Jazz and Gospel often intersect at the Pentecostal church. Elder Charles Beck was a Singer-preacher from COGIC that used his music to spread his ministry.
“Delilah”, Elder Charles Beck. 1946.
New Year’s Eve services or “Watch Night” services often had a “watch man” who would keep track of the time throughout the service until midnight. Periodically, the watch man would be asked to report the time.
“Ask The Watch Man How Long”, Moving Star Hall Singers. 1967.
“Shout, Daniel, Shout—”
New Year’s Eve “shouts” would be held after the regular worship services and could last throughout the night.
New Year’s Eve Shout, McIntosh County, GA. 1980’s.
“The Lord done delivered me, why should I be bound?”, 1972.
Thinking about Black Pentecostal music and the refusal of silence in space. Shouts, amps, pianos, hands, and feet fill the space, but linger outside— the space also being an instrument refusing to hold noise…
@Nay_Landell@stewartdantec The sound of Caribbean-influenced Pentecostal worship is so interesting! Even the clapping is very specific to them, I love it.
“In the world, but not of the world”. Many black Pentecostal churches were started here— the streets. Outdoors. In the world. But they believed in a world beyond the current. In that world, there’s different power—
“Power, Lord”, Carrie Robinson. 1965.
“Blow your trumpet—”
Hall Johnson Choir, 1930.
The choir was organized in 1925 & became known after being in the Broadway show & the 1936 movie, The Green Pastures . The choir was also featured in Dumbo (Hall Johnson was also “Preacher Crow”), Snow White, and other films.