Abstract
Since the 17th century, Black Americans have participated in two culturally distinct religious traditions. The first tradition represents that associated with white Protestant denominations. The second was independently developed by Blacks, utilizing the concepts and practices retained from their West African heritage. These two traditions are easily distinguished by ideology, worship style, and musical practices. The musical repertoire of Black congregations that adhered to white Protestant doctrines is derived from official hymnals which include psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Conversely, the repertoire of churches, whose religious ideology is uniquely Black, consists of Black folk spirituals and gospels. Songs of these two idioms are derived from several sources: 1) West African musical traditions; 2) Black secular idioms; 3) original Black compositions; and 4) white Protestant psalms, hymns, and spiritualsongs.1 The music, which characterizes autonomous Black congregations, differs in function and performance style from that of Black congregations that adhere to the doctrines of the white Protestant church. Music performed by the former group constitutes an integral and intrinstic part of the liturgy. The manner in which this music is performed is based on the aesthetic principles and social norms that have evolved from West African cultures. Whereas spirituals and gospels are the dominant musical forms found in autonomous Black churches, white Protestant hymns, especially those of Isaac Watts and the Wesley brothers, continue to be mainstays of the repertoire even today. When performed, however, these songs either conform to the dictates of Western European traditions or congregations may choose to modify them in accordance with Afro American aesthetic principles. The use and performance of music in the Black church will be explored in this discussion through an examination of 1) the events that led to the conversion of Blacks to Christianity; 2) the formation of independent Black religious groups, and 3) the social and cultural milieu which fostered the development of a unique Black religious music.