My main point is that

1.when spirituals are sung in African American churces, they are sung in concert fashion as typified by these links to YouTube videos of "African American spirituals"

I would strongly disagree, from my own observations as well as those reported to me... as I said above. I would modify that statement to say that when spirituals are sung in African American churches and uploaded as YouTube videos, they are sung in concert fashion as typified by links to YouTube videos.

It's the same with our music program. There are AUDIO recordings of the Saturday Night service and its informal, spontaneous music. I have even recorded the principal, formal service (choir and organ). I can guarantee you, though, that the minute someone in hte parish proposes going to video for any purpose, the first focus will be recording the principal, formal service. The choir will be vested in their "best," and they'll be performing-- not hymn-leading-- a complicated choral arrangement. And the intended market for the cost and work of making the video will be church-shoppers, not musicologists or ethnologists. :~)

~Susan