Spirituals: Songs From an Enslaved People

Learn the language of spirituals while participating in song, presented by Donnell Carr.  The African American spiritual is widely recognized as a singular and vitally important form of American folksong.  A glossary of terms and phrases will be provided to illuminate the messages embedded in the lyrics. Donnell has lived in Westfield, NJ for 42 years. He was born in Nashville, TN where he grew up surrounded by music, especially the Blues, Gospel and the African American Spirituals. Donnell lived just a few blocks from the famous giver of the Spirituals to the world, Fisk (then college) University. He attended Pearl High School in Nashville, a then all black school, separated by legal - albeit unconstitutional -segregation, that was known for outstanding academics and athletics. It was also known for its music program that performed the spirituals adopted from Fisk. Donnell was immersed in and enriched by this music of the enslaved, and on occasions over the years has performed it as a soloist.