So You Want to Sing Spirituals: A Guide for Performers (Volume 18) (So You Want to Sing, 18)

Product Description

With their rich and complicated history, spirituals hold a special place in the American musical tradition. This soul-stirring musical form is irresistible to singers seeking to diversify their performance repertoire, but it is also riddled with controversy, especially for singers of non-African descent. Singer and historian Randye Jones welcomes singers of all backgrounds into the style while she explores its folk song roots and transformation into choral and solo vocal concert repertoire. Profiling key composers and pioneers of the genre, Jones also discusses the use of dialect and other controversial performance considerations. Contributed chapters address elements of collaborative piano, studio teaching, choral arrangement, voice science, and vocal health as they apply to the performance of spirituals.The So You Want to Sing series is produced in partnership with the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Like all books in the series,
So You Want to Sing Spirituals
features online supplemental material on the NATS website.

Review

By drawing upon her own knowledge and experience in both researching and performing spirituals, and by including the input of several other recognized experts in the field, Jones provides a valuable, all-angles exploration of this underperformed genre with this publication. ―
Classical Singer Magazine

This guide for the study and performance of spirituals provides not only a wonderful overview of the history of this musical style, but also practical suggestions and advice for the vocalist and teacher. . . this volume is an important addition to continue growing the diversity and inclusivity of different musical styles in vocal training programs. Randye Jones takes the subject in hand masterfully and does not shy away from some of the more complicated issues surrounding this particular style of singing. . . . this is an excellent addition to the So You Want to Sing series. It brings light to one of the more diverse, and regrettably sometimes controversial, styles of singing and encourages all practitioners to invest in study and accurate portrayal of these songs and texts just as they would any other piece of vocal repertoire. It would be worthwhile to purchase and add to the shelves of a personal, public, or academic library. ―
Music Reference Services Quarterly

So You Want to Sing Spirituals is an exemplary title in this series. Jones offers a well researched and well written overview of spirituals, and contributions by guest authors make this volume a rich resource for both avocational and professional perform­ers. It is significant, as noted by Jones, that this book was published on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slave trader ship to the United States. This book is an invaluable tool for moving beyond cultural misappro­priation to artistic appreciation, and is a useful addition to the library of all musicians who study and perform this repertoire. ―
Journal of Singing

A wonderful resource for those interested in navigating the world of spirituals. Randye Jones melds methodical research with practical advice into a book that invites students and teachers of all ethnicities to explore and present spirituals with greater authenticity and confidence. — Louise Toppin, University of Michigan, director, the George Shirley Vocal Competition for African American Spirituals, Art Song and Operatic Arias

Jones has created a broad-ranging study that enables singers to make informed decisions about a repertoire complicated by its connection to a painful history. It is time to embrace this beautiful repertoire and expand the performance canon. — Kathleen A. Abromeit, Oberlin Conservatory Library and author of Spirituals: A Multidisciplinary Bibliography for Research and Performance

Finally, a comprehensive guide dedicated to the performance of the concert spiritual! In this much-needed work, Jones expertly imparts her knowledge of the vocal and