Evelyn Turrentine-Agee - Come By Here

Topic: Live versus Recorded Versions
Evelyn Turrentine-Agee’s two versions of "Come by Here" are the opposite of those of the Spirituál Kvintet, Evereadys, and José Carreras. For those fans interested in hearing her sing, the recording is primary, not the live performance because she turned the lead over to another woman in a video of a 2000 Detroit concert uploaded to YouTube.

Turrentine-Agee had a stroke in 1999, and may have been taking rests during the concert when she could turn the performance over to someone. She had cancer surgery in 2011, and Lee Hildebrand noted, in a concert in Oakland, California, she sat and let her son take over the singing. [1] The woman singing in the 2000 concert may have been her daughter. [2]

Other than the differences in soloists, the live and recorded versions had the same traits as the two versions by The Eveready’s: the record was polished and the verses were sung, while the live performance had more spoken testimony.

Performers
Vocal Accompaniment
Live Performance: three women
Recording: two women, one man

Instrumental Accompaniment
Live Performance (musicians not visible): two level keyboard, neck of a bass or guitar visible, something like a pedal steel guitar. The keyboard usually sounded like an organ.

Recording (credits for album): keyboards, lead guitar, synthbass

Rhythm Accompaniment
Live Performance (musicians not visible): might have been a quiet drum
Recording (credits for album): percussion, drums, bass, organ

Credits
Recording: Gloster Williams/Copyright Management, Inc.

Arranger
Recording: Gloster Williams

Notes on Lyrics
Pronoun: somebody
General format: ritual prelude-denouement structure
Line repetition pattern: AAAB
Line form: statement-refrain

Live Performance
Prelude
One woman, presumably Turrentine-Agee, spoke:

"This is the time that we wait for in ever service, the annoiting of the Holy Ghost, to stop by for a little while"

She continued by itemizing things that happened when one was saved, with an emphasis on marital problems. Her reference to redeemed children abandoning the streets drew the greatest response from the audience.

Transition
The woman turned the microphone over to another woman, and she and the group sang three verses: come by here, somebody needs you, and somebody’s praying.

Denouement
The lead woman testified in a speaking voice. One line was: "I know he’s present, but he needs us to invite him in." The group continually repeated the "come by here" verse.

Recording
Prelude
Turentine-Agee testified we need your spirit Lord.

Transition:
Turrentine-Agee stated the line of a verse the group sang, while she spoke about it. Verses included we need your spirit, come by here, and somebody’s praying.

Denouement:
Turrentine-Agee testified on how much she needed the Lord.

Notes on Music
Opening phrase: 1-5

Tempo
Live Performance: slow; uniform throughout
Recording: slow; uniform throughout

Singing style:
Live performance: the soloist ornamented each word, especially in the beginning of the transition.
Recording: when Turrentine-Agee sang, she began a phrase with ornamentation.

Basic structure: soloist supported by group

Live performance:
Prelude: Turrentine-Agee spoke with instrumental accompaniment

Transition: the soloist sang with the group.

Denouement: the soloist spoke with the group singing one verse over and over in an unchanging style. Her voice got harsher as she continued. The tape stopped before she did.

Recording:
Prelude: began with chords played by the keyboard (changed between piano and organ sound). Turrentine-Agee spoke with only instrumental accompaniment.

Transition: Turentine-Agee spoke with group singing related verses at same time. She sang all or part of the last line of each verse.

Denouement: Turentine-Agee spoke with organ/piano as primary accompaniment. Her speaking style alternated between spoken and sung sections, with some high pitched notes and much ornamentation. The group sang the line "come by here" at the ends of sections.

Notes on Performer
Turrentine-Agee was raised in Saint Louis, Missouri. [3] Her mother was from Mississippi,[4] and her parents may have moved to the city. Her father was a deacon and founding member of the New Seraphim Baptist Church [5] there. More important, his mother was a singer, and he was a quartet singer. [6] During her childhood, he organized her and her siblings into singing groups.

She moved to Detroit where she earned a degree in Industrial Psychology from University of Detroit. [7] Her liner notes said she was working for Wayne County Legal Services and was a member of Michael Jones’ Fountain of Truth Baptist Church. [8]

Notes on Performance
Live Performance.
Three women stood behind the soloist, facing front, each with a microphone on a stand. They stayed in place, but shifted their weight from foot to foot. Once in a while one would lift a foot a little off the ground. The soloist did not change position often, and mainly used her arms and occasionally bent forward from the waist.

Turrentine-Agee and all the women were dressed alike in ankle-length, gathered skirts and matching tops that fell to their hips. There were two layers, a maroon one, and a filmier overlay that glittered a little in the light. They wore black heels and silver-colored ear-rings.

Notes on Movement
Live Performance
At times when Turrentine-Agee was speaking, her dress moved as if she were jiggling. It was not possible to see her feet to know what produced the effect.

During the transition, the three women had a set of gestures tied to the lyrics, but were not committed to doing them consistently or together. The one woman did few and did them close to her body; the others did them more often, and they reached farther from their bodies. The basic set of movements was:

Somebody - reach out with both arms
Come - bring the elbows back to bring the hands in
Lord - two hands reach up with elbows bent, and bring arms down
Here - turn hands palms down and reach arms out horizontally
Praying - hands in prayer

Otherwise, each individual would reach one or both arms upward. All the motions were done in time to the music, so the arms were usually in motion. However, the praying gesture was not done every time the word was used.

Influences:
The camp version of "Kumbaya" had mimic gestures and the verse "someone’s praying."

Notes on Audience
Live Performance: the camera showed several women in the audience who were waving their arms with closed eyes; one had tears on her cheeks. A couple men in front, who appeared in silhouette in long shots of the group, were standing with their arms raised above their heads.

Availability
CD: God Did It! Black Smoke Music. WOS1273. 2000.

Live Performance: VHS. Uploaded to YouTube by Pannellctp Traditional Gospel Music, 9 November 2013.

End Notes
1. Lee Hildebrand. "Evelyn Turrentine-Agee Delivers a New Gospel Keynote. East Bay Express, 11 May 2011.

2. Hildebrand.

3. Wikipedia. "Evelyn Turrentine-Agee."

4. Hildebrand.

5. Obituary for her sister, Paula Tyler. Austin Layne Mortuary.

6. Patricia Snider. "Evelyn Turrentine-Agee." Detroit Gospel website.

7. Wikipedia.

8. Liner notes. God Did It!

José Carreras - Kumbaya My Lord

Topic: Live versus Recorded Versions
José Carreras sang "Kumbaya" in concert with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and also recorded it. The live video has been removed since I viewed it in the spring of 2016, so I have to rely on my memory for describing the differences between the two.

The primary one, I think, was pacing. That’s not the same as tempo, which probably was the same. I think there were more pauses in the live version, but ones not long enough to register as such. This may simply be the result of a person accustomed to performing live being more relaxed in a concert than in a recording studio. In the one, when errors happen, no one notices. In the other, the artist must make another tape with all the attendant costs.

A second source for variations between records and life performances is acoustics. The concert was in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Most comments on the web were posted by concert or tour promoters, who, of course, only said positive things. An exception was Barbara Cacao, who said the hall is small and "the acoustics are not the best." [1] Robert Tidmarsh reported it had been renovated in 2010, after the Carreras concert. [2] The sound quality didn’t have to be bad, to be different than a recording studio. Just the small things, like the sounds of an audience talking or sneezing, make a difference.


A third possible difference between the two versions was a function of the size of the palace theatre. There may have been fewer musicians, fewer microphones, and different sorts of microphone accesses for the instrumental sections. Ozgur Nevres said the concert included five additional singers: Joan Orleans, Gary Lux, Bernhard Rabitsch, Patricia Graf-Simpson, and Sandrine Rohrmoser. [3] They would have produced a different sound than the chorus listed on the record: it claimed 150 members, but fewer may have been paid for the studio work with Carreras. It is even possible Carreras recorded with a small group, and the rest was added later. The credits included separate entries for engineers of the vocal recordings and the orchestral recordings. It listed album recording locations in Barcelona, Vienna, Hamburg, and London.

The other possible reason for differing listening experiences may lay in the natures of visual and auditory experiences. When one is watching someone sing, there are no breaks in concentration, even when there is no music. When one is only listening, pauses are obvious, and must be filled. I suppose the technology has grown so sophisticated that engineers can remove long pauses, so the sound is continuous. And again, the conductor can make subtle changes.

The impression is the recorded performance was highly polished while the live one had the variations and flaws that come from humans singing.

Performers
Live Performance
Instrumental Accompaniment: Vienna Symphony Orchestra

Recording
Vocal Accompaniment: Crouch End Festival Chorus.
Instrumental Accompaniment: Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Christian Kolonovits

Credit
EAI Edition, publisher

Notes on Lyrics
Language: English

Pronunciation:
Live Performance: Carreras strongly stressed the last syllable and had a clipped pronunciation of words.
Recording: Carreras stressed the last syllable, but his pronunciation was less clipped.

Format: "Kumbaya" was converted into a chorus for verses to a different tune. The additional text by Helmut Lotti and Wim Bohets had lines like "for the sun, that rises in the sky," which echoed nineteenth-century German nature hymns.

Ending:
Recording: "Oh, Lord, Kumbaya" repeated twice.

Notes on Music
Recording
Basic structure: Carreras sang a verse by himself, and the kumbaya refrain twice with the chorus. The second refrain began a tone higher than the previous one. Occasionally, Carreras ornamented a syllable.

Solo-group dynamics:
Carreras always sang. On the refrains, the chorus joined on the first "yah" and continued though the line.

Vocal-orchestral dynamics:
The recording began with disembodied voices in an echo chamber, as if it was imitating a space film. The sounds of the instruments were blurred so they only gave the impression of being strings and horns. Percussion only was strong before Carreras sang the first time.

Notes on Performers
Carreras is a Catalan-born lyric tenor best known for this appearances with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. He began singing opera, but in 2001, when these recordings were made, was concentrating on concert performances.

Notes on Performance
Live version:
The Schönbrunn Palace was the summer home of the Hapsburgs in Vienna; the interior is ornate with gold and white walls and crystal chandeliers. Carreras and the orchestra wore black tuxedos with white ties. He stood straight when he was singing.

Availability
Album: Around The World. Warner Classics 8573-85798-2. 2001.

Live performance: uploaded to YouTube by EuroArtsChannel. Blocked in the United States.

End Notes
1. Barbara Cacao. "Schonbrunn Palace Vienna Guide – Pomp, Stucco And Hidden Gems." Vienna Upwrapped website

2. Robert M. Tidmarsh. "Schönbrunn Palace Theatre." His website.

3. Ozgur Nevres. "José Carreras sings Kumbaya my lord (with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra)." Andante Moderato website. 2 June 2015.

4. Crouch End Festival Chorus. "About Us" tab. Its website.

The Evereadys - Lord Come By Here (Live Version)

Topic: Live versus Recorded Versions
Gilbert Rouget surveyed the use of music in possession cults in ancient Greece, the Middle East, and Africa in Music and Trance. [1] In an academic area fraught with overlapping and contradictory terminology, he made several useful distinctions.

First there were groups who used music and those who did not. He termed the second ecstatic. [2]

He then separated possession experiences from shamanism by noting shamans were in control of their trances, made their own music, and let their spirits leave their bodies. In possession, the entranced were not in control, professionals provided the music, and spirits entered their bodies. [3] Musicians were not active participants. Instead, they watched the progression of rituals, and modified their work to fit changes or to bring about climaxes. [4]

His definition of possession was narrow. It involved a god who chose to take over a human’s body for its own purpose. [5] Rouget quoted Jean Rouch, [6] who said of the Songai religion [7] in Mali and Niger: "A deity’s supreme requirement is that one among the faithful become his ‘horse’ by means of trance, so that he can come down among mankind and dance." [8] Rouch added, "‘playing horse’ for a god is not necessarily an agreeable role." [9]

Rouget only discussed shamanism cursorily, and did not discuss contemporary American Black religious services.

The nature of the Holy Spirit and how it manifests itself has led it sectarian splits in both Black and white churches in this country that obscure an underlying agreement on the possibility of contact with the Spirit. It is rather like the early Reformation, when theologians disagreed over the presence of Christ in the Eucharist; their disputes masked their shared separation from Huldrych Zwingli who wished to demystify the ritual. The differences between transubstantiation in which Christ’s body became the wafer and wine and consubstantiation in which the elements existed along side his body are probably a useful metaphor for the continuum of beliefs about what happens in religious services when the presence of the Lord is invoked. Everyone may use the term "possession," but the meanings vary from some like Rouget that posit the Spirit initiates the encounter to ones that imply humans begin the process. I try to avoid the term "possession" as a third-party observer, but use whatever term an individual uses to describe his or her personal experience.

Performers
Vocal: two soloists and a group. One person on YouTube wrote: "Jerome had it, but Freddy took it to another level, then Jerome had to bring it back down and go up even higher." [10] Jerome was Jerome Williams, and Freddy was his brother.

Instrumental accompaniment: one man played a solid-body electric guitar with a steel plate on it; a second played another solid-body electrified guitar.

Rhythm accompaniment: drum set. Hand claps by backup singers and members of the audience.

Notes on Lyrics
Prelude Section: The soloist, Jerome, opened with a testimony that identified him as "Sanctified with the Holy Ghost." He then paraphrased the prelude verses from the recorded version described in the last post.

Denouement: two soloists, Jerome and Freddy, took turns repeating phrases like "come by here." The phrases were interspersed with testimony.

Notes on Music
Prelude Section: the soloist, Jerome, spoke, rather than sang, with no musical accompaniment.

Denouement Section: instrumental accompaniment through both the sung and spoken parts.

Notes on Performance
The concert was in a park somewhere in Detroit. The band was on a low platform, with the area in front roped off. All members wore matching, three-piece, gold-brown suits with flared bottoms on their trouser legs and no ties.

Jerome Williams defied Roget’s convention performers were agents to bring the Holy Spirit to their audiences. In the 1984 performance, he was the one who was dancing. From the beginning he was on the ground in front of the platform. He began by testifying, with lines that summarized the first verses on the recording described in the last post:

"We gonna do something right now. We gonna ask the Lord to stop by here if you don’t stay long. Somebody needs a blessing. Somebody needs a miracle. Somebody’s got pain and it won’t go nowhere."

When the band began playing, the Spirit already had descended. The men on stage sang "Oh Lord" or "come by here" or "Jesus stop by" as Jerome sang phrases and stepped around. The men on stage were stepping, and Freddy and another backup singer were clapping. Then, Freddy jumped down and took over singing while Jerome continued dancing. Toward the end they traded phrases, most of which were impossible to understand, because they were not directed to the location where the microphone was positioned.

Notes on Movement
Jerome held his microphone in his right hand, and gestured with his left. When he was not gesturing, he placed it behind his back. If he switched the mike to his left hand, then his right hand went in back. Freddy held his microphone with his right hand and let his left arm move naturally.

All the steps were done with deliberately bent knees, as distinct from the natural bends that occur when one walks. Much of the variation came from changes in the degree of the bends and the location of the raised calves during the bends. In addition, both Jerome and Freddy moved their torsos forward or arched back from the hips.

In the beginning, Jerome stood in one place and pivoted from diagonal to diagonal on his heels. Because he was in grass, he may have had to jump to complete the changes of direction.

Both Jerome and Freddy used march steps–that is walks with bent knees. Freddy especially kept his toe tips on the ground when he was marking time in place. When the two were sitting on the stage, one foot continued to keep the beat with the heel rising and falling.

The men on the stage stepped from side to side. At the end of phrases, they stepped back with one foot, stepped back with the other, shifted the weight to the other foot, stepped forward and resumed moving side to side.

Toward the end, the camera showed Jerome’s dance steps, which were done quickly. One combination involved changing from stepping forward by stepping sidewards, then shifting back, before resuming the forward movement. Several times, the right foot crossed in back of the left, then returned. These shifts were emphasized by bringing the raised feet higher in back, and occasionally a straight leg was thrust forward with the foot flexed.

Influences:
It is easy to say the group’s costumes and movements were influenced by Motown–after all The Evereadys lived in Detroit when the company was at the height of its influence. One can also point to specific things, like Jerome’s hair style or the way Freddy took off his jacket to sing.

As I watched the steps closely I detected another influence: high school marching bands. When I was in high school, our band went to Michigan State band days between 1958 and 1961. During the halftime show, the bands were massed, but in the parking lot before the game some bands demonstrated their skills. I especially remember the ones from Detroit and Flint.

The combination used by the backup artists on the stage with a bend forward as they stepped back evoked the tuba lines of those city bands. When marching, players would turn their bells from left to right, then bend forward at the end. Only someone who has tried to lift one of those instruments can appreciate the sheer athleticism of those moves.

I rewatched the section of the video where Freddy threw his jacket over his shoulder for Jerome to catch, and thought of majorettes trading batons. The way Jerome watched Freddy, and the way Freddy was aware of Jerome’s location recalled my attempt with another girl to imitate the city routines. As we quickly realized, the proper positioning took a great deal of practice.

Once I started thinking about Jerome’s moves as band moves, I saw that most of the steps he did, except when he was doing quick footwork in one place, were taken from skilled marching bands. The difference was the use of the feet. Members of high school bands stepped on every beat, did not raise their feet much, and kept them parallel to the ground. If one stepped less frequently, and that meant having a sense of multiple simultaneous rhythms, then one could execute the same moves, but with time to raise the feet higher, extend them from the legs, and bend the knees more. The other difference was most people in school bands put their weight on their heels when they stepped, not the balls of their feet. That change in balance made agility easier.

Audience Perceptions
The audience stayed outside the ropes. Several women near the rope on the stage-right side stepped from side to side and clapped by bringing their erect hands together. One man, who also moved from side to side, held one hand relatively steady, palm up, and brought his other hand down on it.

Viewers’ Perceptions
Several YouTube viewers commented on the group and their contact with the Holy Spirit.

In 2016, Rochelle wrote: "Go head Mr. Jerome with that Holy Ghost power dance." [11]

Two years before, Greg had said: "AWESOME!!! those boys got the Anointing!!" [12]

Harry made a similar comment in 2013: "The Fantastic Evereadys, taking off with the Holy Spirit !!!" [13]

And, in 2008, Tim observed: "Jerome and Freddy put a hurtin on this joint 4real !! LAWD !!!" [14]

Jeremiah made a comment on the song itself: "my church still sing dis very song...n its 2009...God is Good!!! dis is a ole song!" [15]


Availability
YouTube.  Uploaded by dshock11, 7 May 2008.

End Notes
1. Gilbert Rouget. "La musique et la transe." PhD Diss. University of Paris, 1980. Translated by Brunhilde Biebuyck as Music and Trance: A Theory of the Relations Between Music and Possession. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985.

2. Rouget. 7.

3. Rouget. 18-19, 23.

4. Rouget. 103-104, 112.

5. Rouget. 34.

6. Jean Rouch. La Religion et la Magie Songhay. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1960. 2nd revised edition published by Brussels: Éditions de l’Université de Bruxelles, 1989.

7. The Songhai religion is not the same thing as the Songhai Empire. It is a religion that developed in an area once controlled by the empire.

8. Rouget. 116.

9. Rouget. 166.

10. Shelton. YouTube. December 2016. Last names withheld for privacy.

11. Rochelle. YouTube. 2016.

12. Greg. YouTube. 2014.

13. Harry. YouTube. 2013

14. Tim. YouTube. 2008.

15. Jeremiah. YouTube. 2009.

The Evereadys - Lord Come By Here (Recorded Version)

Topic: Live versus Recorded Versions
The differences between live and recorded versions of "Come by Here" stem from the imperatives of radio programming. Until the maturation of the internet with web sites like YouTube and artist-support organizations like CD Baby, the only way an artist could become known was through records played on radio stations, advertisements for live performances, or word of mouth. In the 1940s, stations used 78’s; in the 1950s, they were 45’s. The physical size of the records limited them to about three minutes. Station managers then scheduled their advertisements around those time slots, and maintained their scheduling ideas even after technology made longer songs possible.

"Come by Here" was used in religious services that invoked the presence of the Holy Spirit. By the early 1960s, recordings had distilled the ritual into three minutes with a three-part structure.

(a) A prelude with verses appealing to the Lord. The soloist or two alternating soloists and the group often alternated parts in a call-response pattern. Everyone used normal singing voices.

(b) A transition between the two phases that might be handled by the instrumental accompanists or by the singers.

In some versions, the second part dramatized the coming of the Spirit with solos over percussive group-chants. It might be a spoken-sung line, or one that became increasingly higher pitched until it incorporated screams. Several singers might take turns in different styles.

(c) A denouement dramatizing the presence of the Spirit. The solo-group interaction was the same, but more vocal ornamentations were used. Key words tended to used instead of phrases, and, often, testifying was done.

Performers
Vocal: solo and group sections

Instrumental accompaniment: piano, guitars, and organ were identifiable

Rhythm accompaniment: drums and a shaker were identifiable

Credit
By Jerome Williams

Notes of Lyrics
Language: English
Pronoun: somebody
General Format: ritual prelude-denouement structure.

Prelude Section:
Form: three verses with the AAAB line repetition form. The soloist sang the line with variations, and the group repeated it with fewer changes. The last line was variations of "If You don’t stay long."

Theme: a statement of a problem (somebody needs you) followed by an appeal to the Lord to solve the problem (I’m leaving a message) and then an explanation for why the Lord’s presence was needed (somebody’s sick).

Transition:
The soloist began repeating short phrases from the prelude like "somebody’s praying" and "looking for a blessing," while the group chanted variations of "stop by here."

Denouement Section:
The soloist reduced the lines to key words ("I need you," "I’m waiting") while the group continued to chant "stop by here." Toward the end, the lead simply repeated "come on" and "I need you."

Influences:
"If you don’t stay long" was used in 1952 by Lightnin’ Hopkins recording. [1]

Repetitions in the denouement of needing the Lord in the morning, in the evening appeared in a 1958 Hightowers recording. [2]

Notes on Music
I don’t know the voices of the members of the group and so I can’t be more specific. If anyone has more information, I would be glad to include it. One of the YouTube comments said: "Jerome is the bomb... I wish my tenor would stay that high. His range is dynamic!!" [3] This suggested Jerome Williams was the lead singer.

Opening Phrase: Eveready's own melody.

Prelude Section:
The first verse of the prelude was sung by one person, and the other two verses were sung by another with a higher pitched voice. In the second verse, the individual began the lines on successively higher tones. In the third verse, he added screams on the variations. Guitars and organs underscored the melodic aspects of the section.

Transition:
The first singer returned while the man with the higher voice accented the ends of lines with screams. A piano replaced the organ and guitars to emphasize the rhythm.

Denouement Section:
The first singer ended phrases with gasps at the ends of lines, while the man with the higher voice added accenting trills. Again, the piano was used.

By the way, I don’t mean scream or gasp to be pejorative; I am using them as non-technical terms to describe the vocal quality. I would be happy to incorporate better terms if someone has suggestions that refer to specific lines in the video.

Notes on Performers
The Ever Ready Gospel Singers began in Detroit in the early 1950s when Jackie Wilson was a member. The sister of one of the members encouraged her sons, Jerome and Marvin Williams to form a group and reuse the name in 1967. By the early 1980s, the members included "four sets of brothers including his [Jerome’s] own brother Marvin, Aaron Beasley, Marvin Reed and Charles and Kenny Porter." [4]

Photographs reproduced on the video showed six men. For a while, Jerome worked "with the music ministry at Pastor Marvin Winans’ Perfecting Church in Detroit," but then returned to singing. [5] In 2007, the Evereadys were a quartet composed of Bealsey, Reed, Freddy Williams and his brother Jerome. [6]


Availability
Album: Revived. Malaco Records MAL 4385. 1983. Uploaded to YouTube by Bobby Lahmon, 24 December 2008. 

Live concert: uploaded to YouTube by dshock11, 7 May 2008.

End Notes
1. Lightnin’ Hopkins [Sam John Hopkins]. "Needed Time." RPM 359. Houston, 1952.

2. Hightower Brothers. "Come By Here." Gospel 1008. New York City, 13 October 1958.

3. bigboybev. YouTube. 2008.

4. "The Evereadys - Group History." Gloryland Gospel website.

5. Same as #4.

6. Bob Marovich. "Eveready’s Aaron Beasley Dies in Detroit." Journal of Gospel Music website. 3 October 2007.

Spirituál Kvintet - Kumbaya My Lord

Topic: Live versus Recorded Versions
Many people remember singing "Kumbaya" in groups, either as a whole, where everyone sang every word in camps, or in audiences for performers who had them sing the refrain. Recordings of artists like Pete Seeger and Joan Baez do not capture this experience for technical or commercial reasons.

In amateur recordings there usually was only one microphone that was directed toward the stage. It simply couldn’t pick up background sounds. In commercial recordings, sound engineers and others involved in the postproduction of albums often eliminated the audience, if it had been picked up, because they were promoting the artist under contract.

A YouTube video of Spirituál Kvintet is the rare exception. The Czech group had been performing for years and apparently used "Kumbaya" to end its concerts. Few in their audiences were seeing them for the first time. They knew how the show should end, and they knew their part.

There were two versions on YouTube. The best has been blocked. In the 2013 concert in Košice, Slovakia, members of the group took turns singing the beginnings of the song’s lines, and pointed to the audience who responded with the "kumbaya" refrain. Toward the end, the men stopped playing their instruments and joined in an a capella verse, followed by the audience.

The authorized video, which comes complete with logos of their record company, was from a reunion concert. The same women sang the verses, but the assembled Kvintet members sang the "kumbaya" refrains. The camera looked at the same row in the audience twice; some were moving their mouths but could not be heard. On only one repetition was the audience heard.

Performers in Košice
Soloists: Zdena Tichotová, Veronika Soucková (both women)

Vocal Accompaniment: Jirí Tichota, Dušan Vancura, Jirí Cerha, and Jirí Holoubek (all men)

Instrumental Accompaniment: Jirí Holoubek, guitar; George Tichota, guitar; Paul Peroutka, bass (all men)

Blogger doesn't recognize all the letters in the names; my apologies for the substitutions of English equivalents in Jirí, Soucková, and Vancura for the C's and R's.

Lyrics
Language: it was not sung in English. Only the word "kumbaya" was understandable. It did not matter. 

Pronunciation: the audience emphasized the second syllable of "kumbaya."

Notes on Performers
Czech university students formed a male quartet in 1960, before the international phase of the commercial folk music revival. They began performing in 1962 at a jazz festival, then reformed themselves after they heard the Weavers by adding a woman. They have undergone changes in personnel caused first by emigrations, then by aging, and most recently by deaths.

Notes on Performance
Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia, and second largest in the country.

Availability
YouTube. 55 years anniversary set. Uploaded by Surpaphon, 23 March 2015.

YouTube. Concert in Košice. Upload information no longer available. The best example of a live performance.