While looking for Black church processionals, I found this wonderful example of a African American congregation singing a spiritual in the traditional way-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skEzQq2ySRA
Mt. Do Well Baptist Church in McConnells, South Carolina's singing "He Set Me Free"

I'll post the lyrics to this 1991 YouTube video in my next post. Since one of the verses that the congregations sang mentions the Jordan River, this song and video isn't off topic for this thread.

However, I'd like to share these comments before posting the lyrics of this song.

This video makes me think of how African American praise house and camp meetings/revivals were in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Here are the characteristics of that song that reminded me of what I've read about old time African American church services and how songs were sung then:

1. "He Set Me Free" is sung in harmony in a form of call & response pattern. In this case, the lead singer started a verse and the congregation immediately joined in singing the same words so that it appeared that the song was being sung in harmony and in unison.

2. The song used a pattern of singing two lined rhyming verses that was seperated by a repeated chorus, for instance:

Stepped in the water, and the water was cold
Jesus died on the cross
He set me free
It chilled my body, but not my soul
Jesus died on the cross
He set me free

3. The song was made up of floating verses {verses that are often found in other spirituals/gospel songs}. For what it's worth, there was one verse that I had not heard or read before- "Walk on this road 'till my feet get bare/chorus/I'm gonna hitch my wings and try the air/chorus.

4. The song was open ended. There didn't appear to be any set length for the song or any set order of verses. Also, it appeared that any verse that could fit the spirit and the theme of the song could have been sung in addition, or in substitution for the verses that were sung. For instance, I can see adding the verse "Went to the valley but I didn't go to stay/chorus/My soul got happy and I stayed all day/chorus

5. The song started slow, but by the 3rd verse was decidedly more uptempo.

6. This rendition of the song combined the spoken word and singing {In this case, the minister or some other member of the church testified using the words of the song "I just want you to know that Jesus set me free one day"} after the first verse of the song and then song began again.

7. The congregation accompanied the song with foot stomps and single and double time hand clapping

8. The song uses African American Vernacular English structure such as "done been" and elongated interjections such as "Well", "Ahh", and "Oh". The interjections were often used at the beginning of the rhyming lines but not in front of the chorus.

9. Members of the congregation "felt the spirit" {got happy} in their seats. Some men and women stood up and did "a holy dance" in ways that appeared to be real and not for show.

10. The song appeared to have ended, but the handclapping and foot stomping continued and then the chorus was repeatedly sung. At this point, in a church service, someone could have started the song up again. {hence, the openended nature of the song}

**

Unfortunately, I've not experienced many church services like this. Most of the church services like this that I have experienced have been in "santified" churches, such as COGIC {Church of God In Christ} churches. I'm glad I've started the new year with this song.

Happy New Year to all of you, too!