religion

The relationship between song and singing, and worship and belief in both the organized and non-organized church. Introduces concepts, performing styles and musical genres.

The sinking of the Titanic, the Depression, World Wars I and II and the civil rights movement, and the moving songs that arise from the sacred music tradition.

African American oral tradition rich with memories, testimonies and songs from the hard days of 19th century slavery.

Two musical traditions, originating from Europe and adapted by African American converts to Christianity.

The story of African American religious music as a moral weapon, to galvanize individuals for worship and for action in the civil rights struggles of the century.

The sound, history and legacy of the concert or arranged spiritual, and the role of the black university in developing a repertoire that blends African American and European influences.

The struggle of African Americans seeking careers as classical concert artists, featuring Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle and others.

Composers like Harry T. Burleigh, Nathaniel Dett and William Dawson, who applied Western classical music training to the traditional spiritual and created a new repertoire for the concert stage.

The legacy of this internationally renowned ensemble, innovators of the "jubilee" singing style that influenced the national sound of quartets in the black community before World War II.

The "father of gospel music," whose efforts led to an innovative performance style and refashioned existing music to reflect experiences of African Americans who migrated to urban communities.