Music of "Freedom Song"

All music that tells the story of redemption through Jesus Christ is gospel music.  Yet in some circles "gospel music" is confined to a niche -- a certain style of music; a style of music associated with African-Americans. 

In that sense, components of "gospel music" are symbolized by two easily identifiable symbols: a choir and robes.  These symbols come from a powerful aesthetic in African-American heritage; yet there are dangers in defining gospel music and African-Americans by these two symbols alone.

One danger is that of co-opting the sound of gospel music for other messages.  Think, for instance, how often you have heard "gospel music" in a film, television program or commercial, none of which is associated with the gospel of Christ? Enjoyable as the sound may be, the listener must discern the context.

The other danger is underestimating the impact of other styles of music upon liberating Africans in America.  That liberation developed as the robed-choirs connected the music of the times with the lyrics from which they were rooted:  the Hebrew and New Testament scriptures those that professed good news gospel music of Jesus Christ as He intended -- to link man and God.

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Hear "Free Indeed" based on John 8:36.

Exploring that link, and telling the story of how gospel music has developed in the United States is the purpose of "Freedom Song," one of the ensemble plays from the Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries history cycle.  The script was created in 2011 as reader's theater presentation in response to a  request for a church's African-American History month program.  Since then, "Freedom Song" has been presented annually as part of church and corporate commemorations in February.  Because of those performances, "Freedom Song" has received subsequent off-season productions - not just during African-American history month.  The  themes extend beyond just February and beyond the topic of physical slavery in the U.S.  The weaving of Scripture, song history and musical genres create a tale of liberation through Christ from an assortment of enslaving circumstances and behaviors.

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Over 30 songs from America's colonial slavery to millennial technology bondage are sampled, dramatized and  in the program that is staged as an abbreviated one-act or movie-length  outreach complete with a post-performance talk-back.  In the course of the evening, the audience receives new insight into traditional, beloved gospel music, and is introduced to newer selections that don't have the gospel music sound, but deliver the gospel of Christ message.   

Researching the songs that inspired the script provided more insight than performance times allow.  Nevertheless, the insights and sounds are too important to NOT share.  And so, we compiled most of the songs that inspired the script's creation into a playlist, assembled on our KIT Ministries YouTube Channel, and have written short essays about each song or song sequence.  We will post those essays and the songs on these pages and our social media pages in coming days as our commemoration of  how Scriptures have shaped African-America.

For starters, we present the entire playlist here along with a brief introduction to the show.   By listening to the playlist, you'll find unlikely musical connections between  Czechoslovakian classical composer Anton Dvorak and American folk icon Paul Robeson; poet James Weldon Johnson and rappers Doughboy the Midwest Maestro and DJ Kool Rod;  Peter, Paul  & Mary, and Mavis Staples.  You'll also see rare performances by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson and Richie Havens, and provocative movie clips the voice of African-Americans and  gospel music in film.

​ Visit our Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages for daily posts on individual songs.  Most of the songs will be posted during African-American History Month.  However, don't be surprised if posting continues into the days after Feb. 28.  Just as African-American history occurs beyond the end of February, the gospel of Christ cannot be contained to just 28 days.

Please consider adding the entire "Freedom Song" playlist to your YouTube channel.

A History of Gospel Music

For those who wish to learn about the genre of "gospel music," we recommend, "Make a Joyful Noise!  A Brief History of Gospel Music Ministry in America," available in print or audiobook.  The book was written by Kathryn B. Kemp and is narrated by KIT Ministries Founding Director Michael Edgar Myers and award-winning audiobook actor Barbara Ann Martin.

Dr. Kemp gives great detail and colorful anecdotes about how many gospel songs in the U.S. developed through painstaking adaptation and recording from their roots among African Tribes and maintained throughout despite the efforts to disassociate the slaves from those roots on these shores.

Kemp also relates the development of those songs on record, mostly through the efforts of Rev. James Cleveland, founder of the Gospel Music Workshop of America.

LEARN MORE

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Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries is a department of Artists in Christian Testimony Intl, a fully registered 501(c)(3) organization since 1973. ​ Please partner with us presenting the gospel by making a donation. Your donation is completely tax-deductible, and you will receive a receipt for all your contributions for tax purposes. ​

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