American Music Final #1

Define a spiritual

a type of sacred folk song

What do we call the large outdoor worship events of the Second Awakening?

camp meetings

What kind of hymn is "Oh Wondrous Love?"

folk hymn

What kind of song is "Sherburne"?

shape note

What kind of organization did Thomas Symmes promote to re-establish the practice of regular singing?

singing schools

Define "ballad"

strophic, predominately vocal narrator describes the story of 2 people

What was the first book printed in the Colonies?

the Bay Psalms Book

"Regular singing"

the traditional way, singing by note

What are two general characteristics of the music from West Africa.

-Call and response -use of instruments to emulate human speech/language

Chester was first published in 1770 in an important collection titled "The New-England Psalm Singer." What are two notable "firsts" related to this collection?

-The first collection of solely American music -The first book dedicated to the works of one composer

What was one fundamental characteristic of the 2nd Great Awakening?

-promotion of religious equality/a more democratic religion -promotion of a national religion

What were the two purposes of a "ballad."

-to teach a moral lesson -to tell a story

What is an arwhoolie?

A field holler

What kind of song is "Barbara Allen?"

Ballad

Which side did William Billings come down on, and how did he demonstrate this?

Billings supported "Regular singing." He opened a singing school for the purpose of teaching regular singing.

What kind of ballad is "The Liberty Song"?

Broadside

Who was being made fun of in the original version of "Yankee Doodle"?

Colonists that the British soldiers fought during the French and Indian War.

For whom did Jackson say this style of singing was sung?

For the singers and no one else.

In a few words, what was Billings' attitude about the rules of formal composition?

He thought that the formal rules ought to be relaxed. He encouraged musical freedom.

"Old Way" singing

Leader calls out one line of lyrics for the audience to hear, the audience repeats "lining out"

Briefly describe the relationship of the melody and the text in a ballad.

Melodies are not text specific and were often sung with a variety of different lyrics.

What are "vocables."

Non lexical sounds used as a sort of filler for long Native American songs.

How were ballads transmitted.

Orally

What did Douglass say about the idea that singing indicated happiness amongst enslaved African Americans?

That it was laughable. Slaves sang the most when they were sad.

With what major religious movement are "Oh Wondrous Love" and other hymns like it connected?

The 2nd Great Awakening

What was one difference between the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening?

The Great Awakening stressed separation of church and state, while the 2nd Great Awakening stressed the opposite.

What important war does "Chester" anticipate and support?

The Revolutionary War

Hymns such as "Oh Wondrous Love" were very present in hymnals-songbooks popular with revivalists and rural congregations. What is the title of one such volume.

The Sacred Harp

What characteristic of many spirituals is demonstrated by "Follow the Drinking Gourd?"

The coded messages that helped slaves communicate things like escape routes.

What is the source of songs such as those used in the Blessingway ceremony? And what happened if singers "misuse" the songs' power.

The songs came from sky gods and were given to men a long time ago. Misuse of the songs would result in a loss of the songs' power.

At what University did George Pullen Jackson teach German.

U. South Dakota

The music of what region of Africa has been most important to the development of A.A. music? Why?

West Africa, because that's where all the slaves were imported from.

Who composed "Chester?"

William BIllings