BIRTH OF A JOYFUL NOISE: Long-forgotten Jubilee Singers Brought Spirituals to the World by JUDY LIGHTFOOT The Seattle Times, April 30, 1999

Seattle journalist and novelist Andrew Ward was doing research for a Civil War novel in local libraries when he stumbled on a wonderful, little-known American story. A discovery in the University of Washington's Suzzallo Library collection sent him to Nashville, Tennessee, where he found archives of material on the Jubilee Singers, a remarkable troupe of African American students who sang spirituals to audiences around the world after the Civil War, countering racial stereotypes wherever they went.

"The Jubilees were front-page news during the 1870s," says Ward. "From newspaper clippings it's obvious that their performances gave audiences everywhere their first exposure to authentic African American music. And at a time when it was risky for blacks to assert themselves in public, these young people (many of them former slaves) stood on stages and denounced any segregation they encountered. It astonished me that I had never heard of their contribution to American history."

History isn't Ward's field, though he won a Washington State Governor's Award in 1997 for Our Bones Are Scattered, a historical account of the 1857 Indian Mutiny against British rule. Local readers are more likely to remember his NPR monologues about living in the Seattle area, broadcast ten years ago on "All Things Considered" and collected in the volume Out Here: A Newcomer's Notes from the Great Northwest.

Ward says, "I'm an essayist and novelist, not an academic, and I don't have a historian's training. But I like to tell stories. When writing history I try to stay close to the experiences of people who were there."

Ward's "Dark Midnight When I Rise: The Story of the Jubilee Singers" tells a deeply American story that shows the "can-do" national character at its best: people uniting to save something they love.

In this case it was Nashville's Fisk School, established for the education of African Americans after the Civil War. While many comparable schools offered only agricultural or industrial training, Fisk boasted a liberal arts curriculum meant to produce teachers and missionaries. But like other black schools of that era it was underfunded. When Fisk faced financial ruin, with teachers and students falling ill from poor food and bitter cold in buildings virtually rotting away, the choir and their director went on the road (another resonant American theme) to raise what today would be millions of dollars.

The story is also American in featuring people who work together despite divergent backgrounds and conflicting aims. Ward observes, "Many of the missionaries who helped build black colleges and the white teachers who staffed them were Northern abolitionists who thought they'd find in black people a kind of blank slate to write on. What they found were real African American persons in all their human variety, with a complex, vital culture of their own." Yet in spite of mistakes, quarrels, and mixed motives on the part of all, black and white, the Jubilees succeeded.

"'We were nothing but a bunch of kids,' wrote soprano Maggie Porter. 'All we wanted was for Fisk to stand.'"

But they were a savvy, resilient bunch, too. Tenor Benjamin Holmes had taught himself to read and write by studying the letters on city signs. Soprano Georgia Gordon had learned to read by memorizing a Bible verse she heard in church, comparing it with the text until she could match each word's sound with its shape, and finding other words like it. Bass singer Greene Evans had built a schoolhouse for black children from discarded lumber, wryly noting that the building "'did not lack for ventilation, for a bird could fly through anywhere.'" Like Evans, Porter had taught in a country school, until it was burned down by the KKK.

On their first U.S. tour the Jubilees wore shabby clothes and lacked winter coats. Critics confused the slave songs that, in soprano Ella Sheppard's words, "'were sacred to our parents'" with the vulgar comedy of blackface minstrels. Railroad conductors ignored the singers'coach tickets and banished them to the smoking cars. Hotels that didn't turn them away often provided rooms which, Sheppard wrote, were "'so well occupied' with insects 'that a part of us only could sleep while the others slew the occupants.'" Some innkeepers were more welcoming - - one tied his wife to the upstairs banister to keep her from throwing the singers out of the parlor.

Despite fears, threats, exhausting schedules, and serious illnesses (contralto Julia Jackson had a stroke; tenor Benjamin Holmes developed TB), the Jubilees persevered. Their gracious ways and marvelous music inspired newspaper reporters to write articles that shamed hotel and restaurant owners into admitting black customers, and several railways, steamship lines, and schools integrated.

Through incessant rehearsals the singers had developed a sweet, stirring sound "that rose and soared and faded like a passing breeze." They sang for royalty throughout Europe, they sang in the Taj Mahal. Packed audiences listened to their praise songs and sorrow songs with astonished joy, weeping and applauding.

It was the first truly American music, and it would influence music everywhere in the next century. In these spirituals, Mark Twain observed, America had "'produced the perfectest flower of the ages.'"

The songs live on in such favorites as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "This Little Light of Mine." No Jubilee performances were recorded, but every student choir at Fisk University has sung the original arrangements, and the present choir will appear in Ward's TV documentary, Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory, on May 1 at 9pm on KCTS-9.

Ward may either finish his Civil War novel or write about another historical event his work on the novel turned up, the massacre of African American soldiers at Fort Pillow. Writing history, he says, reminds him how his life is linked to the lives of others. "Driving to Silverdale, Washington, I'm haunted by a sense of being an interloper on Suquamish Indian soil. We're all interlopers to some extent, and we shouldn't fool ourselves with a proprietary sense about America that none of us has a right to." Ward adds, "We even treat African Americans like guests in this country. Though some of us try to make the 'visitors' feel comfortable, history shows us we're in no position to do this."

History also shows us, in Ward's inspiring book, a triumph of great music and personal courage.

BIRTH OF A JOYFUL NOISE: Long-forgotten Jubilee Singers Brought Spirituals to the World by ...The Seattle Times, April 30, 1999

Seattle journalist and novelist Andrew Ward was doing research for a Civil War novel in local libraries when he stumbled on a wonderful, little-known American story. A discovery in the University of Washington's Suzzallo Library collection sent him to Nashville, Tennessee, where he found archives of material on the Jubilee Singers, a remarkable troupe of African American students who sang spirituals to audiences around the world after the Civil War, countering racial stereotypes wherever they went.

"The Jubilees were front-page news during the 1870s," says Ward. "From newspaper clippings it's obvious that their performances gave audiences everywhere their first exposure to authentic African American music. And at a time when it was risky for blacks to assert themselves in public, these young people (many of them former slaves) stood on stages and denounced any segregation they encountered. It astonished me that I had never heard of their contribution to American history."

History isn't Ward's field, though he won a Washington State Governor's Award in 1997 for Our Bones Are Scattered, a historical account of the 1857 Indian Mutiny against British rule. Local readers are more likely to remember his NPR monologues about living in the Seattle area, broadcast ten years ago on "All Things Considered" and collected in the volume Out Here: A Newcomer's Notes from the Great Northwest.

Ward says, "I'm an essayist and novelist, not an academic, and I don't have a historian's training. But I like to tell stories. When writing history I try to stay close to the experiences of people who were there."

Ward's "Dark Midnight When I Rise: The Story of the Jubilee Singers" tells a deeply American story that shows the "can-do" national character at its best: people uniting to save something they love.

In this case it was Nashville's Fisk School, established for the education of African Americans after the Civil War. While many comparable schools offered only agricultural or industrial training, Fisk boasted a liberal arts curriculum meant to produce teachers and missionaries. But like other black schools of that era it was underfunded. When Fisk faced financial ruin, with teachers and students falling ill from poor food and bitter cold in buildings virtually rotting away, the choir and their director went on the road (another resonant American theme) to raise what today would be millions of dollars.

The story is also American in featuring people who work together despite divergent backgrounds and conflicting aims. Ward observes, "Many of the missionaries who helped build black colleges and the white teachers who staffed them were Northern abolitionists who thought they'd find in black people a kind of blank slate to write on. What they found were real African American persons in all their human variety, with a complex, vital culture of their own." Yet in spite of mistakes, quarrels, and mixed motives on the part of all, black and white, the Jubilees succeeded.

"'We were nothing but a bunch of kids,' wrote soprano Maggie Porter. 'All we wanted was for Fisk to stand.'"

But they were a savvy, resilient bunch, too. Tenor Benjamin Holmes had taught himself to read and write by studying the letters on city signs. Soprano Georgia Gordon had learned to read by memorizing a Bible verse she heard in church, comparing it with the text until she could match each word's sound with its shape, and finding other words like it. Bass singer Greene Evans had built a schoolhouse for black children from discarded lumber, wryly noting that the building "'did not lack for ventilation, for a bird could fly through anywhere.'" Like Evans, Porter had taught in a country school, until it was burned down by the KKK.

On their first U.S. tour the Jubilees wore shabby clothes and lacked winter coats. Critics confused the slave songs that, in soprano Ella Sheppard's words, "'were sacred to our parents'" with the vulgar comedy of blackface minstrels. Railroad conductors ignored the singers'coach tickets and banished them to the smoking cars. Hotels that didn't turn them away often provided rooms which, Sheppard wrote, were "'so well occupied' with insects 'that a part of us only could sleep while the others slew the occupants.'" Some innkeepers were more welcoming - - one tied his wife to the upstairs banister to keep her from throwing the singers out of the parlor.

Despite fears, threats, exhausting schedules, and serious illnesses (contralto Julia Jackson had a stroke; tenor Benjamin Holmes developed TB), the Jubilees persevered. Their gracious ways and marvelous music inspired newspaper reporters to write articles that shamed hotel and restaurant owners into admitting black customers, and several railways, steamship lines, and schools integrated.

Through incessant rehearsals the singers had developed a sweet, stirring sound "that rose and soared and faded like a passing breeze." They sang for royalty throughout Europe, they sang in the Taj Mahal. Packed audiences listened to their praise songs and sorrow songs with astonished joy, weeping and applauding.

It was the first truly American music, and it would influence music everywhere in the next century. In these spirituals, Mark Twain observed, America had "'produced the perfectest flower of the ages.'"

The songs live on in such favorites as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "This Little Light of Mine." No Jubilee performances were recorded, but every student choir at Fisk University has sung the original arrangements, and the present choir will appear in Ward's TV documentary, Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory, on May 1 at 9pm on KCTS-9.

Ward may either finish his Civil War novel or write about another historical event his work on the novel turned up, the massacre of African American soldiers at Fort Pillow. Writing history, he says, reminds him how his life is linked to the lives of others. "Driving to Silverdale, I'm haunted by a sense of being an interloper on Suquamish soil. We're all interlopers to some extent, and we shouldn't fool ourselves with a proprietary sense about America that none of us has a right to." Ward adds, "We even treat African Americans like guests in this country. Though some of us try to make the 'visitors' feel comfortable, history shows us we're in no position to do this."

History also shows us, in Ward's inspiring book, a triumph of great music and personal courage.

I obtained copy by emailing my order to books@mind.net This is a great book for those wishing to take a sailing charter with or without crew. I ordered copies for all my friends and "crew".

This is an outstanding guide for the novice sailor giving great tips on chartering a boat for the adventure of a lifetime. I wish the publishers would reissue this book. I've been trying to find copies for friends for some time.

i loved it. my kids loved it. even mr. fish (our goldfish) loved it (We think.).

My kids really enjoyed this book. Not only is the text well written and informative, but the illustrations are colorful, whimsical and evocative. I highly reccomend this book as a fun read and a good learning text. A must buy!

I'm from Charleston and I've been hearing about this book for months now. I finally bought it. Unfortunately, I had to call in sick to work because I just could not put it down until it was finished. Sequel? Hurry up Terry Tucker and get busy.

Review by Earl Wilcox : What if I tell you I have just read a novel that has a Charleston setting, described as flawlessly and poetically as Conroy writes, would you want to read it? What about a novel with plenty of intrigue, suspense, and characterizations that make you just want to get in the car and head for Charleston again? Maybe enough intrigue to rival Savannah's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil? On these two counts and others Terry Ward Tucker is right in the picture with Conroy, Humphries, and Berendt. Tucker's prose is at its best in two ways: her flawess descriptive passages and her compelling dialogue. In fact, Elegant Sinners is rich but not excessive in portraying Charleston itself as a character. While the hypnotic and sensual atmosphere of Charleston makes one want to linger, it is the suspense-driven plot which urges the reader on. Though this is Tucker's first novel, she has a voice and forceful quality that verify this as a work from an accomplished and serious writer.

You will find THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WEIGHT TRAINING to be a good reference book and resource tool. Do not leave home without it!

The contents is basically textual in nature with a lot of easy to understand tables and figures which enhances comprehension. The book does not address the specifics of how to perform exercises but there are thousands of books that do that.

This book deals with the science of training and how to format a training program along with sound training principles and solid nutritional information that helps to ensure your success in training.

The cycling and periodization of training is very important for success in general fitness, bodybuilding and training for sport. This book is loaded with useful information, examples and principles that will get you on the road to success and very quickly.

It has great examples of periodization for all levels of training. Moreover, the nutritional information is solid and easy to grasp.

All people (young or old, male or female) as well as high school and college students and personal trainers should have it for their library.

You will not get the insight and information from any other source that you will find in the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WEIGHT TRAINING.

I highly recommend it. Buy one NOW and be ahead of the crowd.

You will never loan this book to anyone because it will not be returned because of it great value. It is truly a "pearl of great price."

Walter Hecht

Excellent resource: This book covers a wide variety of subjects relating to fitness and provides a tremendous depth of knowledge to anyone who is serious about fitness.

Wow, I thought this would be another dry, boring treatise on international relations but it got me hooked early with its trenchant analysis and clear writing style. Thomas, a notable young star in his field, has written the essential guide to norms of force in international relations. Highly relevant to today's body politic, this wonderfully-titled work is in my personal top ten.

There are few works of international relations that have kept me up until 1 a.m., but Ward Thomas's excellent and immensely readable book is one of them. It provides both a general overview of the role of norms in international affairs, and detailed case-studies of norms governing assassinations of international leaders and aerial bombing of civilians. For undergraduate students, the first two chapters constitute an ideal introduction to the recent but very vigorous debate in I.R. over norms. To what extent do traditional "realist" formulations of power and influence need to be recast in the light of the norms literature? Thomas suggests that a fundamental rethinking is warranted, but he is careful to integrate the contributions of the realist and institutionalist schools, while offering his own novel "take" on some of the issues at hand. The two chapters exploring norms against aerial bombing of civilians (pre- and post-1945) are very well done, though the analysis of U.S. bombing in Indochina could have been expanded beyond the somewhat limited case of attacks against North Vietnam. Overall, "The Ethics of Destruction" makes an important contribution to one of the most vibrant discussions in I.R. today.

The recipes are simple and easy enough for a beginner like me, yet the result is sophisticated and delicious! (My favorites are Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic, and Green Risotto) Most of the recipes do not require exotic ingredients, which is also a big plus.

Perfect for an impatient cook who can't spend hours in kitchen but loves to eat trattoria style food.

The author has a thorough knowledge of Tuscany; its culture,food, and people. As if the photography and the gorgeous artwork weren't enough, the recipes are dazzling and perfectly authentic to the region. The information presented in the book is appropriately informative and with all the above elements combined, one is left feeling as though one has actually visited Tuscany! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Italian cooking and culture. The price is an absolute steal! :)

This is the long awaited basic textbook for osteopathic medicine. It is surprisingly complete, covering philosophy, history, research, and manipulative techniques. The beginning osteopathic student may find it most useful for its practical discussion on the techniques--high velocity, myofascial release, etc. I believe it is also helpful in standardizing our terminology, which will make it easier when taking board exams or talking with colleagues from other osteopathic schools. It includes contributors well known within the osteopathic community, including Michael and William Kuchera, Melicien Tettambel, Eileen DiGiovanna, and many others. As a family practice resident I frequently turn to this textbook first when I want to know more about how to treat a patient or when preparing lectures for students and housestaff.

This text is actually required reading for most if not all osteopathic medical students. It is a 'textbook', however, and hence completely (sometimes exhaustively!) comprehensive. But it is easy to read so that anyone with an interest in OMT will get a methodic how-to for myriad techniques, also a thorough history of osteopathic medicine to boot! One of my OMT professors at the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine wrote or co-wrote a few of the chapters so of course, I think those are the best! If you are looking for an educational approach to learning manipulation and the reasons behind it, this is a valuable resouce.

This is perhaps the finest work of many by a leading American Indian scholar-activist of his generation. Its superiority is partly because of its comprehensive length, incorporating many of his best essays. Churchill's forte, here & elsewhere, is the power of his dununciation of injustices & genocidal practices against the Native Americans both past & present---the crimes continue even today, as do indigenous peoples' courageous resistance. I assigned parts of this work for a class in American environmental history, & it genuinely shook up the students, who were seeing our history from a radically different perspective. Sadly, those who really need to read Churchill most likely never will.

Why 4 1/2 stars? Since many of Churchill's titles reprint essays published elsewhere, there is considerable overlap with the contents of other books. Thus someone who owns, say, 4 of his works (including this one) may actually possess only 3 full books of original material. Churchill's writings are thoroughly documented, but in contrast to Vine Deloria Jr., to whom he is often compared, Churchill's style is decidedly humorless. But Deloria's sensibility is exceptional under any circumstances, & ultimately, what Churchill discusses simply isn't amusing at all---it's tragic & outrageous.

Here is a book that everyone, Indian or non-Indian, should read by tomorrow at the very latest. Ward Churchill is an extraordinarily gifted Indian (a term he prefers over "Native American" or "Aboriginal") activist whose prose cuts like a curve-bladed scalpal. Churchill doesn't want to memorialize what American society likes to think of as ancient (and therefore, best forgotten) wrongs; he wants to talk about how white society destroyed and keeps on destroying the Original People of the New World. And he isn't going to do it with quaint tales and stories. He wants you to understand that his people are dying. Right now. This very second.

This book, a collection of essays collected over the years, isn't full of the latest spiritual word from Indian Country; don't read this if you want to learn how to construct a sweat lodge "like the real Indians did." Read this book in order to learn how to be a member of the Wannabe Tribe and you will experience deep spiritual anguish as Churchill's words tear you a new exhust pipe. He doesn't care about your spiritual development; he wants you to understand that genocide is being committed even as you read these words.

Get this book. It will hurt a lot to read it, but its better than shutting your eyes to over five centuries of genocide.

This book is essential for antone pursuing vocal studies. All written in keys suitable for any soprano or mezzo-soprano. Definately look at the Poemes d'un Jour cycle. This song cycle. This book, is a definate must!!!

Gabriel Faure is perhaps one of the most astute musical composers, especially for vocalists. He creates complex, pleasing pieces, that are a challenge to sing. These peiece are for serious performers who like to achieve the satisfaction of doing hard work. Not that all of his pieces are an extreeme challenge, they are beautiful very artistic pieces. The performer can put a lot of drama into each song. I highly recommend anything by Faure.