varied canon of American folk hymnody. The history of shape-note traditions in the United States highlights the polarity between the early four and seven-shape traditions and the ensuing seven-shape gospel movement, defining the former as traditional and the latter as popular and modern. The designation of gospel music as a popular phenomenon resulted in a variety of responses that shaped the representation of the genre within Appalachia. This thesis is an exploration of seven-shape gospel music and its persistence within rural, independent Baptist churches in Watauga County, North Carolina. I began exploring seven-shape gospel music under the assumption that I was dealing with an obscure singing tradition unique to a small number of rural churches. Therefore, I focused my attention on Mount Lebanon and Mountain Dale Baptist Churches, whose singing practices have been and continue to be defined by seven-shape gospel music. In iv January 2009, I began observing and researching the singing traditions of these two churches, attending Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening services, having selected these specific congregations for their different interpretations of a shared shape-note heritage. In addition to participant observation, I also conducted interviews with several members of each congregation, focusing in particular on the two choir directors. Over the course of my research, patterns in worship order and style emerged that indicated an intrinsic connection between the rural, independent Baptist church and the seven-shape gospel tradition. My ongoing interviews corroborated that Mount Lebanon and Mountain Dale Churches were not sole remnants of a dying, seven-shape gospel tradition, but rather two examples of an enduring regional practice that persists within the independent Baptist churches in the tri-state area of western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southwest Virginia. As I delved deeper into the history and roots of seven-shape gospel music in Watauga County, I uncovered an entrenched regional singing tradition characterized by monthly and annual singing conventions, indicating a popularity that confounded my initial perception of the movement as an isolated, rural phenomenon. My case study of two rural churches has therefore necessarily shifted to accommodate the vibrant history of rural hymnody in the United States and its controversial representation and preservation in Appalachia, raising important questions about the limitations of regional scholarship that has heretofore discounted the seven-shape gospel tradition as a trait of indigenous worship. v For Mount Lebanon and Mountain Dale Baptist Churches “Let us love our God supremely, let us love each other too” vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the congregations and leadership at both Mount Lebanon and Mountain Dale Baptist Churches. My research has spanned fifteen months during which members at both churches have opened their hearts, homes, and worship to an unfamiliar graduate student. I am particularly thankful for the choirs that made room for me on the alto bench. While I hesitate to list names as so many contributed to this project, I would like to thank Ruth and Clint Cornett in particular. Over the course of many shared meals and fellowship, they demonstrated unequivocally their love for one another, for their church family, and for those in their community. I am also indebted to Ms. Jan for her enthusiasm, her love of church history, and for her steady encouragement. Finally, I am especially grateful to Kathy, whose love for hymns and singing equals my own and who first introduced me to both Mount Lebanon and Mountain Dale. I would like to thank the Appalachian Studies faculty at Appalachian State University for their collective support and guidance. I am particularly indebted to the sound advice of my thesis committee; to my chair Dr. James Goff for a body of scholarship that inspires me and for a keen editing eye, to Dr. Susan Keefe for teaching me how to be an engaged and ethical participant observer, and to Dr. Conrad (Ozzie) Ostwalt for encouraging me to explore my own religious heritage in the academic arena. I am also grateful to Dean Williams in the W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, whose confidence in this project never wavered. I would like to acknowledge the Cratis D. Williams Graduate School for their support in the form of the Joyce V. Lawrence Professional Development Award and the Center for Appalachian Studies for the William C. Friday Research Fellowship, both of which vii contributed significantly to this project. A Lovelace Scholarship provided by the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada made my attendance at the 2009 National Hymn Conference possible. Additionally, a Berea College Appalachian Music Fellowship supplied both time and resources to incorporate extensive archival research into my thesis. Finally, I would like to thank my family: my grandparents for a heritage rooted in shape notes; my granny for always singing with me; my great-aunt Mildred for her love of sacred music; my parents for the gift of curiosity and their wisdom to nurture it; my sister for challenging me to think both critically and creatively; and my brother for reminding me that there is life outside of the classroom. Most of all, I would like to thank my husband Jesse Edgerton for being a full-partner in all things, including this journey. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: Reconsidering the Paradigm of Exceptionalism ........................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: Identity and Image of Seven-Shape Gospel Music ..................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO: Sacred Singing Traditions in Watauga County, North Carolina ................................. 36 CHAPTER THREE: Mount Lebanon and Mountain Dale Baptist Churches: A Case Study ...................... 67 CHAPTER FOUR: Seven-Shape Gospel Music: Three Characteristics .................................................... 88 CONCLUSION: "Farther Along, We'll Know All About It" ............................................................... 110 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .................................................................................... 124 ix FIGURES Figure 1. .................................................................................................................14 C Major Scale in Four-Shape Notation. Public domain. Figure 2. .................................................................................................................17 C Major Scale in Seven-Shape Notation. Public domain. Figure 3. .................................................................................................................49 County Singing Announcement. Watauga Democrat, 06 June 1929. Figure 4. .................................................................................................................51 Map of Watauga and Surrounding Counties (1931-1933). Figure 5. .................................................................................................................60 Map of Watauga and Surrounding Counties (1967). Figure 6. ................................................................................................................71 Aerial View of Watauga County: Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in bold. G.P. Stout, "Watauga County, North Carolina-1982, Roads," (Maps by Mail, Charlotte, North Carolina.) Figure 7. ................................................................................................................72 Early Choir at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church. "Mount Lebanon Baptist Church: 100th Anniversary 1891-1991" Figure 8. .................................................................................................................79 Aerial Map of Watauga County: Mountain Dale Baptist Church in bold. G.P. Stout, "Watauga County, North Carolina-1982, Roads," (Maps by Mail, Charlotte, North Carolina.) Figure 9. .................................................................................................................91 Interaction Ritual: The Seven-Shape Gospel Tradition at Mountain Dale and Mount Lebanon Baptist
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