Joe Carter — The Spirituals

On Being with Krista Tippett

On Being Studios

Sociology, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Krista Tippett, Arts, Culture, On Being, Society, Society & Culture, Science, Social Sciences

4.7 • 10.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 August 2018

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“Magic, shining songs.” Reaching back to the ancestors. How do we survive when the worst happens? Transcendence and code: “Steal Away,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Music as a secret door. The roots of gospel, jazz, hip-hop, the blues. An exuberant experience of conversation and singing. There are nearly 5,000 spirituals in existence. Their organizing concept is not the melody of Europe, but the rhythm of Africa. They were composed by slaves, bards whose names we will never know, and yet gave rise to gospel, jazz, blues, and hip-hop. Joe Carter lived and breathed the universal appeal and hidden stories, meanings, and hope in what were originally called “sorrow songs.” This was one of our first weekly shows, and it’s still one of our most beloved. Joe Carter was a singer, performer, teacher, and traveling humanitarian. He performed for more than 25 years in opera and musical theater, portrayed Paul Robeson in a one-man musical, and introduced people around the world to the spiritual. He died of leukemia at age 57, on June 26, 2006. Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

Transcript

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0:00.0	On Being is brought to you by the John Templeton Foundation.
0:03.6	The Templeton Foundation supports academic research and civil dialogue on the deepest, most perplexing questions facing humankind.
0:11.0	Who are we? Why are we here? And where are we going?
0:14.8	To learn more, please visit Templeton.org. The Templeton Foundation. Stay curious.
0:20.8	Swing low, sweet chariot.
0:33.8	Come and for a carry me home. Swing low, sweet chariot.
0:47.8	I said it's coming for a carry me home.
0:57.8	This hour an exuberant experience of conversation and singing the spirituals.
1:02.8	There are nearly 5,000 spirituals in existence.
1:06.8	Their organizing concept is not the melody of Europe but the rhythm of Africa.
1:11.8	They were composed by slaves, bards whose names we will never know and yet gave rise to gospel, jazz, blues and hip-hop.
1:19.8	Joke Harder lived and breathed the universal appeal and the hidden stories, meanings and hope in what were originally called sorrow songs.
1:29.8	What we're talking about is human suffering and how do we survive when the worst happens?
1:36.8	What are the mechanisms? I can sing Motherless Child in Siberia. They know what it means.
1:42.8	They've been through hell. I can go to Scotland and Ireland and Wales and sing these.
1:47.8	They understand the sentiments. The songs have become symbolic, I think, of that universal quest for freedom,
1:55.8	that yearning for freedom and that part of us that says I will not be defeated.
2:02.8	I'm Christa Tippett and this is on being.
2:16.8	This was one of our first weekly shows and it's still one of our most beloved.
2:21.8	Joke Harder remained relatively unknown through his death in June 2006.
2:27.8	He performed for more than 25 years in opera and musical theater and he portrayed Paul Robison in a one-man musical.
2:33.8	I spoke with him in a music recording studio in 2003 with his pianist Tom West nearby for whenever Joe might feel called to burst into song.
	...

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