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My Soul Is a Witness: The Message of the Spirituals in Word And Song
For many years, singer/writer Marsha Hansen has helped concert audiences hear and see the rich legacy of the African-American sacred music known as spirituals. Collaborating with her brother-in-law, world renowned guitarist Keith Richards, and joined by veteran musicians, Babi Floyd, Blondie Chaplin, George Receli, and other stellar performers, Marsha and her daughter Jordan interpret hauntingly familiar songs in unexpected ways. Each artist on the CD lends a distinctive note, resulting in a chorus that truly reflects the history, the people, and the circumstances from which these powerful songs arose. My Soul Is a Witness explores the deep messages of faith sung about in African-American sacred folk music. Each chapter of the book explores both song texts and related biblical texts, leading to opportunities for personal and devotional reflection. Presented in a beautiful gift book format, the book includes the 14-song live recording of vocalist Marsha Hansen, accompanied by Keith Richards, Babi Floyd, Blondie Chaplin, George Receli, and others.
- GenresMusic
127 pages, Hardcover
First published May 23, 2006
206 people want to read
About the author
Marsha Hansen
2 books14 followersMarsha Hansen is both a writer and a concert vocalist. A rare recording with her brother-in-law Keith Richards is included in her book, My Soul Is A Witness: The Message of the Spirituals in Word and Song. Somewhat more recently, Marsha wrote Finding God in the Shadows: Stories from the Battlefield of Life with veteran author, Peter Huchthausen (K-19 the Widowmaker.)
Marsha edited the late Roy J. Enquists's , The Courage to Believe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... and contributed the chapter on Antonio Gramsci in Johan Galtung's work,Macrohistory and Macrohistorians: Perspectives on Individual, Social and Civilizational Change https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
Currently, Marsha is a a full-time professional speech writer for one of TIME magazine's 2016 most influential people in the world. She is also busy finishing up her first work of fiction,which will be ready in late summer.
An avid reader, Marsha loves to engage others in conversation about books! She has a Goodreads blog that is always tied to one or more books. You will always see other authors mentioned in the blog. Check it out and share it!
Marsha edited the late Roy J. Enquists's , The Courage to Believe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... and contributed the chapter on Antonio Gramsci in Johan Galtung's work,Macrohistory and Macrohistorians: Perspectives on Individual, Social and Civilizational Change https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
Currently, Marsha is a a full-time professional speech writer for one of TIME magazine's 2016 most influential people in the world. She is also busy finishing up her first work of fiction,which will be ready in late summer.
An avid reader, Marsha loves to engage others in conversation about books! She has a Goodreads blog that is always tied to one or more books. You will always see other authors mentioned in the blog. Check it out and share it!
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 16, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
Marsha Hansen is a concert vocalist and inspirational speaker who sings and teaches about African-American sacred music. This book is an extension of that, writing about spirituals and their messages.
Because of slavery, those kidnapped and sold from Africa and their descendants had a very different experience of Christianity than their purchasers and enslavers. They identified strongly with Job and the Israelite slaves in Egypt. (Indeed, some white people who preached to slaves deliberately skipped the Exodus story, or changed the ending to have the Israelites voluntarily going back into slavery.)
Since literacy among slaves was discouraged (and in some states illegal), music was one of the few ways they could express their religion, and the songs sung at camp meetings became the spirituals we know of today.
The book comes with a CD of Ms. Hansen, her friends and family performing many of the songs discussed. Several were recorded at family gatherings, with the rest being done in a more formal studio setting. Some of the home recordings are a bit rougher than is to my taste, with the drum drowning out bits of the lyrics. Those of you who prefer an “authentic” sound may like those tracks better.
The writing is stirring, explaining the significance and emotional resonance of each song. I found it moving. This book would be best appreciated, I think, by those with a fondness for spirituals, but anyone with an interest in Christian music will probably enjoy it. There’s also a discussion of slavery in the Bible and how verses were taken to justify cruel oppression. We now interpret those passages differently, and so our understanding grows.
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul
Marsha Hansen is a concert vocalist and inspirational speaker who sings and teaches about African-American sacred music. This book is an extension of that, writing about spirituals and their messages.
Because of slavery, those kidnapped and sold from Africa and their descendants had a very different experience of Christianity than their purchasers and enslavers. They identified strongly with Job and the Israelite slaves in Egypt. (Indeed, some white people who preached to slaves deliberately skipped the Exodus story, or changed the ending to have the Israelites voluntarily going back into slavery.)
Since literacy among slaves was discouraged (and in some states illegal), music was one of the few ways they could express their religion, and the songs sung at camp meetings became the spirituals we know of today.
The book comes with a CD of Ms. Hansen, her friends and family performing many of the songs discussed. Several were recorded at family gatherings, with the rest being done in a more formal studio setting. Some of the home recordings are a bit rougher than is to my taste, with the drum drowning out bits of the lyrics. Those of you who prefer an “authentic” sound may like those tracks better.
The writing is stirring, explaining the significance and emotional resonance of each song. I found it moving. This book would be best appreciated, I think, by those with a fondness for spirituals, but anyone with an interest in Christian music will probably enjoy it. There’s also a discussion of slavery in the Bible and how verses were taken to justify cruel oppression. We now interpret those passages differently, and so our understanding grows.
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul
Displaying 1 of 1 review