Sweet Honey in the Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock | |
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Seat: | Washington, DC |
Founding: | 1973 |
Genus: | Women's choir |
Founder: | Bernice Johnson Reagon |
Voices : | 6 ( SA ) |
Website : | http://www.sweethoney.com/ |
Sweet Honey in the Rock is an African-American female a cappella vocal ensemble. The group was founded in 1973 by Bernice Johnson Reagon (* 1942) together with Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson and Mie in Washington, DC from members of the DC Black Repertory Theater Company. The line-up of the choir has changed several times over the years.
The name is derived from the 81st Psalm ( Ps 81.17 EU ). The group follows the Afro-American musical tradition. The repertoire is fed by black church music , the choirs of the civil rights movement and songs of the struggle for universal justice. Stylistically, it includes blues , spirituals , traditional gospel anthems , rap , reggae , African chants , hip-hop , old lullabies and jazz improvisations . Occasionally the singers accompany each other with percussion instruments .
The group goes on concert tours in the US and worldwide and has released several albums.
Recordings
- Sweet Honey In The Rock , LP, Flying Fish 1976.
- B'Lieve I'll Run On ... See What the End's Gonna B , LP, Redwood Records, 1978.
- Good News , LP, Flying Fish, 1981.
- We All ... Everyone of Us , LP, Flying Fish, 1983.
- The Other Side , Flying Fish, CD, 1985.
- Feel Something Drawing Me On , CD, Flying Fish, 1985.
- Live at Carnegie Hall , CD, Flying Fish, 1988.
- Breaths , CD, 1988.
- All for Freedom , CD, Music for Little People, 1989.
- Breaths-Best of Sweet Honey In The Rock , Cooking Vinyl , 1989.
- In This Land , CD, EarthBeat! Music, 1992.
- Still on the Journey , CD, EarthBeat! Music, 1993.
- I Got Shoes , CD, Music for Little People, 1994.
- Sacred Ground , CD, EarthBeat! Music, 1995.
- Selections (1976-1988) , 2 CDs, Rounder Records, 1997.
- ... Twenty five ... , enhanced CD, Rykodisc, 1998.
- Still The Same Me , CD, 2000.
- Alive in Australia , CD, 2003.
- The Women Gather , CD, 2003.
- Endings and Beginnings , CD, 2004.
- Raise Your Voice , CD, 2005.
literature
- Bernice Johnson Reagon: We Who Believe In Freedom: Sweet Honey In The Rock: Still on the Journey . Anchor Books, 1993
Web links
- Biography from musicianguide.com