tennessee arts commission fisk jubilee singers: teacher's guide

The Fisk Jubilee Singers: Singing Our Song is aproject by the Tennessee Arts Commissionunder the American Masterpieces initiative ofthe National Endowment for the Arts. TheAfrican American spirituals are masterpiecesin every sense, artistically profound and enor-mously influential, and the Jubilee Singers'historical and continuing relationship to thisrevered musical corpus gives Tennessee a spe-cial claim to nurturing its legacy. In that spirit,the Commission is proud to acknowledge boththe spirituals and the Fisk Jubilee Singers aslandmarks of Tennessee's artistic heritage. Wehope this American Masterpieces project willboth introduce our students to these land-marks and remind other citizens of theirimportance. In addition to sponsoringTennessee concerts by the Jubilee Singers out-side of Nashville, where they have been aninstitution for over 130 years, the project alsopresents these curriculum materials as a last-ing resource for Tennessee schools, where wehope they will continue to build appreciationfor the Jubilee Singers and the songs theybrought to the world.

The Negro spirituals and the Fisk JubileeSingers have far-reaching lessons for allTennesseans. As topics for the classroom, theyrelate not only to music, but also to languagearts, history and other social sciences.Originating as folksongs of slave communities,the spirituals found second life in sophisticat-ed choral arrangements before internationalaudiences, then continued to inspire laterstyles of African American sacred music. Asfolk literature, the imagery, symbolism, andbiblical parallels of the spirituals' lyrics docu-ment the ethos of an historical culture poorlyrepresented in other period accounts. Thejoint story of the spirituals and the Fisk JubileeSingers offers a broad window into AfricanAmerican and civil rights history. Throughoutthe abolition movement and the period follow-

ing emancipation, spirituals served up evi-dence of African American dignity, hope, andpotential. As fundraisers for the new FiskUniversity, the Jubilee Singers welded thisuplifting musical association to the cause ofAfrican American education. Throughout thecountry, jubilee singing accompanied thegrowth of what we now call "HistoricallyBlack Colleges and Universities," and Fisk'srole as a mother institution was reinforced asits musical graduates staffed programs atother schools. In Nashville, the internationalrenown of the Jubilee Singers spawned theidentity of "Music City" long before the birthof the country music industry. As the contin-ued career of the Fisk Jubilee Singers attests,there is much to be rediscovered and celebrat-ed in these American masterpieces and in theheritage of their premier ensemble.

The Tennessee Arts Commission, now cele-brating its 40th Anniversary, wishes to thankits partners in the development of this curricu-lum packet, which includes an accompanyingenhanced audio CD and video DVD. Fundingfrom the National Endowment for the Artsmade the project possible, along with the gen-erous support of Curb Records and WKRNtelevision. Justine Gregory, Director ofEducation at the Country Music Hall of Fameand Museum, did an excellent job in preparingthese teaching materials. We also thank BobKucher and the staff of the Renaissance Centerfor production assistance, especially CathyMumford for graphic design and Ken Tuckerfor video services. And, of course, the projectcould not have been possible without theenthusiastic co-operation of Fisk University,the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and their MusicalDirector, Paul T. Kwami.

Rich Boyd, Executive DirectorLisa Hester, Arts Access Program DirectorRobert Cogswell, Folklife Program Director

Teacher's Lesson GuideFisk Jubilee Singers®: Singing Our Song

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IntroductionThis Guide is designed to assist classroom teachers and youth leaders inintroducing their students to the story and significance of the Fisk JubileeSingers. It includes nine lessons with an accompanying CD, DVD, and sheetmusic that are incorporated into the lessons. A bibliography, discography,videography, and Webography provide helpful resources for further research.

All lessons in this guide are easily adapted for older or younger students.They can be used in music, social studies, and language arts classes andsupport the Tennessee State Curriculum Standards in these areas. Thereare many opportunities for language arts, music, and social studies teachersto cross curricula. Teacher Tips provide suggestions for adapting lessons toolder or younger students throughout the Guide. The lessons also addressdifferent learning styles by involving students in listening, writing, drawing,discussing, researching, and evaluating.

Portrait of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, 1873 by Edmund Harvell, commissioned byQueen Victoria, England. (Unless otherwise noted, images are from the special collec-tion of the Fisk University Franklin Library)

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Table of Contents

Lesson One:Who Are the Fisk Jubilee Singers?pg. 6 - 10

Lesson Two:Nashville as Music Citypg. 11 - 12

Lesson Three:What is Choral Music?pg. 13 - 14

Lesson Four:The Origins of Black Spirituals: Sing Tillthe Spirit Movespg. 15 - 18

Lesson Five:Listening to the Musicpg. 19 - 21

Lesson Six:Taking a Stand: Singing to Save Fisk Universitypg. 22 - 24

Lesson Seven:The Legacy of the Fisk Jubilee Singerspg. 25 - 28

Lesson Eight:Preparing for a Live Performancepg. 29 - 30

Lesson Nine:What did you learn that you didn't know before?pg. 31 - 32

Helpful Resources:Bibliography, Discography, Videography,Webography, and Sheet Musicpg. 34 - 42

Fisk Jubilee Singers 2006-2007 Photograph Bill Steber

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TENNESSEE STATE CURRICULUM STANDARDS

Language Arts• 1.0 The student will develop the read-

ing and listening skills necessary for wordrecognition, comprehension, interpretation,analysis, evaluation, and appreciation for printand non-print media.

• 3.0 The student will use Standard Englishconventions and proper spelling as appropriate tospeaking and writing. Learning expectations: 3.01(3-8), 3.02 (3-8), 3.03 (3-8), 3.04 (3-8)

• High School Speaking & Listening -The student will express ideas clearly and effec-tively in a variety of oral contexts and apply activelistening skills in the analysis and evaluation ofspoken ideas. (I, II, III, IV)

Social Studies• Culture 1.0 - Culture encompasses

similarities and differences among people,including their beliefs, knowledge, changes,values, and traditions. Student will explorethese elements of society to develop anappreciation and respect for the variety of

human cultures. Learning expectations: 1.01(6-8, 7), 1.02 (K-5), 1.03 (K-5), 1.04 (6,7)

Geography • 3.0 Geography enables the students

to see, understand, and appreciate the web ofrelationships between people, places, andenvironments. Students will use the knowl-edge, skills, and understanding of conceptswithin the six essential elements of geography:world in spatial terms, places and regions,physical systems, human systems, environ-ment and society, and the uses of geography.Learning expectations: 3.01 (K-5, 6, 7, 8) 3.2Understands the role of geography on thegrowth and development of slavery. 9-12

Music• 8.0 Students will understand relation-

ships between music, the other arts, and disci-plines outside the arts.

• 9.0 Students will understand music inrelation to history and culture. Learning expec-tations: 9.1 (4), 9.2 (3,5)

History• 5.0 History involves people, events,

and issues. Students will evaluate evidence todevelop comparative and causal analyses,and to interpret primary sources. They willconstruct sound historical arguments and per-spectives on which informed decisions in con-temporary life can be used. LearningExpectations: 5.03, 5.12 (4), 5.01, 5.02 (5),8.5.19 (9-12)

United States History• Learning Expectation: 5.1 (9-12)

Lesson One:

Who are the Fisk Jubilee Singers?

6

The original Jubilee Singers 1871

Individuals, Groups, & Interactions• 6.0 Appreciate the diversity of various

cultures and their influences on the UnitedStates. Learning Expectation: 9.3 (9-12)

Objective: Students will watch a DVD presen-tation or read a book about the Fisk JubileeSingers to discuss who they are and theirimportance to Nashville, Tennessee and toAmerican history.

Preparation Time: None

Materials: DVD A SpiritualJourney (included with les-son guide) or picture bookA Band of Angels (basedon original Fisk JubileeSinger Ella Sheppard'sstory) by DeborahHopkinson, paper, pencil.

Vocabulary Words: slavery,Underground Railroad, Christianity,Civil War, Abolition Movement, Emancipation.

Teacher Tip: For older students, it would

be helpful to discuss/review the American

Civil War and slavery in order to have

some context for this lesson.

Share the following with students:

We are about to watch a film and/or listento a story about a special singing groupcalled the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The Singersare made up of Fisk University studentsand have been in existence since 1871.They sing spiritual songs that originatedwith African slaves in America and were

part of their daily lives after con-version to Christianity. The

original Fisk Jubilee Singerswere former slaves or

were children of formerslaves and were the firstgroup to publicly per-form the songs ofslaves and share themwith the world.

The first music director,Mr. George L. White

named the singers the FiskJubilee Singers after the biblical

reference (Leviticus 25) to the year of the“jubile” in which Hebrew Law requiredthat all slaves be set free. Jubilee became aterm applied to the choral style of singingthese traditional religious melodies, and itwas adopted in the names of most groupswho sang in this style.Between the years of 1871 (six years afterthe Civil War ended) to 1878, the JubileeSingers traveled to Memphis,Chattanooga, Ohio, Illinois, New York,Washington DC, Massachusetts,

Lesson One continued

7

George L. White

Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,Maryland as well as to Great Britain andGermany, where they sang to raise moneyfor Fisk University. During their perform-ances, they touched hearts and soulseverywhere and then moved to other partsof the country and world. As we watchthis film or listen to this story, write downwhat you learn about the Fisk JubileeSingers as well as questions that you haveabout them.

• Ask students to fill out a KWL chartwith information about what they already know,what they would like to know and then lastly,

what they learned. The "learned" part of thechart will be completed at the end of the unit.

• Watch the film DVD A SpiritualJourney (22 minutes) or read aloud the bookA Band of Angels.

• Once you have finished the film orbook, discuss the following questions.

Where is Fisk University? (Nashville, TN)

What was going on in America at the timeof the founding of Fisk University and theFisk Jubilee Singers? (the end of the CivilWar, the success of the abolition movementthrough the end of slavery and the emancipa-tion of slaves, and the beginning of the freed-men movement to provide opportunities andeducation to freed slaves)

What are slave songs-also called Negrospirituals, sorrow songs, and Jubileesongs? What do you think they might havesung about? (the trials of being a slave inAmerica, missing their homeland or familymembers, faith, relationship with their God)

Who was Ella Sheppard? (former slave and


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WK L

Fisk Jubilee Singers 2001-2002 Photograph by John Cross

original member, singer and piano accompa-nist for the Fisk Jubilee Singers)

Why did the Jubilee Singers first go ontour around the United States and toEurope? (to raise money for the Universitywhich was having funding problems and need-ed new buildings)

For what leaders of coun-tries did the Fisk JubileeSingers perform in the1870's? (U.S. PresidentGrant, and GreatBritain's Queen Victoriaand Prime MinisterGladstone)

How do you thinkwhite people mighthave responded to thesingers when first hearingtheir music? (consider thetime period, after the Civil War,emancipation)

Why do you think the Fisk JubileeSingers are considered to be so special?

Who is the current leader of the FiskJubilee Singers? (Paul Kwami, originally fromGhana)

How old are the singers? Are therechanges to the group each year? Explain.(they are university students, every yearthere are changes to the group as studentsgraduate and new students audition)

Why do you think there are competitiveauditions and high quality standards for theJubilee Singers? Have you ever auditionedfor something? Explain. How did you feel?Why do you think auditions are important?

Why do you think it is important to record themusic of the Fisk Jubilee Singers digitally?

Extension Activities:

Learn about individual mem-bers of the original FiskJubilee Singers: BenjaminHolmes, Jennie Jackson,Greene Evans, Eliza Walker,Thomas Rutling, Minnie Tate,Izaac Dickerson, Ella

Sheppard (soprano, pianoaccompanist, and assistant

director), and Maggie Porter(soprano)

Take a field trip to see Jubilee Hall and theChapel at Fisk University in NashvilleTennessee.

Visit the historic Nashville City Cemetery tosee the graves of original Fisk Jubilee SingersMabel Lewis Imes and Ella Sheppard Moore.For more information visit:www.thenashvillecitycemetery.org/history.htm.During Jubilee Day activities in Septembereach year, ceremonies are held at theNashville City Cemetery as well as at theChapel at Fisk University.


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Ella Sheppard

Map Activity: Post a map of the world in your

classroom and identify with markers all the

cities and countries where the Fisk Jubilee

Singers performed, during the late 1800's.

Identify the locations of the following cities,

states, and countries: Cincinnati, Oberlin,

Chicago, New York, Massachusetts,

Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey,

Pennsylvania, DC, England, Scotland, Ireland,

Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, India,

and more.

Encourage older students to research the

story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers by visiting the

following Web sites:

www.fisk.edu

www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/singers/tguide/index.html

Includes timelines, people and events, discus-

sion questions, etc.

www.fiskjubileesingers.org


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“Southern Cornfield, Nashville.” By Thomas W. Wood. Courtesy of the T.W. Wood Gallery and Arts Center.


Language Arts• 3.0 The student will use Standard

English conventions and proper spelling asappropriate to speaking and writing. Learningexpectations: 3.01 (3-8), 3.02 (3-8), 3.03 (3-8),3.04 (3-8)

• High School Speaking and Listening- The student will express ideas clearly andeffectively in a variety of oral contexts andapply active listening skills in the analysis andevaluation of spoken ideas. (I, II, III, IV)

Social Studies• Culture 1.0 Culture encompasses simi-

larities and differences among people, includingtheir beliefs, knowledge, changes, values, andtraditions. Student will explore these elementsof society to develop an appreciation andrespect for the variety of human cultures.Learning expectations: 1.01 (6-8, 7), 1.02 (K-5),1.03 (K-5), 1.04 (6,7)





and issues. Students will evaluate evidence to

develop comparative and causal analyses,and to interpret primary sources. They willconstruct sound historical arguments and per-spectives on which informed decisions in con-temporary life can be used. LearningExpectations: 5.03, 5.12 (4), 1.3 (9-12),8.1.03 (9-12).


cultures and their influences on the UnitedStates.

Objectives: Students will discuss their per-ceptions of Nashville as Music City and howthese perceptions might change during thecourse of studying the work and history of theFisk Jubilee Singers.Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Materials: Paper, Pencil, Whiteboard,Markers, Bulletin Board, Magazines, Scissors,Stapler, Colored Paper.

Lesson Two:

Nashville as Music City

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1900 Lithograph of Fisk University’s Jubilee Hall

• Ask students to write or discuss whatthey think about when they think of Nashville,TN. (might say Titans, Sounds, Predators,state capital, country music, Grand Ole Opry,Opryland, etc.). Discuss Nashville's name"Music City." What does that mean to you?Save their writings and discuss how theirideas about Music City might have changed atthe end of this unit.

• Develop a bulletin board in your class-room with Nashville or Music City as thetheme. Incorporate visual representationsabout what the term means to your students.Add items to the bulletin board as studentslearn more about the variety of styles of musicin Nashville.

Lesson Two continued

The Heritage House- Home of the Fisk University President until about 1957

12

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Lesson Three:

What is Choral Music?


Language Arts• 3.0 The student will use Standard

English conventions and proper spelling asappropriate to speaking and writing. Learningexpectations: 3.01 (3-8), 3.02 (3-8), 3.03 (3-8),3.04 (3-8)

• High School Speaking & Listening -The student will express ideas clearly andeffectively in a variety of oral contexts andapply active listening skills in the analysis andevaluation of spoken ideas. (I, II, III, IV)


similarities and differences among people,including their beliefs, knowledge, changes,values, and traditions. Student will explorethese elements of society to develop anappreciation and respect for the variety ofhuman cultures. Learning expectations: 1.01(6-8, 7), 1.02 (K-5), 1.03 (K-5), 1.04 (6,7)

Music• 6.0 Students will listen to, analyze, and

describe music. Learning expectations: 6.2 (3,6-8, 9-12), 6.3 (4, 5)

• 7.0 Students will evaluate music andmusic performances. Learning expectations:7.1 (4, 5, 6-8, 9-12)

• 8.0 Students will understand relation-ships between music, the other arts, and disci-plines outside the arts.

• 9.0 Students will understand music in

relation to history and culture. Learning

expectations: 9.1 (4), 9.2 (3,5)

Individuals, Groups & Interactions• 6.0 Appreciate the diversity of various

cultures and their influences on the United

States. Learning Expectation: 9.3 (9-12)

Objectives: Students will discuss the charac-

teristics of choral music to better understand

the music of the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Materials: Paper, Pencil, CD player, CD

(included with this guide).

Vocabulary Words: choir, choral music,

ensemble, musical director, conductor,

a cappella, soprano, alto, tenor, bass.

• Ask your students what styles of

music they enjoy. Do you listen to choral

music (choir)? Where? How would you

describe choral music? (a group of singers

who perform songs written with two or more

parts) What is a choir? Have you ever sung in

a choir or in a school play or concert or

church? Did you sing without recorded music

or accompanying musical instruments? (a

cappella) Do you enjoy this music? Why or

why not? How is the music you listen to simi-

lar to choir music?

14

Share with students:

The tradition of the Fisk Jubilee Singers ischoral performance of the Negro spirituals.They usually sing a cappella or without anymusical instruments (like a piano, guitar,etc.). Choirs like the Fisk Jubilee Singershave a conductor, concertmaster or musicaldirector. Since 1871, the Jubilee Singershave had 16 musical directors. Mr. GeorgeL. White was the first. Mr. Paul Kwami isthe current, 2007 musical director.

• Play CD song #1, I'm Gonna Sing Till

the Spirit Moves.

For younger students remind them to get their

ears ready to listen and to open their minds

and hearts as they prepare to listen.

• After listening to this song, discuss

the following questions:

Did you like the song? Why or why not?

How would you describe the music? How

did the music make you feel? Did you hear

any musical instruments? (voices are

musical instruments too!) How do the

voices sound different from each other?

(some are higher, some are deeper) How

does this song sound different from music

you listen to at home? How is it similar?

Do some of the voices remind you of a

specific musical instrument other than a

voice? Explain.


The different parts of the choir are soprano,alto, tenor, bass and sometimes baritone.Soprano is the highest female voice. Alto isthe lowest female voice. Tenor refers tohigher male voices. Bass refers to lowermale voices.

• Play song #1 again and listen for the

different voices we have discussed.

• Ask students to use the chart to check

when they have heard the different parts of the

choir and to describe when they heard it.

Soprano (highest female voice)

Alto (lowest female voice)

Tenor (highest male voice)

Bass (lowest male voice)

Lesson Three continued

15

Lesson Four:

The Origins of Black Spirituals: Sing Till the Spirit Moves



ing and listening skills necessary for wordrecognition, comprehension, interpretation,analysis, evaluation, and appreciationfor print and non-print media.

• 3.0 The student will useStandard English conventionsand proper spelling as appro-priate to speaking and writ-ing. Learning expectations:3.01 (3-8), 3.02 (3-8), 3.03(3-8), 3.04 (3-8)

• High SchoolSpeaking & Listening - Thestudent will express ideasclearly and effectively in a varietyof oral contexts and apply active lis-tening skills in the analysis and evalua-tion of spoken ideas. (I, II, III, IV)



Geography• 3.0 Geography enables the students to

see, understand, and appreciate the web ofrelationships between people, places, and envi-ronments. Students will use the knowledge,skills, and understanding of concepts within thesix essential elements of geography: world inspatial terms, places and regions, physical sys-

tems, human systems, environmentand society, and the uses of geog-

raphy. Learning expectations:3.01 (K-5, 6, 7, 8) 3.2 (9-12)

Music• Students will sing,

alone and with others, avaried repertoire of music.Learning expectations: 1.1

(4,5) 1.2 (9-12)• 6.0 Students will listen to,

analyze, and describe music.Learning expectations: 6.2 (3, 6-8, 9-

12), 6.3 (4, 5)• 7.0 Students will evaluate music and

music performances. Learning expectations:7.1 (4, 5, 6-8, 9-12)




and issues. Students will evaluate evidence todevelop comparative and causal analyses,

Mr. Paul Kwamiphotographer Michael Krouskop

16

and to interpret primary sources. They willconstruct sound historical arguments and per-spectives on which informed decisions in con-temporary life can be used. LearningExpectations: 5.03, 5.12 (4), 5.01, 5.02 (5),5.08, 5.18, 5.19 (8), 1.2, 1.3 (9-12).

United States History • Learning Expectation: 5.1 (9-12)



Objectives: Students will discuss and listen tospirituals sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers to iden-tify the origin, styles, and content of the music.

Preparation Time: 60 minutes. Make copiesof the Observation Sheets included at the endof the guide and display image of sheet musicon an overhead projector.

Materials: CD player, sheet music, In BrightMansions CD (included with the guide), paper,pencil, books, Observation Sheet (from pages33-34 of the guide), Sheet Music (from page39-42 of the guide).

Vocabulary Words: spiritual, folk song,call-response style, slavery, oral tradition,Underground Railroad, rhythm, and tempo.

Teacher Tip: For older students, it would be

helpful to discuss/review the American Civil

War, slavery, and the Underground Railroad,

in order to have context for this lesson. For

younger students, it would be helpful to

share the picture book, Follow the Drinking

Gourd. Other book ideas for younger stu-

dents: All Night, All Day: A Children's First

Book of African American Spirituals by

Ashley Bryan, Slave Spirituals and the

Jubilee Singers by Michael Cooper, or From

Slave Ship to Freedom Road by Julius Lester

and Robert Brown.


In 1619, a Dutch ship arrived inJamestown, VA, with twenty Africans whowere quickly sold into slavery. This wasthe beginning of the African slave trade.Millions of men, women, and childrenwere brought from different African coun-tries for this purpose. With them, theybrought many different customs, includingmusical traditions. African slaves in America learnedEuropean choral traditions and wereintroduced to Christianity. They sang inworship but also in the fields as theyworked. It is from these foundations that

Lesson Four continued

17


Black spirituals developed. They werepassed from generation to generation oral-ly rather than in written form. A spiritu-al is a religious folk song. Spirituals canbe happy or sad and often include refer-ences to the Bible or hidden messagesabout the Underground Railroad or aplanned escape from slavery. Many spiri-tuals referred to Old Testament stories,through which slaves identified with the"Hebrew Children" in their flight frombondage in Egypt.

The arrangement of lines and phrases inspirituals often includes a solo leader linethat carries the theme and development,interrupted regularly by the chorus whichrepeats again and again the same refrain.This style, referred to as "call-response,"has African origins. The 4-part harmonyalso heard in spirituals is European.

The words in Black spirituals often werecode words related to a means of escapeincluding "chariot" or "train." De GospelTrain and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot aresuch songs that relate directly to theUnderground Railroad-an organizationthat helped many slaves flee to the North.

Six years after slavery ended in America,The Fisk Jubilee Singers went about preserv-ing the traditions of spirituals by performingall over the northern states and in Europeand Asia. After this time, several composersbegan collecting the songs and writing them

down in the form of sheet music. Spiritualmusic became very popular in America.

Discuss the following questions withstudents:

What are times when we sing? (worship,birthdays, weddings, Christmas, funerals,other special holidays, patriotism) Are all ofthese events happy occasions? Explain.

Are there songs you have been taught bysomeone in your family? Oral traditions arecustoms passed from generation to generationrather than being written down. Because thesong or story is not written down, do youthink it changes through time? Explain.

African Americans picking cottonCourtesy of the Tennessee State Library & Archives

18

• Prepare students for listening to themusic. Ask them to get their ears ready to lis-ten and to open their minds and hearts.Students should keep a journal of thoughtsand questions that arise. If you have notgrown up listening to this music, you may besurprised to learn how it has influenced themusic you listen to everyday. It began inAfrica and evolved in the United States as areflection of the experiences of enslaved peo-ple, capturing their spirit and dreams.

• Listen to the following songs payingclose attention to the tone, rhythm, tempo, style,and words in the song. Ask students to com-plete an Observation Sheet, (p. 33) for eachsong. Some teachers may choose to have theirstudents write about the songs in their journals.

De Gospel Train #5 (escape song) sheet music included

*Hold On #12 (work song)

Wade in the Water #15sheet music included

• For older students, discuss the fol-lowing questions as a class or ask students torespond through journal writing.

Why do you think Black spiritual music isan important part of American history?What story does it tell? How do you think itaffects us today? What can you tell aboutthe slaves who sang these songs originally?

• For music classrooms, teachers maywish to sing the songs with their students.Sheet music for some songs is provided forthis purpose. Teachers may also wish to pre-pare students for singing the songs by listen-ing to the CD included with the lesson guide.


Song Title: ________________________________________________________________________

Describe the song: _________________________________________________________________

What is the song about? ____________________________________________________________

Do you think this song would be sung during worship or during work? Explain. _____________

Is there a soloist? __________________________________________________________________

Are there high parts and low parts? ___________________________________________________

Do you think this is a sad or a happy song? Explain. _____________________________________

Do you like the song? Why or why not? __________________________________________________

De Gospel Train #5 (escape song) sheet music included *Hold On #12 (work song) Wade inthe Water #15 sheet music included

* see Sheet Music in Helpful Resources

19

Lesson Five:

Listening to the Music




• 3.0 The student will use StandardEnglish conventions and proper spelling asappropriate to speaking and writing. Learningexpectations: 3.01 (3-8), 3.02 (3-8), 3.03 (3-8),3.04 (3-8)



similarities and differences among people,including their beliefs, knowledge, changes,values, and traditions. Student will explorethese elements of society to develop an appre-ciation and respect for the variety of humancultures. Learning expectations: 1.01 (6-8, 7),1.02 (K-5), 1.03 (K-5), 1.04 (6,7)

Geography• 3.0 Geography enables the students

to see, understand, and appreciate the web ofrelationships between people, places, andenvironments. Students will use the knowl-edge, skills, and understanding of concepts

within the six essential elements of geogra-phy: world in spatial terms, places andregions, physical systems, human systems,environment and society, and the uses ofgeography. Learning expectations: 3.01 (K-5,6, 7, 8) 3.2 (9-12)






20

relation to history and culture. Learning expec-tations: 9.1 (4), 9.2 (3,5)


and issues. Students will evaluate evidence todevelop comparative and causal analyses,and to interpret primary sources. They willconstruct sound historical arguments and per-spectives on which informed decisions in con-temporary life can be used. LearningExpectations: 5.03, 5.12 (4), 5.01, 5.02 (5),5.08, 5.18, 5.19 (8), 1.2, 1.3 (9-12).




Objectives: Students will listen to several spiri-tuals sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers to appre-

ciate the music and to identify the differentstyles of spirituals and the meaning of thewords. Students will listen critically to spiritualmusic to evaluate its distinctive qualities.Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Materials: CD player, In Bright Mansions CD(included with the lesson guide), paper, pen-cils, colored markers/crayons, sheet music forNobody Knows De Trouble I See.

Vocabulary Words: Call-response style, synco-pated style, long sustained phrase style, refrain.


Spirituals have several different styles interms of rhythm and structure. The call-response style has African origins. Voicestake turns answering each other andrepeating this pattern. It is a melodicfragment sung repeatedly by the chorus asan answer to the challenging lines of theleader. The leader sings one verse andthen the chorus answers with a refrain.*I'm Gonna Sing Till The Spirit Moves #1is an example of a call-response song.

A slow and sustained phrase song isanother song structure that is common inspirituals. These songs tend to have aslower tempo. He's Got the Whole Worldin His Hands #11 is an example of thistype of spiritual.

For the syncopated, segmented melody, thetempo is usually fast and the rhythm fea-tures a "swing". Syncopation is heightened

Lesson Five continued

Early Class at Fisk University

*see Web Links in Helpful Resources

21

Lesson Five continued

in group singing by multiple voices. Therhythm of such a spiritual is based on theswinging of head and body. The swaying ofthe body marks the regular beat, but moreor less strict in time. Wade in the Water#15 is an example of a syncopated song.

• Prepare students for listening to themusic. Ask them to get their ears ready to lis-ten and to open their minds and hearts.Students should keep a journal of thoughtsand questions that arise.

• Display sheet music for NobodyKnows De Trouble I See on an overhead pro-jector. Ask students to tell you what theynotice about each song when looking at thesheet music.

• Listen to the following songs from theIn Bright Mansions CD.

Nobody Knows De Trouble I See #8 (sus-tained phrase style)

*Rockin Jerusalem #7 (call-response andsyncopated style)

• Ask students to discuss the followingquestions as a class or to respond in their journals.

Does this sound like music you have heardbefore? If so, where?

Do you like this music? What do you likeor dislike about it? What is distinctive

about it? What musical instruments do youhear? Are voices musical instruments?Your students might say that they hear beautifulvoices. Some people have the gift of beautifulvoices. Do you think the singers have topractice? What would they need to practice?

Does the song tell a story? Write about ordraw pictures of what you hear in the words. How does the music make you feel? Howdoes this sound like music you listen to athome, at church, or elsewhere? Explain.

Is the song call-response, sustainedphrase, or syncopated style? Explain whyyou think this.

• For music classrooms, teachers maywish to sing the songs with their students. It mightalso be helpful to play the songs from the In BrightMansions CD included with this lesson guide.

Music City Walk of FamePhotograph by Kevin Schlatt Photography*see Web Links in Helpful Resources





• High School Speaking & Listening -The student will express ideas clearly andeffectively in a variety of oral contexts and

apply active listening skills in the analysis andevaluation of spoken ideas. (I, II, III, IV)




see, understand, and appreciate the web of

Lesson Six:

Taking a Stand: Singing to Save Fisk University

This school building was part of the Union Hospital Barracks where Fisk first started. It was brought to thepresent campus in 1877 and is known as “The Little Theater”.

22

23

Lesson Six continued

relationships between people, places, and envi-ronments. Students will use the knowledge,skills, and understanding of concepts within thesix essential elements of geography: world inspatial terms, places and regions, physical sys-tems, human systems, environment and socie-ty, and the uses of geography. Learning expec-tations: 3.01 (K-5, 6, 7, 8) 3.2 (9-12)

Music• 7.0 Students will

evaluate music and musicperformances. Learningexpectations: 7.1 (4, 5, 6-8, 9-12)

• 8.0 Students willunderstand relationshipsbetween music, the otherarts, and disciplines out-side the arts.

• 9.0 Students willunderstand music in relation tohistory and culture. Learning expec-tations: 9.1 (4), 9.2 (3,5)


and issues. Students will evaluate evidenceto develop comparative and causal analyses,and to interpret primary sources. They willconstruct sound historical arguments and per-spectives on which informed decisions in con-temporary life can be used. LearningExpectations: 5.03, 5.12 (4), 5.01, 5.02 (5),5.08, 5.18, 5.19 (8), 1.2, 1.3 (9-12).



cultures and their influences on the United States.

Objectives: Students will learn moreabout the original Fisk Jubilee

Singers to discuss what itmeans to take a stand for

something you believe in.Students identify an issuein about which they feelstrongly and develop aplan for taking action andmaking a difference.


Materials: Paper, pencil, chalk-board or white board, markers, chalk

Vocabulary Words: bigotry, freedmen,slavery, Civil Rights Act

Share this information with students:

Fisk University opened in 1866 in Nashville,Tennessee for freedmen by northern education-al interests (American MissionaryAssociation), as were so many of the schoolsfor Negroes which were established in theSouth after the civil war. The school wasnamed after U.S. General Clinton B. Fisk,

General Clinton B. Fisk

24

who made the founding contribution andsecured the school's first facilities. Classes atFisk were held in former Union Army hospitalbarracks. In 1871, under the leadership of Mr.George L. White, treasurer of Fisk, a group ofsingers were trained and organized to performand to raise money for Fisk. Fisk was strug-gling financially and was in great needof new buildings for the students.

In the face of hungerand bigotry, the stu-dents performedaround the mid-western and north-eastern states aswell as in Europe.They sang spiritu-als as representa-tives of Americanfreedmen. Theyrefused to sing forsegregated audiences anddenounced racism whenever they encoun-tered it. In 1875, the Singers returned toFisk with more than one hundred fiftythousand dollars. They had also generatedan interest in Negro education and in spir-ituals in America and around the world.

Discuss the following questions withstudents.Have you ever stood up for something?Why? What does it take in order to act?What methods are necessary to takeaction? Is it more effective to take actionin a group or on your own? Explain. What

do you think about what the Fisk JubileeSingers did in 1871?

• Ask students to discuss as a class anissue about which they feel strongly-somethingthey feel needs to change or improve (litter,animal cruelty, bullying, the poverty, wasting ofresources, hunger, etc). Make a class list of

these issues and determine one that themajority of students have an

interest. As a class, what doyou want to do about thisissue? What is realistic?How will you make this hap-pen? Develop a plan. Theclass project might be todevelop a recycling plan forthe school, if there isn't onealready. Students could writeletters to senators or congress-men about the issue.

Teacher Tip: For younger stu-

dents, teachers may want to discuss times

that students have helped others and put

themselves second. Rather than developing

a class project, younger students could

decide what action they could take to help

someone they know. They should report to

the class what they did and how they felt

doing it.

Lesson Six continued

TTennessee Historical Commissionennessee Historical Commission

Tennessee Historical Commission

Lesson Seven:

The Legacy of the Fisk Jubilee Singers





• High School Speaking & Listening -The student will express ideas clearly andeffectively in a variety of oral contexts and

apply active listening skills in the analysis andevaluation of spoken ideas. (I, II, III, IV)




see, understand, and appreciate the web of

Fisk University, Jubilee Hall, 2006 Photograph by Robert Cogswell

25

26

relationships between people, places, and envi-ronments. Students will use the knowledge,skills, and understanding of concepts within thesix essential elements of geography: world inspatial terms, places and regions, physical sys-tems, human systems, environment and socie-ty, and the uses of geography. Learning expec-tations: 3.01 (K-5, 6, 7, 8) 3.2 (9-12)



• 9.0 Students will understand music inrelation to history and culture. Learningexpectations: 9.1 (4), 9.2 (3,5)


and issues. Students will evaluate evidence todevelop comparative and causal analyses, andto interpret primary sources. They will con-struct sound historical arguments and perspec-tives on which informed decisions in contempo-rary life can be used. Learning Expectations:5.03, 5.12 (4), 5.01, 5.02 (5), 5.08, 5.18, 5.19(8), 1.2, 1.3 (9-12).


Individuals, Groups, and Interactions• 6.0 Appreciate the diversity of various

cultures and their influences on the United States.

Objectives: Students will define the term

"legacy" to understand better the legacy of theFisk Jubilee Singers.


Materials: Paper, Pencil

Vocabulary Words: Legacy (According toMiriam-Webster, "something transmitted by orreceived from an ancestor or predecessor orfrom the past")

Share this information with students.

The songs of the Fisk Jubilee Singersencouraged White people to look at BlackAmericans and their intellect in a differentway, not as those who came from slaveryand who suffered but those who shared arich culture. The singers were and are tal-ented and innovative and add enhance-ments to the art of harmony singing. Thistradition has been passed down from theoriginal singers to the current group.

Education and training have played animportant role in the survival and prolifer-ation of spiritual singing. In the late 19thand early 20th centuries, teachers in ruralprimary and secondary school classroomsroutinely included the singing of spiritualsin their curriculum. They stressed musicand voice training as well as sight-reading.Mr. White, leader of the original FiskJubilee Singers, maintained the spirit and

Lesson Seven continued

27


emotion of the music but added a more pol-ished and grammatically correct style to it.This really transformed the music from folkmusic to concert music.

Today, musical director Paul Kwamiexpects high quality and self-disciplinefrom the singers at all times. He encour-ages students to enunciate words in thesongs so that the audience can understandclearly. There are frequent rehearsals inwhich students are expected to be on timeand to be focused. Students are alsorequired to audition each year.

Although they were often criticized_foroverly refining the spirituals, for cateringtoo much to White tastes, for looking to theNorth for support, and for being tooassertive about equal rights_the FiskJubilee Singers paved the way for futureprofessional and semi-professional Blackreligious singing groups. Many Negro col-leges were inspired by Fisk to start theirown jubilee groups and drew upon direc-tors trained at Fisk to staff their programs.By the 1920's, concert performances byAfrican American jubilee ensembles wereso popular that record companies identifieda market for this music and begun record-ing them.

• Discuss these questions as a classor encourage students to respond to thesequestions in their journals.

What does it mean for something to have alegacy?Do you think the Fisk Jubilee Singers have alegacy? What is that legacy?

What other people or groups do you thinkhave left a legacy? Explain.

What does it take for something to last aslong as the Fisk Jubilee Singers have?

How has this music influenced music youhear everyday? Do you hear any similari-ties between the spiritual singing that youhave heard from the Fisk Jubilee Singersand the music you listen to at home,church, or elsewhere? Explain.

Fisk Jubilee Singers 2006 - 2007Photograph by Bill Steber

28


Colin Powel was the keynote speakerduring a commencement exercise at Fisk.

Dr. & Mrs. Bill Cosby present the largestprivate gift in the history of Fisk, 1.3 Million.

Georgia O’Keefe & Carl Van Vechten chat.Ms. O’Keefe presented to Fisk The AlfredStieglitz Collection of Modern Art in 1949.

President George Bush & President Ponderwhile visiting the Department of Interior inWashington D.C.

The Reverend Jessie Jackson spokeat Fisk before a special assembly.

Fisk University President Dr. Ponder watches asPresident Ronald Reagan signs legislation.

Fisk students protest segregation in front of Woolworth’s,Nashville, 1960

The photographs on this page can be found in “Thy Loyal Children Make Their Way”,A Pictorial History by Reavis Mitchell, Jr.

29

Lesson Eight:Preparing For the Live Performance




• 3.0 The student will use Standard Englishconventions and proper spelling as appropriate tospeaking and writing. Learning expectations: 3.01(3-8), 3.02 (3-8), 3.03 (3-8), 3.04 (3-8)






• 9.0 Students will understand music inrelation to history and culture. Learningexpectations: 9.1 (4), 9.2 (3,5)

Objective: Students will discuss the character-istics of listening to a live performance verseslistening to a previously recorded version.

Dr. Matthew Kennedy, retired, with 2006 Fisk Jubilee Singers. Dr. Kennedy is a former Fisk JubileeSinger who served as the groups musical director for three terms.

Photograph by Kevin Schlatt Photography

30

This lesson is designed for classes that willattend a live performance of the Fisk JubileeSingers or another concert spiritual performance.

• Discuss with your students the differ-ences between listening to a CD or the radioand seeing/hearing music live.

What are some of the differences? Haveyou ever been to see/hear music live?What type of music was it? Where did yougo to hear the music? Do you prefer tohear music live or at home on your CDplayer or on the radio? Explain.

• Share with students that one of theadvantages of being at a performance live isthat you can see the performers-how they

interact with one another, their techniques ofmaking music, how they move their mouths,hold their bodies (posture), how they introducetheir songs and respond to their songs (bodymovements, emotions, etc.). The Fisk JubileeSingers have always traveled to other cities,states, and countries to perform for people inconcert halls and churches.

• Encourage students to write in theirjournals about what they are looking forwardto in the live performance.

What do you expect it to be like? What doyou expect to hear or see in the performance?What questions might you have for the per-former(s) if you have an opportunity to ask?

Lesson Eight continued

Music City Walk of Fame, 2006 Fisk Jubilee Singers. Photograph by Kevin Schlatt Photography

31



ing and listening skills necessary for word

recognition, comprehension, interpretation,

analysis, evaluation, and appreciation for print

and non-print media.

• 3.0 The student will use Standard

English conventions and proper spelling as

appropriate to speaking and writing. Learning

expectations: 3.01 (3-8), 3.02 (3-8), 3.03 (3-8),

3.04 (3-8)

• High School Speaking and Listening -The student will express ideas clearly and effec-

tively in a variety of oral contexts and apply

active listening skills in the analysis and evalua-

tion of spoken ideas. (I, II, III, IV)


similarities and differences among people,

including their beliefs, knowledge, changes,

values, and traditions. Student will explore

these elements of society to develop an

appreciation and respect for the variety of

human cultures. Learning expectations: 1.01

(6-8, 7), 1.02 (K-5), 1.03 (K-5), 1.04 (6,7)

Geography• 3.0 Geography enables the students

to see, understand, and appreciate the web of

relationships between people, places, and

environments. Students will use the knowl-

edge, skills, and understanding of concepts

within the six essential elements of geography:

world in spatial terms, places and regions,

physical systems, human systems, environ-

ment and society, and the uses of geography.

Learning expectations: 3.01 (K-5, 6, 7, 8) 3.2

Understands the role of geography on the

growth and development of slavery. 9-12


ships between music, the other arts, and disci-

plines outside the arts.


relation to history and culture. Learning expec-

tations: 9.1 (4), 9.2 (3,5)


and issues. Students will evaluate evidence to

develop comparative and causal analyses,

and to interpret primary sources. They will

construct sound historical arguments and per-

spectives on which informed decisions in con-

temporary life can be used. Learning

Expectations: 5.03, 5.12 (4), 5.01, 5.02 (5),

8.5.19 (9-12)

United States History• Learning Expectation: 5.1 (9-12)

Lesson Nine:

What Did You Learn That You Didn't Know Before?

32



Objective: Students will evaluate what theyhave learned about the Fisk Jubilee Singersby comparing their perceptions at the begin-ning of the unit to what they know now.


Materials: Paper, Pencils, and Journals.

• Ask students to compare their ideasof Nashville as Music City at the beginning ofthis unit with what they know now. Encouragethem to share ideas with the class or to writein their journals. KWL chart to be completedfrom Lesson One.

• Ask students to refer to their notesfrom Lesson One and locate questions thatthey might have had about the Fisk JubileeSingers. Have all of your questions beenanswered? If not, how can you find theanswers? (refer to the list of references at theend of this guide)

• Write a letter to the current JubileeSingers. Tell them what you think of their

music. Ask them questions about what it islike to be a Jubilee Singer.

• If you could talk to the original FiskJubilee Singers, what would you say to them?What questions would you ask?

Lesson Nine: continued

WK L

Photograph of Paul T. Kwami at Music City Walkof Fame by Kevin Schlatt.

33

Student's Name:

Date: Class:

Song Title:

1. What is the song about?

2. Do you think this song would have been sung during work or worship? Explain your answer.

3. Describe the style of the song? Circle all that apply.

Call-response Syncopated Sustained phrase

Explain your answer(s).

4. Is there a soloist? If so, describe the soloist's voice.

5. How many parts do you hear in the song?

6. Do you hear high parts and low parts? Do you hear male and female voices? Explain.

Listening to the Music Observation Sheet

34

7. Do you think this is a happy or a sad song? Explain your answer.

8. Do you like the song? Why or why not?

9. Does this remind you of another song you have heard in this unit or one you have heard athome (radio, CD player), church or at a live performance? Explain your answer.

10. Draw a picture of images you hear described in the song or draw lines showing the tempo of thesong. Use colors that demonstrate the way the song makes you feel.

Listening to the Music Observation Sheet continued

35

Helpful Resources

I. BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Fisk Jubilee Singersand their influence

Abbott, Lynn and Doug Seroff. Out of Sight:The Rise of African American Popular Music,1889-1895. Jackson: University Press ofMississippi, 2003.ISBN: 1578064996.781.6408996/A1320.

Graham, Sandra J. The Fisk Jubilee Singersand the Concert Spiritual: the Beginnings ofan American Tradition. Ph. D. dissertation,New York University, 2001. 782.5253/G7421f.

Marsh, J.B.T. The Story of the Jubilee Singers,Including Their Songs. London: Hodder andStoughton, 1898. ISBN: 0486431320.783.8/M36s.

Seroff, Doug. "Nashville-Historic Capital ofSpiritual Singing," Gospel Arts Day Nashville1988 (program booklet, Nashville GospelMinistries, June 19, 1988), pp. 2-9.

______ . "'How Shall We Sing the Lord's Songin a Foreign Land?'," Gospel Arts DayNashville 1989 (program booklet, NashvilleGospel Ministries, June 18, 1989), pp. 2-9.

______ . "Mrs. James A. Myers, 1989 GospelArts Day Honoree," Gospel Arts DayNashville 1989 (program booklet, NashvilleGospel Ministries, June 18, 1989), pp. 13-19.

______ . "'A Voice in the Wilderness': The FiskJubilee Singers' Civil Rights Tours of 1879-1882, " Popular Music and Society 25, 1/2(Spring/Summer, 2001): 131-77.

Ward, Andrew. Dark Midnight When I Rise:the Story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. NewYork: Amistad, 2001. ISBN: 0060934824.782.4216296/W2563d 2001.

African-American Spirituals

Allen, William Francis, Ware, CharlesPickering, and Garrison, Lucy McKim. Slave Songs of the United States. NY: A.Simpson, 1867. Applewood Books 1996reprint. ISBN: 1557094349. 782.51629/S6318.

Epstein, Dena J. Sinful Tunes and Spirituals:Black Folk Music to the Civil War. Urbana:University of Illinois Press, 1997. ISBN:0252008758. 782.42162/E646s.

Fisher, Miles Mark. Negro Slave Songs in theUnited States. NY: Citadel Press, 1990. Reprintof the 1953 edition. ISBN: 0806500905.781.6296073/F5353n.

Genovese, Eugene D. Roll, Jordan, Roll: TheWorld the Slaves Made. NY: Vintage Books,1972. ISBN: 0394716523. 301.4493/G33r.

Goodson, Carol Ann, and Emily K. Sweezey.African American Spirtituals: ChoralArrangements - Tradition vs. Change.Chattanooga: The Southeast Center forEducation in the Arts, University of Tennesseeat Chattanooga, l994 and 1999. Advancedlevel lesson plans emphasizing choral per-formance and specific composers.

Jackson, George Pullen. White and NegroSpirituals. New York: J.J. Augustin, 1944.ISBN: 0306706679. 784.4/J12wh.

Teacher Tip ISBN numbers are provided and when available, call numbers from theNashville Public Library are included as well.

36

Johnson, James Weldon, and J. RosamondJohnson. The Books of American NegroSpirituals, including The Book of AmericanNegro Spirituals and the Second Book ofNegro Spirituals. New York : Da Capo Press,2002. ISBN: 0306812029. 783.67/B724, 1977.

Levine, Lawrence W. Black Culture and BlackConsciousness: Afro-American Folk Thoughtfrom Slavery to Freedom. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1978. ISBN: 0195023749.398.2/L66b.

Lovell, John, Jr. Black Song: The Forge and theFlame. The Story of How the Afro-AmericanSpiritual was Hammered Out. NY: ParagonHouse, 1986. Reprint of the 1972 edition.ISBN: 0913729531. 784.75/L89b.

Newman, Richard. Go Down Moses: ACelebration of the African American Spiritual.NY: Clarkson Potter, Inc., 1998. ISBN:0609600311. 782.25/N55g.

Spencer, Jon Michael. Black Hymnody: AHymnological History of the African-AmericanChurch. Knoxville: University of TennesseePress, 1992. ISBN: 087049760X. 781.71/Sp3b.Work, John W. American Negro Songs andSpirituals. New York : Crown publishers,1940. Dover reprint, 1998. ISBN: 0486402711.780.896073/A51267w.

Children's Books

Bryan, Ashley. All Night, All Day: AChildren's First Book of African AmericanSpirituals. New York: Atheneum, 1991, 2003.ISBN: 0689867867.

Cooper, Michael. Slave Spirituals and theJubilee Singers. New York : Clarion Books,c2001. ISBN: 0395978297.

Hopkinson, Deborah. A Band of Angels: AStory Inspired by the Jubilee Singers. NewYork : Atheneum Books for Young Readers,1998. ISBN: 0689810628. Picture book on EllaShepherd's story.

Lester, Julius, and Robert Brown. From SlaveShip to Freedom Road. New York : DialBooks, c1998. ISBN: 0140566694. Picturebook on the slave experience.

Winter, Jeanette. Follow the Drinking Gourd.New York : Knopf, 1988. ISBN: 0679819975.Picture book on the slave experience.

II. DISCOGRAPHY

Recent

Fisk Jubilee Singers, In Bright Mansions, Curb78762 (2003).Various groups including the Fisk JubileeSingers, Wade in the Water, Vol. 1: African-American Spirituals: The Concert Tradition,Smithsonian Folkways SFW40072 (1994). Avaliable from:http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.html.

Historical

Fisk Jubilee Singers, Vol. 1 (1909 - 1911),Document DOCD-5533 (1997).Avaliable from: http://www.document-records.com.

Fisk Jubilee Singers, Vol. 2 (1915 - 1920),Document DOCD-5534 (1997).Avaliable from: http://www.document-records.com.

Helpful Resources continued

37


Fisk Jubilee Singers, Vol. 3 (1924 - 1940),Document DOCD-5535 (1997). Available from: http://www.document-records.com.

The Earliest Negro Vocal Groups, Vol. 5 (1911 -1926), Document DOCD-5613 (1997).Available from: http://www.document-records.com.

Fisk Jubilee Singers. Folkways FW02372.Featuring 1955 group under direction of JohnWork III.Available from:http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.html.

Tuskeegee Institute Singers and Fisk UniversityJubilee Quartette, Old Time Spirituals #1 andOld Time Spirituals #2, spiritual selectionsrecorded from original 78 records.Available from:http://www.besmark.com/spiritual.html.

• Fisk Jubilee Singers, Wade in the Water, Vol. 1: African-American Spirituals: The Concert Tradition, Smithsonian Folkways SFW40072 (1994).Available from:http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.html.

• Fisk Jubilee Singers. Folkways FW02372. Featuring 1955 group under direction of John Work III.Available from:http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.html.

III. VIDEOGRAPHY

Connelly, Bernardine. Follow the DrinkingGourd: A Story of the Underground RailroadRowayton, Conn.: Rabbit Ears Productions ; NewYork : Distributed by BMG Music, c1992. DVD

adaptation of Jeanette Winter's children's book.

Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory. PBSHome Video, 2000. 1 hour. Originally pro-duced by Llewellyn Smith and WGHB,Boston, for the American Experienceseries.Teacher's Guide for film included atwww.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/singers/tguide/index.html.

A Spiritual Journey with the Fisk JubileeSingers. WKRN, Nashville, 2005. 22 minutefeature reissued with the Fisk Jubilee Singers:Singing Our Song teaching materials Teacher'sGuide for film included atwww.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/singers/tguide/index.html.

IV. WEB LINKS

Teachers Note: in addition to these Web

sources, the In Bright Mansions CD includ-

ed with this teachers' kit also contains

excellent interactive files with educational

content, accessed by inserting the disc in a

computer CD-ROM drive.

Official Web site of Fisk University, includinginformation on the school's history and JubileeDay: www.fisk.edu

Official Web site of the Fisk Jubileee Singers:www.fiskjubileesingers.org

Web site from the PBS Jubilee Singers: Sacrificeand Glory program, including teacher's guide tothe film and pages with interactive audio files: www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/singers/tguide/index.html

38


Site summarizing issues and information relat-ed to the spirituals, including lyrics:http://www.negrospirituals.com/

Anthology of digital audio files on the Website of the American Choral DirectorsAssociation, featuring selections by the FiskJubilee Singers from various periods:

http://www.acdaonline.org/cj/interactive/aug2004/Lesson plans on the role of the spirituals inAfrican American history and religion, forgrades 9-12, on a Web site supported by theNational Endowment for the Humanities:http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=318

Web site about Thomas WentworthHigginson's "Negro Spirituals," an 1867 maga-zine account of spirituals as sung by freedslaves fighting for the Union in the Civil War:http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/TWH/TWH_front.htmlUniversity of Denver multi-media educationalWeb site about the spirituals:http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/

A short lesson plan about spirituals using aquote from Frederick Douglass, lyrics andaudio files:http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/learning_history/spirituals/spirituals_menu.cfm

Page on the University of New MexicoTeachers' Institute site entitled "Why StudyAfrican American Music? United StatesHistory Unit," which includes content aboutthe spirituals:http://www.unm.edu/~abqteach/music/02-05-08.htm

V. SHEET MUSIC

Sheet music for the following songs may bepurchased by contacting these sources:

“Hold On” (arr. Jester Hairston; Bourne MusicCo., ASCAP). Avaliable from http://www.sheetmusicplus.com or

http://www.a-cappella.com

“I’m Gonna Sing Til the Spirit Moves” (arr.Moses Hogan; Hal Leonard Corp., ASCAP).Avaliable from http://www.halleonard.com/ or

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com

“Rockin Jerusalem” (arr. John Work III;Theodore Presser co., ASCAP).Avaliable from http://www.a-cappella.com or

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com

Special thanks to Kevin Schlatt Photography

To view more of these wonderful images, pleasego to the Web http://kevinschlatt.smugmug.com, contact info: [email protected] copyright 2007 Kevin Schlatt Photography

Sheet Music

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Sheet Music continued


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43Publication Authorization Number: 316527This publication was promulgated at a cost of 1.58 each. 3,000 copies printed.

No person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, or sex shall be excluded from participation in orotherwise be subjected to discrimination of services, programs and employment provided by the Tennessee Arts Commissionand its contracting agencies.For ADA inquiries, please contact Lisa Hester at 615-532-9797 or Tennessee Relay Center 1-800-848-0298 (TTY) or 1-800-848-0299 (voice).

tennessee arts commission fisk jubilee singers: teacher's guide

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