Gospel Songs, Hymns & Sermons Research Guides
These guides are the work of Archives staff and scholars supported by the College’s Sound Archives Fellowship Program.
Old Regular Baptist lined-out hymns, shaped note singing, gospel music, and sermons are the religious expressions highlighted in these collections and research guides.
African American Rural Hymnody & The Sacred Harp
Documentation of the four-shape-note singing tradition in the "Wiregrass" region of Alabama from the William H. Tallmadge Baptist Hymnody Collection 1968-1980, SAA 33 and Rural Hymnody Symposium Collection, RG 11.02.
Gospel Quartet Radio Performances
Kevin Kehrberg (2007 Appalachian Sound Archives Fellow) focused on the gospel quartets documented in Berea's radio program collections, especially the Renfro Valley Gatherin' and other programs John Lair aired on network radio from Renfro Valley in the 1940s and 1950s.
Studying the Evolution of Rural Hymnody
Meredith Doster (2009 Appalachian Sound Archives Fellow) focused particularly on the conflicts between the four- and seven-shape note traditions of the 19th century as one example of the tension created when traditions and their rituals change. Her work also analyzes the deep-seated ties between land, culture and religion in small, rural communities and the collective impact of those qualities on worship practices.