Awakening song

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The revival song (also: gospel song , healing song , isolated religious song , in English: gospels , Gospel Hymn ) is a kind of spiritual song from the American church music , especially from the 19th century.

In addition to Fanny Crosby , Philip P. Bliss and Ira D. Sankey are among the most important representatives of the revival song. The latter published several volumes of Gospel Hymns , song books of the revival movement , in connection with an evangelism campaign with Dwight Moody , of which he was a cantor and composer . The songs in it were well-known church hymns , camp meeting spirituals , Sunday school songs, songs from the YMCA songbook or new compositions by composers from the northern states. In 1874 Philip P. Bliss published his fifth collection of songs under the title Gospel Songs .

The revival song (Gospel song ) is to be distinguished from the more general term gospel , which was used in English for hymns as early as the 17th century . Today sentimental hymns, ecclesiastical folk songs, shape-note hymns and spirituals are also referred to as gospels .

history

Emergence

In the second half of the 19th century there were more spiritual awakenings in the urban north of the USA . Important sponsors were so-called camp meetings , interdenominational prayer events and evangelism campaigns ( crusades ). The extremely grown cities of New York City , Boston and Chicago in particular were focal points of this religious movement, which was supported by a proletariat of factory workers. This environment called for easily learnable new hymns with simple and stirring melodies in which the evangelistic message was conveyed in an attractive and uncomplicated way. At first, hymns in the style of the Sunday School Song were often sung at revivals . However, new songs for revival soon took on various religious and secular influences under which the style is the Sunday School songs developed in the 1850s / 60s to 80s in the 1870s / year to a type that in English usage as a gospel song , Gospel Hymn , White Gospel or Northern White Gospel and is known in German as Awakening Song , Evangeliumslied and Heilslied .

root

The earliest influences of the gospel song come from the Camp Meeting Song and American folk music, especially the Irish or Scottish people of the Appalachians. The shape note tradition of the mid-19th century also influenced the gospel song .

The central influences of the gospel song, however, come from popular secular music of the mid to late 19th century: Parlor songs by Stephen (Collins) Foster (the songwriter of Oh! Susanna ) and others, the style of popular ballads such as The Battle Hymn of the Republic or When Johnny Comes Marching Home , the rhythm and melody of the music of the American brass bands (by composers such as John Philip Sousa , Henry Fillmore or Karl King ), which began as early as the 1850s and intensified as military marching music during the Civil War (1861-1865 ) was present throughout the northern states.

The development from the Sunday School Song to the Gospel Song took place in the context of American romanticism , which was of great importance for the aesthetics of both secular and spiritual American culture in the late 19th century. Death, always present through high child mortality, through epidemics (in Memphis, 10% of the population died from an epidemic in 1873) and through the Civil War (1861–1865) with over 630,000 victims, is in numerous secular ballads about abandoned dying girls, about ship accidents, about fallen soldiers and about fresh graves on sunlit heather, about ghosts and about life after death . The sea, the homeland and the mother are also the focus of popular poetry.

Well-known composers

The most important composers of the song of revival include:

  • the literature professor and Baptist preacher Robert Lowry (1826–1899), who composed over 500 gospel songs, including Shall We Gather at the River (1864, melody also used for What Jubilation, What Joy ), One more Day's Work for Jesus (text by Anna Bartlett Warner (1820-1915), German by Theodor Kübler as Ein Tagwerk für den Heiland ) and Let the hearts always be happy (text by Johann Abraham Reitz based on an English model by Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)),
  • William H. Doane (1832–1915), composer of the melodies Pass me not, O gentle savior (1870, text by Fanny Crosby , German by C. Ott as Gehe nicht über, o Heiland ), brothers, on to the work and take the Name of Jesus with You (1899, text by Lydia Baxter (1809–1874), German by Ernst Gebhardt as O, how sweet Jesus' name sounds! ),
  • Charles C. Converse (1832–1918), composer of What a Friend We Have in Jesus (1868, text by Joseph M. Scriven (1819–1886), German by Ernst Gebhardt as Welch ein Freund ist Unser Jesus ),
  • Philip Bliss (1838–1876), director of a music institute in Chicago, from 1874 musical partner of the preacher Major Daniel Webster Whittle at evangelism events and editor of the Gospel Songs collection (1874), composer and lyricist of Will You Meet Me at the Fountain (1874, German by Ernst Gebhardt as I meet you at the source ) and At the feet of Jesus (1876, German as Zu des Heilands Füssen ), composer of Precious Promise (text by Nathanie Niles, German as Reiches Promise ) and Often you scatter seeds on the hard way ,
  • William J. Kirkpatrick (1838–1921), composer of He Lifted Me (text by Fanny Crosby , German by Chr. Reuss as I am redeemed, blessed in Jesus ),
  • Ira D. Sankey (1840–1908), initially superintendent of Sunday School and choir director, longstanding collaboration with the outstanding evangelist Dwight L. Moody (1837–1899) as his music director (leader of chant at evangelism events), also on evangelism campaigns in England ; Editor of various song collections and composer of 1,200 songs, including Light after Darkness (text by Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879), German by Johanna Meyer as Licht nach dem Dunkel ), Fading away like the stars of the morning (text by Horatius Bonar , German as The same as the shimmering stars fade ) and There are lonely Hearts to Cherish (1881, text by George Cooper , German by Walter Rauschenbusch as Manches Herz almost wants to tire ),
  • James Mac Granahan (1840–1907), composer of O Word of Words (1876, German by Ernst Heinrich Gebhardt as I know a word so wonderful ),
  • George Coles Stebbins (1846–1945), choirmaster in Chicago and Boston , composer of Come with Thy Sins to the Fountain (1885, text by Fanny Crosby , German by W. Appel as Come to the source of life ) and Wo keine Wolke more piles (text by Walter Rauschenbusch based on an English template by LW Mansfield).

The late song compositions by William Batchelder Bradbury (1816–1868) and George Frederick Root (1820–1895) also fall into this style.

The most productive and important lyricist of the revival song was Fanny (Jane) Crosby , who wrote over 8000 texts that were used for gospel songs, in addition to the z. B. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine (German by Heinrich Rickers as Blessed Knowledge, Jesus is mine , set to music by Phoebe Knapp-Palmer ), Safe in the Arms of Jesus (1868, German by Ernst Heinrich Gebhardt as O in the arms of Jesus or Safe in Jesus' arms , set to music by William Howard Doane ) (1832–1915) and Thou My Everlasting Portion (1874, German by Dora Rappard as Herr, mein Heiland und mein Hirte , set to music by Silas Jones Vail ).

Characteristic

Typical for the revival song of the 1870s and 1880s is an omnipresent dotted rhythm with mostly straight beat ( Pass me not, O gentle savior ) or alternatively a beat composed of groups of three with a swinging rhythm ( At the feet of Jesus ). The harmonic motion is easy to understand and is based almost exclusively on the three basic functions of major - scale . The melodic material of a gospel song is usually very limited, often based on triads, pentatonic and repeated notes with occasional chromatics. The individual lines are created through repetition, sequencing or reversal of fewer motifs, often as parallel pairs of antecedent with modulation and subsequent clause with back- modulation ( fading away like the stars of the morning ). Most gospel songs have a refrain, sometimes with obligatory accompaniments to reclining tones in the melody ( where no more clouds are piling up ).

The aim of the gospel songs, to convey the evangelistic message in a catchy, memorable and attractive way, is clearly reflected in the texts: The usual textual content of gospel songs is the call to conversion or to (missionary) work for the Lord or the description of uncomplicated emotions like the joy of having found the Savior or the security in Jesus Christ. Complex theology, differentiated emotions or special poetic elaboration are missing.

The gospel songs became very popular at revival meetings. They found their way into numerous official hymn books. Many of them have been translated into German and have since become a permanent part of church services in Germany, especially in free church communities .

Recordings (selection)

Below is a list of publications specially dedicated to the revival song, some of which may, however, also contain other sacred compositions such as chorales and German hymns.

year title Interpreter Label
1975 Evergreens
The most beautiful gospel songs
Peter van Woerden Good news in the song
1977 When peace with God permeates my soul
Large orchestras play popular gospel songs
Rick Powell , Otis Skillings , Tom Keene with orchestras Hänssler Music
1977 Gordon Schultz plays gospel music Gordon Schultz Hänssler Music
197? Gospel hymn gems Wolfhard Bach Sela
197? Gospel song jewels Harry Schmadtke Sela
1983 Star that I look at
revival songs
Margret Birkenfeld with the Wetzlar studio choir S&G
1985 Closer, my God, to you songs of
faith
Margret Birkenfeld with the Wetzlar studio choir S&G
1987 What a friend is our Jesus songs of
faith
Margret Birkenfeld with the Wetzlar studio choir S&G
1988 The Most Beautiful Gospel Songs 1 Johannes Nitsch with his studio choir Hänssler Music
1988 The Most Beautiful Gospel Songs 2 Johannes Nitsch with his studio choir Hänssler Music
1991 The Most Beautiful Gospel Songs 3 Johannes Nitsch with his studio choir Hänssler Music
1991 The Most Beautiful Gospel Songs 4 Johannes Nitsch with his studio choir Hänssler Music
1992 The Most Beautiful Gospel Songs 5 Johannes Nitsch with his studio choir Hänssler Music
1993 The Most Beautiful Gospel Songs 6 Claus Feldmann with his studio choir Hänssler Music
2004 Closer, my God, to you
pan flute arrangements of popular gospel songs
Andreas Baltaga Gerth media
2012 The 10 best - salvation songs Elsa & Ernst August Eicker ; Ulrich Brück ; Wilfried Mann ; Renate Lüsse ; Wilfried Reuter ; Peter van Woerden ; Radio choir of the Beatenberg Bible School ; Youth for Christ Choir ; Derschlag youth singing group ; Derschlag men's choir Gerth media

literature

  • Philip Paul Bliss (Ed.): Gospel Songs 1874
  • Philip Paul Bliss, Ira David Sankey (Eds.): Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs 1875
  • Ernst Gebhardt (Ed.): Gospel songs . Basel 1880
  • Gregor Pullen Jackson: Another Sheaf Of White Spirituals . Folklore Press, New York 1981
  • Jack Schrader: Sing Joyfully Tabernacle Publishing Company, Illinois 1989

Individual evidence

  1. Whoever wants to come to APWiki; as evidence of the use of the term "awakening song"; Retrieved August 30, 2013
  2. Emanual Gohle in APWiki; Retrieved August 29, 2013
  3. ^ Ernst Gebhardt : Gospel songs. 1880 Basel
  4. ^ Karl Heinz Voigt: Theodor Christlieb (1833–1899) / The Methodists, the Community Movement and the Evangelical Alliance, Edition Ruprecht , accessed on August 30, 2013
  5. John MacArthur: The change in music history over the last 150 years . ( Memento of the original from August 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 720 kB) translated by Lars Kilian; Retrieved August 30, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kfg.org