Spirituals, Gospel Hymns, Art Songs by Black Composers

An uplifting afternoon of art songs, gospel hymns, and spirituals will be performed at the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair (PCUM) on Sunday March 27, at 3:00 pm. The concert pays tribute to the experience, heritage, and contributions of some of the finest Black composers and arrangers, such as Howard Swanson, John Carter, and Andraé Crouch.

Beloved spirituals and hymns will be performed, including “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” “Were You There,” “Standing in the Need of Prayer,” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow” (made famous by Ethel Waters). The program also features contemporary pieces by the celebrated recording artist/composer/arranger Damien Sneed, showcasing musical styles from African rhythms to spirituals to gospel, all interwoven in the classical genre.

A highlight of the program is the moving art song by Howard Swanson “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” which sets to music the poem by Langston Hughes. It takes listeners on a soulful journey across rivers from the Euphrates to the Nile to the Mississippi, reflecting the African experience in history. The river symbolizes the timelessness of the human soul: “I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”

Art songs strive to be the perfect combination of music and literature. “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” creates a duet between the accompanist and vocalist to paint a musical picture of what the poet envisioned. It was dedicated to the great opera singer Marian Anderson who, because of the color of her skin, was denied a stage at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. She later performed outdoors at the Lincoln Memorial to an audience of 75,000 people.

The concert features PCUM vocalists Renae Baker, Geraldine Leer, Angela Starks, Ravon Middlebrooks, and John Weidemann performing as soloists and a cappella with the PCUM choir and accompanied by musical director Anne Marie Juliano.

There will be a free will offering of $20 at the door, with all donations to support the music ministry of PCUM.

The performance will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair, located at 53 Norwood Avenue, on the corner of Inwood Avenue. It is handicap accessible with ample parking. For more information, please call the church office at (973) 746-3854.

About The Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair

PCUM is a growing, Christ-centered, and theologically diverse suburban congregation of 600 adults and 200 children just 3 miles west of Newark, New Jersey and 15 miles from New York City. We seek to be faithful to the Gospel as we worship with expectation, grow in faith, and reach out with care to the world God loves. For further information please visit www.pcum.org.