Shouting the Church: Narrative and Vocal Improvisation in African-American Gospel Quartet Performance

Abstract

Isolating the standard verse and chorus lyrics of African-American gospel songs leads to the erroneous conclusion that the gospel message is solely otherworldly and future oriented. But a broader performance analysis reveals that chanted narratives that preface and connect songs, as well as the improvised drive sections that stretch songs into spiritual invocations, serve to unite singers and their listeners in the immediacy of ritual communitas. Participants feel the joy of the Holy Spirit here and now and do not have to wait for Heaven to rejoice. THE BASIC MESSAGE of 20th-century African-American gospel song resonates clearly. The lyrics to most compositions center on the New Testament promise of salvation through personal commitment to Christ; individual listeners are urged to transcend the burdens of this world to find eternal joy with the Almighty. In his provocative survey of the content of black gospel songs, Jon Michael Spencer observes Jesus Christ is Everything-Friend, Protector, and Liberator-because he is portrayed as the Ultimate Alternative to a world that is essentially nothing (1990:221). Although gospel lyrics dwell on the hardship and despair of the human condition, the overall tone is one of joy, celebration, and optimism. Gospel songs convey the message that man's worldly problems, troubles, sorrows, and burdens can be overcome by having faith and believing in Christ, concludes Portia Maultsby (1979:14; see also Raichelson 1975:315-329). But a closer examination of gospel lyrics raises interesting questions regarding the nature of earthly and heavenly rewards. For example, Lawrence Levine observes that the themes of many popular gospel songs are otherworldly and future oriented. Heaven is generally depicted as removed from the listener's present earthly situation-a reward to be obtained only in the afterlife. In differentiating black gospel songs from the older spirituals, Levine writes the following about gospel: