The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1945-08-18

VIII Never Fail
Las, week the Gospel Singers o.
America held their convention Al
Inc beautiful Church os Our Faith
on Non,ealm stree Professor
Thomas A Dorsey president Of
the CONVENTION Tor the past eleven
yeas presided over the sessions.
The s.ress sessions were routine
and similar 70 AIRY convention,
hui tie sntre idea %, singer $
( convention j. UNIQUE and worth
While
The modern gospel song has
/eplaced thA spiritual Whereas.
Z The spiritual vas song born in
slavery and had i's place in me
Negro struggle FOR freedom the
modern gospel hymn is song
Designed 20 allow the singer and
lis.ener 70 give vent 70 present
CAV feelings against prejudice and
+ discrimination Todays gospel!
hoir catches the mood ~ the
eser, and sends both listener
ard singer
Siting in The ha,eony listening
+ ~ fhe soloists from various parts
r, 're counfrv ! realized iha1
hare ls rev 'vpe ~ song and
brand nsr 'vps o, singing
Ny grandfather vas MINISTER
ard y MAS my tate 70 have 10
rav church music and helr train
eturrh ehoirs 4 few years ago
rlrisisr IKE ny grandfather
uog.e take all ne old folks in
III tonrTegation who named 10
srg dress them in white Hoover
asrons disguised as robes and
,a 'ner he Gosrel chorus U.s.
Nsar Tile chorus With more zest
'nar aNa'r would sing some
rc5p, selection after the sermon
or before he collection The idea
vas ~ lif' ne consresaflon
ah1 sei them in the spiri o. Civ
itr
IRE rhythm ~ ne Oh gospel
liymrs uss Usually ~ - time
AID na'uraiir The church would
iook on ne masicsi side The
sopranos wotd risc 20 starry
hsiEh's and has dif1oaify get ing
haCs the ALTOS Couldn't lind The
pitch the tsnors we're stringy and
!, there was bass or two. the
ar. u that section rrreiuded any
thing bu' fos horn notes
TODAY gospel singing is dif-
ferent although there are few
trained voices in the "svinSy
rospei chors there is quality a
competent conductor and arranr-
er is usually employed 70 direct
the cforgs The are limit Of ne
choirs has psrceriblv been scaled
downward
Dorsey. ard few other com
posers must ne credited Win The
iise in gospel choral popuiari,y
His Precious Lord Take My
Hand "Win ne Lord Remember
Me- and IN Not Ashamed 10
Iie a Witness FOR SIS Loid, have
helped 70 increase church attend
ance appreciab'y in those church
IS having sood choral unions
Now there are some people who
oail gospel singing escape from
realty call It relgion through
song
As listened 10 tho Gospel
SINGERS o, Amerioa rot The i'm
preston that those people we're
actually witnessing FOR the Lord
through song
The pattern ~ a gospel song Is
for soloist 20 sing the verse
and chorus with Inc choir chant.
ins The background in four-part
harmony The effect IL Ike a
swing orchestra supplying hack
ground Tor 4 hot soloist Who has
lost himself improvising around
The chords % given tune Mn.
sicallv The gospel songs make
considerable use Of minor KEYS
progressions 70 major and back
10 minor KEYS Diminished chords
are prevalent The diminished
chord has = sorrouful effect and
leaves The listener easpine until
y is resolved either into major
or 70 nc proper resolution
After hearing one 81 The songs
a. the convention and il really
took the convention. asked nv
cousins wife 10 let mo sec tho
music she purchased was
amazed 10 discover that ne score
bore very little resemhlan,s 10
tho variations sung by tho sing
or. Only the choral background
was recognizable. One might con.
clude that true gospel singing
II not easily put on paper The
atrangers attemp; 70 come as
near 70 the pattern and motifs
az possible and leave the rest 10
the mood OF the singer.
One other observation made
81 the convention. The singers
from al over The coun ~ who
enthusiastically grabbed ~ new
songs Introduced a. the conven-
ZION. reminded me Of dance band
musicians Who try 10 catch r
travelling band when II passes