Lining out the word : Dr. Watts hymn singing in the music of Black Americans

This book, a milestone in American music scholarship, is the first to take a close look at an important and little-studied component of African American music, one that has roots in Europe, but was adapted by African American congregations and went on to have a profound influence on music of all kinds from gospel to soul to jazz. Lining out, also called Dr. Watts hymn singing, refers to hymns sung to a limited selection of familiar tunes, intoned a line at a time by a leader and taken up in turn by the congregation. From its origins in seventeenth-century England to the current practice of lining out among some Baptist congregations in the American South today, William Dargan s study illuminates a unique American music genre in a richly textured narrative that stretches from Isaac Watts to Aretha Franklin and Ornette Coleman. "Lining Out the Word "traces the history of lining out from the time of slavery, when African American slaves adapted the practice for their own uses, blending it with other music, such as work songs. Dargan explores the role of lining out in worship and pursues the cultural implications of this practice far beyond the limits of the church, showing how African Americans wove African and European elements together to produce a powerful and unique cultural idiom. Drawing from an extraordinary range of sources including his own fieldwork and oral sources Dargan offers a compelling new perspective on the emergence of African American music in the United States. "Copub: Center for Black Music Research" Frontmatter LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (page ix) PREFACE (page xi) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (page xv) Introduction (page 1) PART I. THE PROVERBIAL TREES: PATTERNS OF CHANGE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC MAKING 1. "Blest Be the Tie That Binds": Part I: Congregational Singing as a Worship Ethos for Dr. Watts Hymns (page 23) 2. "Blest Be the Tie That Binds": Part II: Regional Style Traditions of Dr. Watts Hymn Singing (page 46) 3. "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past": The Tradition of Dr. Watts in English Historical Perspective (page 90) 4. "Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee": The Tradition of Dr. Watts in African Historical Perspective (page 103) 5. "I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cries": The Role of Dr. Watts Hymns in the Musical Acculturation of African Americans (page 120) 6. "Go Preach My Gospel, Saith the Lord": Words as Movers and Shakers in African American Music (page 140) PART II. THE PROVERBIAL FOREST: WEBS OF SIGNIFICANCE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC MAKING 7. "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say": The Singing Life of the Reverend Doctor C.J. Johnson (1913-1990) (page 169) 8. "Come Ye That Love the Lord": The Lining Out—Ring Shout Continuum and the Five-Key Sequence (page 193) 9. "God Moves in a Mysterious Way": The Lining Out—Ring Shout Continuum beyond Church Walls (page 214) Conclusion (page 235) Appendix A. Selection of Transcribed and Discussed Performances (page 243) Appendix B. Partial Annotated List of Recorded Lining-Out Performances Held in the Archive of Folk Culture, Library of Congress (page 257) NOTES (page 261) BIBLIOGRAPHY (page 285) DISCOGRAPHY (page 303) INDEX (page 305) This book, a milestone in American music scholarship, is the first to take a close look at an important and little-studied component of African American music, one that has roots in Europe, but was adapted by African American congregations and went on to have a profound influence on music of all kinds--from gospel to soul to jazz. "Lining out," also called Dr. Watts hymn singing, refers to hymns sung to a limited selection of familiar tunes, intoned a line at a time by a leader and taken up in turn by the congregation. From its origins in seventeenth-century England to the current practice of lining out among some Baptist congregations in the American South today, William Dargan's study illuminates a unique American music genre in a richly textured narrative that stretches from Isaac Watts to Aretha Franklin and Ornette Coleman. Lining Out the Word traces the history of lining out from the time of slavery, when African American slaves adapted the practice for their own uses, blending it with other music, such as work songs. Dargan explores the role of lining out in worship and pursues the cultural implications of this practice far beyond the limits of the church, showing how African Americans wove African and European elements together to produce a powerful and unique cultural idiom. Drawing from an extraordinary range of sources--including his own fieldwork and oral sources--Dargan offers a compelling new perspective on the emergence of African American music in the United States.--Publisher description This book takes a close look at an important and little-studied component of African American music, one that has roots in Europe, but was adapted by African American congregations and went on to have a profound influence on music of all kinds—from gospel to soul to jazz. “Lining out,” also called Dr. Watts hymn singing, refers to hymns sung to a limited selection of familiar tunes, intoned a line at a time by a leader and taken up in turn by the congregation. From its origins in seventeenth-century England to the current practice of lining out among some Baptist congregations in the American South today, this study illuminates a unique American music genre in a narrative that stretches from Isaac Watts to Aretha Franklin and Ornette Coleman. The book traces the history of lining out from the time of slavery, when African American slaves adapted the practice for their own uses, blending it with other music, such as work songs. It explores the role of lining out in worship and the cultural implications of this practice far beyond the limits of the church, showing how African Americans wove African and European elements together to produce a powerful and unique cultural idiom. Drawing from a wide range of sources—including his own fieldwork and oral sources—the author offers a new perspective on the emergence of African American music in the United States