[Dixielandjazz] Sacred Tunes in Secular Settings

[Stephen G Barbone]

> "James O'Briant" <jobriant at garlic.com>
>
> This brings up an interesting topic: the use, in secular venues
> and situations, of sacred melodies (that is, melodies that almost
> always have sacred lyrics and are considered by most listeners to
> be "church music).
>
> For example, I have a recording (from the '30's?) of a song that's
> labeled "Black Eyed Peas" on the CD.  I don't recall the band or
> the singer.  The lyrics are:
>
> 	Just a bowl of Black-eyed Peas,
> 	Plate of ham hocks if you please.
> 	Salt and pepper makes me sneeze.
> 	Just a bowl of Black-eyed Peas.
>
> The tune, however, is "Just a Closer Walk With Thee."  I've been
> in one situation where a musician objected to playing this tune in
> a secular venue with the secular lyrics.  He considered it
> sacrilegious, or at least disrespectful, to use what he considers
> a "church song" with the above lyrics.
>
> Anyone else run into issues like this, either with performers or
> audiences?
>
> Thanks!


Yes Jim, Barbone Street has run across objections to sacred songs in  
secular venues.

Once we had a substitute trombonist who was on a political gig for the  
late Senator Roth of Delaware. (the guy who authored the ROTH IRA). It  
was  his final political campaign celebration, a real flag waver. We  
had red vests to wear with white pants and blue shirts etc.

He refused to wear the vests, considering them "raiments" which were  
forbidden by his religious beliefs. He also refused, on religious  
grounds to play "Its a Grand Old Flag" and "America The Beautiful"  
because they glorified symbols and countries instead of God and "When  
The Saints Come Marching In" because it was a sacred song in a secular  
setting.

Needless to say, we never used him again.

Duke Ellington also refused to play Sacred Songs in secular settings  
according to his biography by Edward Hasse, Ellington said to Carter  
Harman; "I won't play the "Saints Go Marching Home (sic). It's . . .a  
fear . . . I just don't think it has a place in jazz, that's all."

But he did think it OK to compose a Concert of Sacred Music to express  
his spiritually. He wrote one for the Episcopal Cathedral in San  
Francisco and another for St John the Divine Cathedral in NYC. They  
were not masses, but rather conversations with God by musicians and  
dancers.

He would also perform them in secular venues and was more than a  
little miffed when the Baptist Church in Washington DC refused to  
endorse the Concert of Sacred Music he performed at Constitution Hall.  
(The venue was only half full)

Cheers
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband