Topic: Movement - Liturgical Dance
Liturgical dance, as mentioned in the post on 11 November 2018, was used as part of a religious ritual or to explicate scripture. The girls in Heimerdingen, discussed in the post for 15 November 2018, were examples of the ceremonial use of movement. Economy Jackson used "Kumbaya" to illuminate the meaning of Genesis 21:1, which she paraphrased as "now the Lord with gracious to Sarah and as he had said and the Lord did with Sarah what he had promised." [1]
The African-American woman wore a white, wide-legged jumpsuit disguised as a dress with a royal-blue sash that reached diagonally from her right shoulder to her left hip. As the video began, she was speaking at a floor microphone about Sarah’s feelings seeing the child her husband had fathered with her handmaiden. [2]
While commentators emphasized it was God who initiated contact with Sarah, Jackson suggested a "modern-day Sarah" would cry out to the Lord, who would then respond. Thus, she replaced the Calvinist view that God acted as God chose, [3] oblivious to the actions of humans, with a Lord rooted in Ring Shouts who would respond to human supplication.
Jackson used the recording by Kurt Carr that was discussed in the post for 26 August 2017. During the instrumental introduction, she bent her knees and snapped her fingers. She then started stepping to the diagonals, and twisting her body while she stepped. Her arms moved up and down from the elbows. At this point, many of her movements were borrowed from secular dance.
When Carr’s female backup singers began repeating "kumbaya," she raised both arms from the elbows and looked skyward. Carr sang the phrase "somebody needs you" and Jackson returned to her introductory movements, but with more emphasis. When he said "somebody’s praying" she placed her palms together, but returned to her dance when the chorus repeated his line.
The backup singers marked the transition by repeating "oh Lord." Jackson picked up two flags of filmy white attached to poles that had been resting on the podium. Sometimes she waved or twirled one scarf at a time, sometimes both.
When Carr sang, "we need a blessing" and the group repeated "we need a miracle," Jackson moved forward with the flags in both hands. She moved them more energetically while raising them high on one side at a time. As they group repeated "Oh Lord," she placed them in one hand and gestured with the other.
The denouement began with music that, on the video, was reduced to drums. She did three steps to the left, then to the right, with occasional turns. When the women reentered singing "shower down on me," Jackson knelt on the floor like a modern dancer. Sometimes she contracted her stomach muscles to move from place to place. Finally, she dropped the flags to use her arms in supplication. She stood at the end.
Jackson performed in a conference room in the Vinings Worshop Center in Smyrna, Georgia. She was active there as early as 2011 when she prayed a blessing. [4] Her son killed himself in June 2012, [5] and she posted her first dance video in August 4013 to honor him. [6] "Kumbaya" was the second movement video she uploaded to YouTube.
She never mentioned why she turned to dance. Psalm 30 had said: "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness." [7] Years later she did write:
"Today I can say my heart is filled with JOY. Not because my son is gone But because God has sustained me over the 6 years. I have had times grief & unbearable pain. But God, He said He would never leave us or forsake us. So today, I celebrate the life of my son Edward Jay Jackson, III. The Joy is because I know my child is with God so therefore he lives. The Joy because his legacy still lives. Many have have told me that because of Jay they push harder to be successful. The Joy because in moments when I feel like crawling under a rock, the Holy Spirit comes in and lifts every burden. The Joy because Jesus Christ died for my sins & He is my personal Savior. The Joy because, Nehemiah 8:10..... the JOY of the LORD is MY STRENGTH!" [8]
Performers
Dance Soloist: Economy Jackson
Accompaniment: Kurt Carr’s recording of "Kumbaya"
Credits
None given
Notes on Audience
They applauded at the end.
Audience Perceptions
One woman complained about another video by Jackson:
"Dance ministry is not something you do because you like to dance; instead it a true calling. Your movements are far too worldly for praise dance. We are all meant to dance for the Lord, but we are not all called to be dance ministers. I hope my comments are not hurtful; that is not my intention, but I’m a dance minister and I would not dare try to preach because that is not my calling, Rev. Jackson, and perhaps you should think about what you are doing here also. God bless you and your praise unto the Lord." [9]
Elsewhere on YouTube, the woman mentioned a video she liked. The dancer wore pointe shoes and liturgical dresss with her hair pulled back in a bun. She began with modern dance moves while lying on the floor. [10]
Notes on Performers
Economy McGee was raised in Englewood, New Jersey, where she graduated from high school in 1982. [11] She earned a bachelors degree in 1987 from New York Institute of Technology. From there, her biography was sketchy until she posted a resume on LinkedIn that began with the jobs she held in Atlanta beginning in 2000. [12]
She may have met and married Edward Jackson in New York or in Atlanta. His father was from Savannah, but had moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, where he founded the Ingathering Pentecostal Temple. [13] Their son was born in 1999. The video he posted of their son’s life included a number of baby pictures that included her. [14] They held the funeral at the Chapel of Christian Love Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. [15]
The Vinings Worship Center where Jackson danced was founded by Parett Smith as "a multi-cultural house of worship that allows the Holy Spirit to flow freely." [16] Smith was listed as Secretary when Jackson registered The Refreshing Center in 2015. [17] She began the ministry in 2013, after her son died, but before she posted videos to YouTube. Jackson wrote then:
"If you are available, I invite you to be my guest. I will dance and share the vision of this ministry. I also ask for your prayers that God continues to strengthen me on my journey." [18]
Availability
YouTube: uploaded by Refreshing Center on 20 January 2014.
End Notes
1. YouTube notes. This was closest to the International Standard Version translation: "The LORD came to Sarah, just as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised." ("Genesis 21:1." Bible Hub website.)
2. Abraham had fathered Ismail with Hagar.
3. For example, David Guzik said that the Lord was fulfilling a promise he had made 25-years before. He added "The promise of a son was not fulfilled because Abraham was perfect in his obedience, but because God was faithful to His Word." He concluded "Some promises of God are conditional and depend on something we must do. Other promises of God are unconditional, and God will fulfill them not because of what we do, but because of who He is." ("Genesis 21 – The Birth of Isaac." Enduring Word website.)
4. "Vinings Worship Center Offering Blessing Declaration for 2011." Uploaded by Harriet Bradley on 1 January 2011.
5. Isabelle Taft. "Jackson’s Promising Life, Sudden Death Draw Hundreds to Grant Park Memorial Service." The Sountherner Online website. 7 July 2012. Taft was in his graduating class.
6. Economy Jackson. "Greater Is Coming." Uploaded to YouTube by The Refreshing Center on 15 August 2013.
7. Psalm 30:11. King James version of The Bible.
8. Economy McGee Jackson. Facebook. 23 June 2018.
9. Merdis Hill. Comment posted 2016 to YouTube video by Economy Jackson. "Grace of God." Uploaded by The Refreshing Center on 27 August 2015.
10. Jocelyn Renee Lamkin. "I Surrender All." Uploaded to YouTube by GWC INTENSITY on 29 March 2007.
11. "About Economy McGee Jackson." Facebook.
12. "Economy Jackson." LinkedIn.
13. "Bishop Edward Jackson Sr. Founded Church; NAACP Waterbury Chapter President." [Waterbury, Connecticut] Republican-American. 10 November 2010.
14. "Thoughts of My Son." Uploaded to YouTube by Ed Jackson on 24 August 2012.
15. Obituary for Edward Jackson III. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 29 June 2012.
16. "Vinings Worship Center." Victory 91.5 Directory website.
17. "Economy F. Jackson - Atlanta." Corporates Wiki website. "F" stood for Fitzgerald.
18. "The Refreshing Center." Wordpress website. 15 May 2013.
Showing posts with label Carr Kurt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carr Kurt. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Kurt Carr - Kumbaya
Topic: Seminal Versions
Kurt Carr was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1964, too late to have sung "Kumbaya" as an adolescent and too far from the South to have heard "Come by Here" in church. Indeed, he said, he did not start spending time in church until he was thirteen, [1] and his first musical influence was Walter Hawkins. [2]
The African American spent his teen years in a private school where most of the students were Jewish, [3] and studied classical music at the University of Connecticut, where he pledged Phi Beta Sigma. [4] He did not have any real contact with Black gospel music until he was hired as a pianist by James Cleveland, and met artists like Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, and Inez Andrews. [5]
He also worked for Andrae Crouch, who told him, "I believe that you have something that is not too ‘black’, and is going to reach the world; not just our own people." [6] This isolation from both the "Kumbaya" and "Come by Here" traditions meant that, when Carr did record "Kumbaya," he was able to alter the melody and write additional words. The most memorable were ones asking the Lord to "shower down" blessings.
Carr was primarily a chorale director. His vision for his group was that it be composed of "unique" individuals who were genuinely religious and could work with one another. [7] Yvette Williams remembered he wanted individuals who were committed to God, not to their art. [8]
This view emanated from an older African belief that individuals only flourished when they were members of communities, and that communal life directed, but did not eliminate their specialness. [9] There were no solos in "Kumbaya." Instead, Sherron Bennett emphasized what the group said by echoing it with embellishments.
Despite this emphasis on the group, the lyrics did not treat "Kumbaya" as the stereotype that underlaid references to the kumbaya moment. Carr emphasized its older "Come by Here" verses that petitioned the Holy Spirit for a blessing.
His version has been especially popular in Asia. Partly, this may be because he had successful tours to places like Japan. He told Dwayne Lacy that at one concert, with an unidentified set of songs,
"God used us that night. The anointing fell. People were speaking in tongues, and didn’t realize what they were doing. They don’t even understand what I am saying, but it’s the music —the substance and the heart of the music —that’s going to change them and lead them to conversion." [10]
The other possible reason for its popularity was five of the six members of the Kurt Carr Singers were women. The African-American gospel quartet tradition was primarily male; women who became famous were soloists. This rendition provided a singing opportunity for groups of young women who wished to perform together.
Performers
Soloists: Sherron Bennett and Kurt Carr
Vocal Accompaniment: Kurt Carr Singers
Instrumental Accompaniment: synthesizer dominant
Rhythm Accompaniment: drum set
Credits
Adapted melody and lyrics by Kurt Carr
© 1997 K. Cartunes/Lily Mack Music (BMI)
Notes on Lyrics
Language: English
Pronunciation: kum-bye-ya, with the accent on the second syllable
Verses: kumbaya, needs you, praying, need a blessing, need a miracle, shower down on me
Vocabulary:
Pronouns: somebody, I
Term for Deity: Lord
Down on me: this phrase was popularized by Janis Joplin in 1967. It came from a religious song recorded in Livingston, Alabama, by Dock Reed in the 1930s. [11]
Line Meter: iambic trimeter
Line Repetition Pattern: ABAB
Line Form: statement-refrain.
Format: ritual prelude-denouement structure
Prelude: verses were sung
Transition: repetitions of "Oh Lord"
Denouement: phrases were used
Notes on Music
Basic Structure: choral group with subdued instrumental accompaniment
Singing Style: solos were highly ornamented
Solo-Group Dynamics
Prelude: Carr spoke the first line before each verse began, as if he were a song leader, then the group sang the verse. On the second line, an extended "oh" was sung in an arc of notes.
Denouement: the group sang a phrase that Bennett repeated in a higher register with embellishments; many were wordless high-pitched sounds.
Vocal-Orchestral Dynamics: before the choir began, the synthesizer played the melody with the drums. Then, they both faded into the background. After the choir was finished and the audience was applauding, the drums continued until the group began the coda.
Notes on Performance
Recorded in the West Los Angeles Church of God in Christ church where Carr was the choir director. [12] Applause could sometimes be heard, especially during the denouement when Bennett was particularly masterful, and again throughout the coda.
Viewers’ Perceptions
Several of the YouTube comments on "Kumbaya" were about the song.
One man said in 2013: "This is a real 1997 praise party song right here." [13]
That same year, another said: "Can’t wait for IVOP to sing this to close out Black History Month at First AME Zion in Brooklyn USA!" [14]
Earlier, another man wrote: "I remember when I was little my parents used to always play this cd and this song would come on. And even though I was little I would sit there and jam cause I loved this song. Its been about 12 years since I heard this song, and I still know every single word." [15]
When I searched for information on the lead singer, Sherron Bennett, I came across the following comments posted for another song she recorded with the Kurt Carr Singers.
"that was Sherron because no one can sound like her." [16]
"sherron knew how to sang and praise God." [17]
Curious, I checked for information on the other singers and found the same pattern: they were remembered as having unique voices while they were part of the Kurt Carr Singers.
Jackie Boyd
"I Remember Her From The kurt Carr Singers Years back She Was One Of The Best In That Group I Was Wondering Was She Still Singing With That Great Voice I Am Glad That She Is Still Lefting Up The Name Of Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!" [18]
Kesha Ealy
"She’s still powerful." [19]
Shervonne Wells and Yvette Williams
"G5’s and G#5’s for days. She just sang that made me think of her with the Kurt Carr Singers...She and Yvette were the core of his Soprano sound." [20]
For whatever reason, I found no comments about the tenor, Corey Briggs.
Notes on Performers
Carr has made few comments on his denominational affiliation. He worked for Baptist churches in Connecticut and Houston, Texas, and for a Church of God in Christ congregation in California. Perhaps, like any modern performer and any evangelist, he wanted to reach as wide an audience as possible, and learned the best way to overcome sectarian bias was not to be identified with any faction. After his tour in Japan, he began talking about the universal aspects of Christ’s message. He told Rene Williams:
"Though I never want to forsake my base—which is the black church, the Pentecostal movement, the Charismatic movement—this time, it’s time for Kurt Carr to reach out to the world." [21]
Availability
Album, CD: No One Else. Gospel Centric Records. 1997.
YouTube: uploaded by onedadou1984, 16 April 2009.
End Notes
1. Wikipedia. "Kurt Carr."
2. Margena A. Christian. "Kurt Carr Receives His Blessing." Ebony website. 5 February 2015.
3. Dwayne Lacy. "Kurt Carr Interview." Gospel Flava website.
4. Wikipedia, Carr.
5. Christopher Heron. "Interview with Kurt Carr." Black Gospel website. November 2008.
6. Lacy.
7. Heron.
8. Yvette Williams. Interviewed by Edward Donalson, III, on Genius Show. Uploaded to YouTube 18 May 2013.
9. John S. Mbiti wrote Africans believed "to be human is to belong to the whole community." African Religions and Philosophies. New York: Praeger Publications, 1970. 2-16. Quoted by Margaret Washington Creel. "A Peculiar People." New York: New York University Press, 1988. 59.
10. Lacy. As mentioned in the previous post, the division between religious groups who relied on text for conversion and those who depended on contact with the spirit is fundamental in Anglo-American Protestantism. One man wrote an article severely criticizing Carr for thinking it was possible for anything but the word to be useful. David J. Stewart was more critical than the Presbyterians were of the Baptists in the post for 12 August 2017. "Kurt Carr's Music EXPOSED!" Jesus Is Savior website.
11. Wikipedia. "Down on Me (Traditional Song)."
12. Wikipedia, Carr.
13. chrispleasantable. "Kumbaya." YouTube. 2013.
14. EM Rollins. "Kumbaya." YouTube. 2013.
15. Jordan Gregory. "Kumbaya." YouTube. 2008.
16. im4Christ4life. "The Kurt Carr Singers-Send The Holy Ghost." YouTube, uploaded 27 January 2010. Comment posted 2012.
17. male alto1. "Send The Holy Ghost." Comment posted 2001.
18. Rita Coleman. "Jackie Boyd de Raat RAW." YouTube, uploaded 29 December 2010. Comment posted 2013.
19. marquis halsell. "Original Kurt Carr Singer Kesha Ealy Marvelous at West Angeles COGIC HD!" YouTube, uploaded 15 March 2016. Comment posted 2016.
20. Marvin McCoy. "Shervonne Wells’ Praise Medley." YouTube, uploaded 23 January 2013. Comment posted 2013.
21. "Kurt Carr’s One Church." Gospel City website. 16 September 2005. No longer available. Quoted by "Kurt Carr Biography." JRank website.
Kurt Carr was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1964, too late to have sung "Kumbaya" as an adolescent and too far from the South to have heard "Come by Here" in church. Indeed, he said, he did not start spending time in church until he was thirteen, [1] and his first musical influence was Walter Hawkins. [2]
The African American spent his teen years in a private school where most of the students were Jewish, [3] and studied classical music at the University of Connecticut, where he pledged Phi Beta Sigma. [4] He did not have any real contact with Black gospel music until he was hired as a pianist by James Cleveland, and met artists like Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, and Inez Andrews. [5]
He also worked for Andrae Crouch, who told him, "I believe that you have something that is not too ‘black’, and is going to reach the world; not just our own people." [6] This isolation from both the "Kumbaya" and "Come by Here" traditions meant that, when Carr did record "Kumbaya," he was able to alter the melody and write additional words. The most memorable were ones asking the Lord to "shower down" blessings.
Carr was primarily a chorale director. His vision for his group was that it be composed of "unique" individuals who were genuinely religious and could work with one another. [7] Yvette Williams remembered he wanted individuals who were committed to God, not to their art. [8]
This view emanated from an older African belief that individuals only flourished when they were members of communities, and that communal life directed, but did not eliminate their specialness. [9] There were no solos in "Kumbaya." Instead, Sherron Bennett emphasized what the group said by echoing it with embellishments.
Despite this emphasis on the group, the lyrics did not treat "Kumbaya" as the stereotype that underlaid references to the kumbaya moment. Carr emphasized its older "Come by Here" verses that petitioned the Holy Spirit for a blessing.
His version has been especially popular in Asia. Partly, this may be because he had successful tours to places like Japan. He told Dwayne Lacy that at one concert, with an unidentified set of songs,
"God used us that night. The anointing fell. People were speaking in tongues, and didn’t realize what they were doing. They don’t even understand what I am saying, but it’s the music —the substance and the heart of the music —that’s going to change them and lead them to conversion." [10]
The other possible reason for its popularity was five of the six members of the Kurt Carr Singers were women. The African-American gospel quartet tradition was primarily male; women who became famous were soloists. This rendition provided a singing opportunity for groups of young women who wished to perform together.
Performers
Soloists: Sherron Bennett and Kurt Carr
Vocal Accompaniment: Kurt Carr Singers
Instrumental Accompaniment: synthesizer dominant
Rhythm Accompaniment: drum set
Credits
Adapted melody and lyrics by Kurt Carr
© 1997 K. Cartunes/Lily Mack Music (BMI)
Notes on Lyrics
Language: English
Pronunciation: kum-bye-ya, with the accent on the second syllable
Verses: kumbaya, needs you, praying, need a blessing, need a miracle, shower down on me
Vocabulary:
Pronouns: somebody, I
Term for Deity: Lord
Down on me: this phrase was popularized by Janis Joplin in 1967. It came from a religious song recorded in Livingston, Alabama, by Dock Reed in the 1930s. [11]
Line Meter: iambic trimeter
Line Repetition Pattern: ABAB
Line Form: statement-refrain.
Format: ritual prelude-denouement structure
Prelude: verses were sung
Transition: repetitions of "Oh Lord"
Denouement: phrases were used
Notes on Music
Basic Structure: choral group with subdued instrumental accompaniment
Singing Style: solos were highly ornamented
Solo-Group Dynamics
Prelude: Carr spoke the first line before each verse began, as if he were a song leader, then the group sang the verse. On the second line, an extended "oh" was sung in an arc of notes.
Denouement: the group sang a phrase that Bennett repeated in a higher register with embellishments; many were wordless high-pitched sounds.
Vocal-Orchestral Dynamics: before the choir began, the synthesizer played the melody with the drums. Then, they both faded into the background. After the choir was finished and the audience was applauding, the drums continued until the group began the coda.
Notes on Performance
Recorded in the West Los Angeles Church of God in Christ church where Carr was the choir director. [12] Applause could sometimes be heard, especially during the denouement when Bennett was particularly masterful, and again throughout the coda.
Viewers’ Perceptions
Several of the YouTube comments on "Kumbaya" were about the song.
One man said in 2013: "This is a real 1997 praise party song right here." [13]
That same year, another said: "Can’t wait for IVOP to sing this to close out Black History Month at First AME Zion in Brooklyn USA!" [14]
Earlier, another man wrote: "I remember when I was little my parents used to always play this cd and this song would come on. And even though I was little I would sit there and jam cause I loved this song. Its been about 12 years since I heard this song, and I still know every single word." [15]
When I searched for information on the lead singer, Sherron Bennett, I came across the following comments posted for another song she recorded with the Kurt Carr Singers.
"that was Sherron because no one can sound like her." [16]
"sherron knew how to sang and praise God." [17]
Curious, I checked for information on the other singers and found the same pattern: they were remembered as having unique voices while they were part of the Kurt Carr Singers.
Jackie Boyd
"I Remember Her From The kurt Carr Singers Years back She Was One Of The Best In That Group I Was Wondering Was She Still Singing With That Great Voice I Am Glad That She Is Still Lefting Up The Name Of Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!" [18]
Kesha Ealy
"She’s still powerful." [19]
Shervonne Wells and Yvette Williams
"G5’s and G#5’s for days. She just sang that made me think of her with the Kurt Carr Singers...She and Yvette were the core of his Soprano sound." [20]
For whatever reason, I found no comments about the tenor, Corey Briggs.
Notes on Performers
Carr has made few comments on his denominational affiliation. He worked for Baptist churches in Connecticut and Houston, Texas, and for a Church of God in Christ congregation in California. Perhaps, like any modern performer and any evangelist, he wanted to reach as wide an audience as possible, and learned the best way to overcome sectarian bias was not to be identified with any faction. After his tour in Japan, he began talking about the universal aspects of Christ’s message. He told Rene Williams:
"Though I never want to forsake my base—which is the black church, the Pentecostal movement, the Charismatic movement—this time, it’s time for Kurt Carr to reach out to the world." [21]
Availability
Album, CD: No One Else. Gospel Centric Records. 1997.
YouTube: uploaded by onedadou1984, 16 April 2009.
End Notes
1. Wikipedia. "Kurt Carr."
2. Margena A. Christian. "Kurt Carr Receives His Blessing." Ebony website. 5 February 2015.
3. Dwayne Lacy. "Kurt Carr Interview." Gospel Flava website.
4. Wikipedia, Carr.
5. Christopher Heron. "Interview with Kurt Carr." Black Gospel website. November 2008.
6. Lacy.
7. Heron.
8. Yvette Williams. Interviewed by Edward Donalson, III, on Genius Show. Uploaded to YouTube 18 May 2013.
9. John S. Mbiti wrote Africans believed "to be human is to belong to the whole community." African Religions and Philosophies. New York: Praeger Publications, 1970. 2-16. Quoted by Margaret Washington Creel. "A Peculiar People." New York: New York University Press, 1988. 59.
10. Lacy. As mentioned in the previous post, the division between religious groups who relied on text for conversion and those who depended on contact with the spirit is fundamental in Anglo-American Protestantism. One man wrote an article severely criticizing Carr for thinking it was possible for anything but the word to be useful. David J. Stewart was more critical than the Presbyterians were of the Baptists in the post for 12 August 2017. "Kurt Carr's Music EXPOSED!" Jesus Is Savior website.
11. Wikipedia. "Down on Me (Traditional Song)."
12. Wikipedia, Carr.
13. chrispleasantable. "Kumbaya." YouTube. 2013.
14. EM Rollins. "Kumbaya." YouTube. 2013.
15. Jordan Gregory. "Kumbaya." YouTube. 2008.
16. im4Christ4life. "The Kurt Carr Singers-Send The Holy Ghost." YouTube, uploaded 27 January 2010. Comment posted 2012.
17. male alto1. "Send The Holy Ghost." Comment posted 2001.
18. Rita Coleman. "Jackie Boyd de Raat RAW." YouTube, uploaded 29 December 2010. Comment posted 2013.
19. marquis halsell. "Original Kurt Carr Singer Kesha Ealy Marvelous at West Angeles COGIC HD!" YouTube, uploaded 15 March 2016. Comment posted 2016.
20. Marvin McCoy. "Shervonne Wells’ Praise Medley." YouTube, uploaded 23 January 2013. Comment posted 2013.
21. "Kurt Carr’s One Church." Gospel City website. 16 September 2005. No longer available. Quoted by "Kurt Carr Biography." JRank website.
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