Slave Spirituals and the Jubilee Singers (Hardcover)
Description
Many slave spirituals—songs such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” and “Go Down, Moses”—have become interwoven into the fabric of American culture. For centuries these deeply moving songs were sung by slaves as they worked in the fields. In 1871, six years after the end of slavery, a group from Fisk University known as the Jubilee Singers toured the United States and abroad, raising money for their bankrupt school and, more important, bringing slave spirituals to the attention of a wide audience. This engrossing account, illustrated with archival prints and photographs and appended with the words and music to seven songs, tells the inspiring story of the Jubilee Singers and reveals spirituals to be an invaluable and unique history of American slavery.
About the Author
Michael L. Cooper has written books on various aspects of American history for young adults, including a companion book, Fighting for Honor: Japanese Americans and World War II, which was named a 2002 Best Book for Young Adults.
Praise For…
"[T]he glimpses of slave life and the fine legacy of the music are interesting and welcome bits of history." Horn Book
null Children's Books: 100 Titles NYPL
The first half of this intriguing book surveys the music of African American slaves, while the latter focuses on the Jubilee Singers. . . . Cooper tells an interesting story, illustrated with well-chosen black-and-white reproductions of period photos, engravings, posters, prints, and paintings.
Booklist, ALA
This attractive, well-illustrated book tells the story of the famous Jubilee Singers, who popularized and helped preserve slave spirituals following the Civil War.
VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) —