It seemed like a simple question, but it was immediately apparent that answer was far from simple. First, it is complicated by fact that both exist because of a deep-seated need to express faith in song.

Secondly, one genre has used other for source material. Also, history of one genre blends into other.

The times and environment in which spiritual was nurtured were starkly different than that of black gospel music. Gospel music is clearly rooted in spiritual, and Gospel musicians have drawn on spiritual for source material. But are gospel songs simply “jazzed-up” spirituals? What is “gospel truth?”

The Negro Spiritual: From Cotton Field to Concert Hall

Negro spirituals are songs created by Africans who were captured and brought to United States to be sold into slavery. This stolen race was deprived of their languages, families, and cultures; yet, their masters could not take away their music.

Over years, these slaves and their descendents adopted Christianity, religion of their masters. They re-shaped it into a deeply personal way of dealing with oppression of their enslavement. Their songs, which were to become known as spirituals, reflected slaves’ need to express their new faith.

The songs were also used for secret communication without knowledge of their masters. This was particularly case when a slave planned to escape bondage via Underground Railroad.

Spirituals were created extemporaneously and were passed orally from person to person. They were improvised as suited singers. There are approximately 6,000 spirituals; however, oral tradition of slaves’ ancestors—and prohibition against slaves learning to read or write—meant that actual number of songs is unknown.

With end of American Civil War in 1865, most former slaves distanced themselves from music of their captivity. The spiritual seemed destined to be relegated to slave narratives or to a handful of historical accounts by whites who had tried to notate songs they heard.

The performance of spirituals was reborn when a group of students from newly founded Fisk University of Nashville, Tennessee, began to tour to raise money for financially strapped school. The Fisk Jubilee Singers carried spirituals to parts of U.S. that had never heard Negro folksongs, and they performed before royalty during tours of Europe in 1870’s. Their success encouraged other Black colleges and professional singers to form touring groups. Collections of plantation songs were published to meet public demand.

While studying at National Conservatory of Music, singer and composer Harry T. Burleigh came under influence of Czech composer Antonín Dvořák. Dvořák visited United States in 1892 to serve as conservatory's new director and to encourage Americans to develop their own national music. Dvořák learned of spiritual from Burleigh and later recommended that American composers draw upon spiritual for their inspiration.

In 1916, Burleigh wrote "Deep River,” for voice and piano. His setting is considered to be first work of its kind to be written specifically for performance by a trained singer.

"Deep River" and other spiritual settings became very popular with concert performers and recording artists, both black and white. It was soon common for recitals to end with a group of spirituals. Composers published numerous settings of Negro spirituals specifically for performance on concert stage, and solo and choral singers successfully recorded them for commercial release.

Additionally, spiritual has given birth to a number of other American music genres, including Blues, Jazz and gospel. Spirituals played a major role of buoying spirits of protesters during Civil Rights Era of 1950’s and 1960’s.

The Music

Spirituals fall into three basic categories:

Call and response – A “leader” begins a line, which is then followed by a choral response; often sung to a fast, rhythmic tempo (“Ain’t That Good News,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”)

Slow and melodic – Songs with sustained, expressive phrasing, generally slower tempo (“Balm in Gilead,” “Calvary”)

Fast and rhythmic – Songs that often tell a story in a faster, syncopated rhythm (“Ev’ry Time I Feel Spirit,” “Joshua Fit Battle of Jericho”)

The lyrics dealt with characters from Old Testament (Daniel, Moses, David) who had to overcome great tribulations and with whom slaves could easily identify. From New Testament, slaves most closely identified with Jesus Christ, who they knew would help them.

Since rhythm—once established—was key to their songs, singers would add or delete syllables in words to make them fit song. Pioneers of spiritual art songs often chose to use dialect, manner slaves pronounced words, in their settings. Early vocal settings reflected goals of pioneering composers to retain as much of “feel” of original spiritual as was possible. Choral settings were ideally performed a cappella, and solo vocal pieces allowed use piano accompaniment for support of singer. They mainly composed in a steady 2/4 or 4/4 meter.

Over years, however, settings have become more tonally and rhythmically complex in vocal line and accompaniment. This approach presents more technical challenges to performers, and it places greater responsibility upon performers to be sensitive to original intent of music.

Gospel Music: “Good News” in City

The gospel music of African American had its beginnings during years following Civil War. Many newly freed slaves began seeking a new life away from rural setting of Southern plantation. They sought opportunities for better education and employment to north and west.

From a religious standpoint, freedmen took two very distinct paths. Some formed churches affiliated with established white denominations and used same formal, structured liturgies. They rejected spiritual in its original form because songs not only reminded them of their former conditions, but songs did not fit well into service. They chose to sing hymns by Dr. Isaac Watt, John Wesley and Richard Allen, though they sang them with a favor that hinted at their African roots.