Ysaye Barnwell: Singing in the African American Tradition-Volume 2: Vocal Solo:

Building a Vocal Community-Includes Four CDsIndividuals friends choirs church camp and community groups of any background will enjoy participating in this uplifting singing tradition. Ysaye M. Barnwell a charter member of the great a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock teaches melodies harmonies rhythms and counter-melodies to 17 traditional songs from African American culture including spirituals hymns gospels and songs from the Civil Rights Movement.The CD's in this series contain songs which were originally taught in the context of a 5 day workshop. In a workshop often having between 40 and 60 people songs are taught without printed music or printedwords and without pitch pipes or musical instruments other than those which help create and maintain the rhythmic foundation and intensity of the songs. This method of passing on knowledge is very much in the oral/aural tradition. Here for the sake of clarity the words to all the songs have been provided but the music itself is presented in the form of an oral/aural score which must be listened to.