spirituals
Religious songs of African-Americans, often written with freer rhythms and harmonies than most standard hymns. Spirituals, many of which go back to the days of slavery, often speak of biblical models of deliverance, like the Exodus. Some well-known spirituals are “Gonna Lay Down My Burden,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
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Cultural definitions for spirituals (2 of 2)
Religious songs of African-Americans, often written with freer rhythms and harmonies than most standard hymns. Spirituals, many of which go back to the days of slavery, often speak of biblical models of deliverance, like the Exodus. Some well-known spirituals are “Gonna Lay Down My Burden,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
How to use spirituals in a sentence
Both he and River sang spirituals on the street trying to raise money for their family.
Michelle Pfeiffer and More Stars Who Escaped From ‘Cults’ | Alec Kubas-Meyer | November 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTMy spirituals from God and the Pope, my temporals from the King.
Life of Thomas Becket | Henry Hart MilmanIn spirituals and in temporals, 'the hand of the diligent maketh rich.'
The Power of Faith | Isabella GrahamHis appointment was made evidently more in view of temporals than spirituals, and he acted accordingly.
An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800 | Mary Frances CusackIn 1275 the spirituals, who clung to the original ideals and rules of Francis, were treated as heretics and persecuted.
Folkways | William Graham Sumner
Col. Higginson has compared the Negro spirituals to the Scotch ballads and to the folk songs of other races.
Cultural definitions for spirituals (1 of 2)
Religious songs of African-Americans, often written with freer rhythms and harmonies than most standard hymns. Spirituals, many of which go back to the days of slavery, often speak of biblical models of deliverance, like the Exodus. Some well-known spirituals are “Gonna Lay Down My Burden,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
A kind of religious song originated by African-Americans. Spirituals are often written with freer rhythms and harmonies than most standard hymns. Many of them go back to the days of slavery, and they often speak of biblical models of deliverance, such as the Exodus. Several spirituals have become standard pieces of music for concert singers and choruses. “Gonna Lay Down My Burden,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In” are spirituals.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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