Lining Out the Word: Dr. Watts Hymn Singing in the Music of Black Americans

338 Pages·2006·29.84 MB·English

by  William T. Dargan

Lining Out the Word
MUSIC OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
Edited by Samuel A. Floyd, Jr., and Rae Linda Brown
1. California Soul: Music of African Americans in the West,
edited by Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje and Eddie S. Meadows
2. Wilham Grant Still: A Study in Contradictions, by Catherine Parsons Smith
3. Jazz on the Road: Don Albert's Musical Life, by Christopher Wilkinson
4. Harlem in Montmartre: A Pans Jazz Story between the Great Wars,
by William A. Shack
5. Dead Man Blues: Jelly Roll Morton Way Out West, by Phil Pastras
6. What Is This Thing Called Jazz?: African American Musicians as Artists, Critics,
and Activists, by Eric Porter
7. Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop, by Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr.
8. Lining Out the Word: Dr. Watts Hymn Singing in the Music of Black Americans,
by William T. Dargan
g. Music and Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist Cuba, by Robin D. Moore
10. From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz, by Raul A. Fernandez
Lining Out the Word
Dr. Watts Hymn Singing in the Music
of Black Americans
William T. Dargan
[A

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berkeley Los Angeles London
CENTER FOR BLACK MUSIC RESEARCH
Columbia College Chicago
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished
university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the
world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences,
and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press
Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and
institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
Center for Black Music Research
Columbia College Chicago
© 2006 by The Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dargan, William T.
Lining out the word : Dr. Watts hymn singing in the music
of Black Americans / William T. Dargan.
p. cm.—(Music of the African diaspora ; 8)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ), discography (p. ), and
index.
ISBN 0-520-23448-0 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Hymns, English—Southern States—History and criticism.
2. Church music—Southern States. 3. African Americans—
Music—History and criticism. I. Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748.
II. Title. III. Series.
ML3111.D24 2006
782.27'089'96073075—dc22 2004019700
Manufactured in the United States of America
1h 14 13 12 11 #10 Og 08 07 06
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on Natures Book, which contains 50% post-
consumer waste and meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO
Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous
contributions to this book provided by the
Center for Black Music Research and the
African American Studies Endowment Fund
of the University of California Press Foundation,
which is supported by a major gift from the
George Gund Foundation.
/

THE GEORGE GUND FOUNDATION
IMPRINT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
The George Gund Foundation has endowed this
imprint to advance understanding of the history,
culture, and current issues of African Americans.
Lo the memory of the elders who fired this interest:
James Dargan (1866-1943), grandfather
William Dargan (1912-1992), father
Vashtt Brewer Dargan (1912-2002), mother
Rev. C.J. Johnson (1913-1990), mentor
BLANK PAGE
CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS / ix
PREFACE / «xi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS /— xv
Introduction / 1
PART I. THE PROVERBIAL TREES: PATTERNS OF CHANGE
IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC MAKING
1. “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”: Part I: Congregational Singing
as a Worship Ethos for Dr. Watts Hymns / 23
2. “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”: Part II: Regional Style Traditions
of Dr. Watts Hymn Singing / 46
3. “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past”: The Tradition of Dr. Watts
in English Historical Perspective / 90
4. “Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee”: The Tradition of Dr. Watts
in African Historical Perspective / 103
5. ‘I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cries”: The Role of Dr. Watts Hymns
in the Musical Acculturation of African Americans / = 120
6. “Go Preach My Gospel, Saith the Lord”: Words as Movers
and Shakers in African American Music / 1:40
PART II. THE PROVERBIAL FOREST: WEBS OF SIGNIFICANCE
IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC MAKING
7. “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”: The Singing Life of the Reverend
Doctor C.J. Johnson (1913-1990) / 169
8. “Come Ye That Love the Lord”: The Lining Out—Ring Shout
Continuum and the Five-Key Sequence / 193
g. “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”: The Lining Out—Ring Shout
Continuum beyond Church Walls) / ar
Conclusion / 235
Appendix A. Selection of Transcribed and Discussed
Performances / 243
Appendix B. Partial Annotated List of Recorded Lining-Out
Performances Held in the Archive of Folk Culture,
Library of Congress / 257
NOTES / 261
BIBLIOGRAPHY / 285
DISCOGRAPHY / 303
INDEX / 305