Everybody can sing, as long as you can hum up or down a few notes in your range you can
Gospel
| Try a Gospel songs with your friends | |
| Thomas Dorsey (b. 1899) is credited in coining the phrase “gospel music”. As a prolific composer and choir leader, he incorporated vocal “call and response” into this generally religious music. It’s spiritual feeling is merged with moaning and pleading vocals, which led on to jump blues and early soul singers like the Staples Singers and rockabilly singers like Elvis Presley. Ray Charles and Sam Cooke also performed gospel music but Aretha Franklin, who is famed to be America’s most famous gospel singer took gospel to a different level. (Shuker Page 154) | |
| Song | Music & Lyrics |
| Down to the River to Pray (1867) | Traditional |
| Technical Traits | Stylistic Traits |
| Vocal agility Depth and warmth of vocal tone (Low Larynx) to boost lower frequencies Smooth Transition through registers Regaular movement between registers to enhance emotion Vibrato to accent longer phrases | Call and response vocalAd-libs Melismatic phrases Emotional commitment Group vocal |
| Other Songs in this Genre | |
| Here I am To Worship – Hillsong Worship Shackles (Praise You) – Mary Mary. The Cross – Prince Mary Don’t You Weep – Aretha Franklin Oh Happy Day – The Edwin Hawkins Singers | |