Sounding Spirit Singing School: “New Book” Gospel Singing (second of 3 public events)

Friday, April 4, 2025, 7:30 – 9pm EDT

Have you ever wanted to know more about the origins of American popular music? We invite you to the Sounding Spirit Singing School, where you’ll learn about Southern sacred music, which has influenced everything from gospel to blues and pop.

Register for the public singing school events at https://soundingspirit.eventbrite.com/

Three events are open to the public at no charge. The second is:

Friday, Apr. 4, 7:30-9 p.m.: “New Book” Gospel Singing with Tom Powell

“New book” gospel conventions became popular in the early twentieth century as community events where seven-shape gospel publishers introduced their latest music books. In this public session, we’ll be singing from old “new books” featured in the Sounding Spirit Digital Library and contemporary seven-shape gospel publications. Tom Powell, director of instruction at the Alabama School of Gospel Music, will be leading with renowned gospel pianist Tracey Phillips. Tracey has taught and accompanied for many years at Ben Speer's Stamps Baxter School of Music and the Alabama School of Gospel Music.

See related entries for:

Friday, Apr. 4, 4-5:30 p.m..: Four-Shape Singing School with David Ivey, Candler School of Theology
Saturday, Apr. 5, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Choral Singing School with Derrick Fox, Cannon Chapel

Specific locations and more details can be found at https://soundingspirit.org/singing-school/.

You can also visit “Singing the Sacred,” an exhibit at Pitts Theology Library that features Southern vernacular songbooks published between 1850 and 1925. These songbooks reflect the musical traditions of various religious groups, as well as changes in publishing methods, sacred music styles, and society in general.

Presented by the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship and the Sounding Spirit Digital Library project. Sponsored by the Hightower Fund.
 

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Alumni, Arts, Campus Life & Student Orgs, College, Community, Faculty, Graduate, Humanities, Religion & Ethics, Special Event, Theology