MURESO: God in Music City
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5127
2024-03-24T04:06:35ZMURESO: Notes from the Field
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5145
MURESO: Notes from the Field
McClure, John S., 1952
In “Music, Religion, and the South: Notes from the Field,” Dr. John McClure presented the goals, themes, and emphases of the three-year project “Music, Religion, and the South.” Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, the interdisciplinary research project involved a number of Vanderbilt professors and graduate students from the departments of religion, history, sociology, and ethnomusicology, among others. The researchers participated with local musicians, preachers, and religious communities to examine issues such as the culture and commercialization, (de)segregation, material culture, symbols, music, and literature of and embedded within religion in the South. John McClure explained various fieldtrips he and other researchers took, conversations they shared, and methodologies they pursued. He played several musical excerpts, many of which were from the CD produced in conjunction with the “God in Music City” project, to demonstrate particular problems, issues, or perspectives raised throughout the group’s research and experiences.
2008-02-12T00:00:00ZTehila Kaf-Gimel (Psalm 23)
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5144
Tehila Kaf-Gimel (Psalm 23)
Rose, Michael Alec, 1959-
“The Lord is My Shepherd: Variations on the 23rd Psalm” was an evening of diverse performances all based on the biblical text. One of the performances was the premiere of a new meditation on the psalm by Michael Alec Rose, composer and Associate Professor of Composition at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music. Rose’s composition, entitled “Tehila Kaf-Gimel,” is for piano alone. The piece, which Rose himself performed at the event, is his reflection on the original Hebrew psalm in a wordlessly lyrical way. Rose wanted to capture not only the rhythms and imagery of the Hebrew words but also the feeling of the poem – its pastoral essence, its dark heart, its crescendo of faith, and its limitless consolation to those in anguish or doubt. Since composing “Tehila Kaf-Gimel” for piano, Rose has continued to be inspired by the psalm and has arranged a portion of the piece for string quartet.
2008-03-30T00:00:00ZPrecious Lord
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5143
Precious Lord
Cleveland, Ashley
Ashley Cleveland is a three time Grammy Award winning gospel singer/song-writer who loves hymns and traditional black gospel. “Precious Lord,” the song Cleveland sang at An Evening of Sacred Blues, fits both of these musical genres. Seeking refuge in music, Thomas Dorsey wrote the song after his wife and child died in childbirth. Although he was deeply depressed at first, he said that the song came to him through the Spirit of the Lord, confirming that the Lord was with him and giving him courage to move on. “Precious Lord” then became an anthem of the Civil Rights movement largely because it was Martin Luther King’s favorite song; Dr. King would insist that it be sung, often by Mahaliah Jackson, wherever he would speak or march. Thus, a deeply personal song which had supplied hope and courage to one man similarly gave hope and courage to an entire race, demonstrating to many people the power of music and the power of the living God.
2008-02-21T00:00:00ZKeep Your Hand on That Plow and Hold On
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5142
Keep Your Hand on That Plow and Hold On
Settles, Odessa
Odessa Settles, a native Nashvillian, is an artist with experience in the performing arts. The song Odessa performed at the Sacred Blues Concert, “Keep Your Hand on That Plow and Hold On,” addresses the dichotomous yet blended nature of sacred and blues. Growing up in an African American family and culture whose spiritual music included songs of hope and freedom, she saw how music helps one cope and persevere. Witnessing the Civil Rights Movement led her to spend her life building bridges in the spirit of reconciliation and working to end racial inequalities. To this end, music is her tool of choice, enabling her to collaborate with like-minded people. Currently, she is active both in the music industry, as a folk singer, songwriter, and manager of local music groups, and as an RN working with infants born at risk, thereby fulfilling her missions in life to minister to the sick and work as an artist teaching others the lessons she has learned.
2008-02-21T00:00:00Z