Gospel Resonance in the United Kingdom

Above: Photograph of The Kingdom Choir outside of St. George's Chapel in Windsor, Berkshire. ¹

Cheryl Saunders

Terri A. Sewell

Susan Rice

The history of race relations in the United Kingdom is, unquestionably, complex. Scholars like Emily C. Bartels analyzed letters issued by Elizabeth I--who had called for the expulsion of black non-English residents--and found “a color-based racist discourse in the making.” ² Around this time, in the 16th and 17th centuries, "blacks" often performed at special events and pageants where royals “used” them, according to scholar Matthieu A. Chapman, “to display and perform power and wealth the same way people today use cars and jewelry.” ³

 

The British monarchy maintains a hold over the nation’s cultural identity and public image. ⁴ Ceremonies like the royal wedding then become “meta-social commentaries” and are “open to multiple interpretations.” ⁵ The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last Saturday featured a moving rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” by The Kingdom Choir, an all-black group conceived in 1996 by director Karen Gibson as “a choir of quality and excellence with a heart of worship that was created to usher in the kingdom of heaven.” ⁶

 

Cheryl Saunders directed the Liverpool Harmonic Gospel Choir under the auspices of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society’s community education project. She spoke in her interview of the soulfulness of gospel music, which proved a challenging feat for the English choir members who were used to more “superficial singing.” She went on to describe the solemnity of the experience: “A lot of people are so reserved, they don’t want to expose themselves, wherein the black culture, African Americans expose themselves…If I’m hurting, it went through my song.” ⁷ [Cheryl Saunders, THMDA 1.3.3] . Co ngresswoman Terri A. Sewell co-founded the gospel choir at Oxford University. Like Saunders' experience, Sewell struggled to find students of color to join; however U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice eventually proved to be a willing participant. ⁸ [The Honorable Terri A. Sewell, THMDA 1.5.1] .

 

In “ Somebody’s Calling My Name”: Black Sacred Music and Social Change , Reverend Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker offered: “What black people are singing religiously will provide a clue to what is happening to them sociologically.” ⁹ Considering England’s continued grappling with issues of race and immigration--not to mention Brexit--The Kingdom Choir’s presence, and song choice, can be considered a testament to finding strength in the face of uncertainty.

Stacey Abrams ¹⁰ made history this week when she became the first African American woman to hold a major party’s gubernatorial nomination. If elected to office this coming November in her adopted home state of Georgia--which last elected a Democratic governor in 1998--Abrams would become the nation’s first ever African American female governor. ¹¹

In 1992, politician Carol Moseley Braun from Illinois was the first ever African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. During her interview with The HistoryMakers, Braun remembered the importance of her win: “It was a huge deal. It was huge.” Braun’s victory in Illinois also garnered momentum for other women candidates, “because now people saw--well hey, if this little black child over here in Illinois can do it then why not, fill in the blank. And that made a difference.” ¹²

Pioneers like Braun and Abrams serve as inspiration for future firsts, and we honor and celebrate their achievements!

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NOTES:

1. BANNER PHOTO: Photograph of the Kingdom Choir, taken by Steven Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images. Accessed May 25, 2018. https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8456812/karen-gibson-and-the-kingdom-choir-stand-by-me-royal-wedding-2018.

2. Emily C. Bartels, “Too Many Blackamoors: Deportation, Discrimination, and Elizabeth I,” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 46, no. 2 (Spring 2006): 305-322.

3. Matthieu A. Chapman, “The Appearance of Blacks on the Early Modern Stage: ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’s’ African Connections to Court,” Early Theatre 17, no. 2 (2014): 77-94.

4. Philip Long, Introduction to Royal Tourism: Excursions around Monarchy, eds. Philip Long, Nicola J. Palmer (Channel View Publications, 2008).

5. Long, p. 10

6. Steve Alexander Smith, British Black Gospel: The Foundations of this Vibrant UK Sound . Lion UK, 2009.

7. Cheryl Saunders (The HistoryMakers A2002.160), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2002, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 3, Cheryl Saunders contrasts gospel music in England versus the U.S.

8. The Honorable Terri A. Sewell (The HistoryMakers A2017.096), interviewed by Denise Gines, May 5, 2017, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 5, story 1, The Honorable Terri A. Sewell remembers her production of 'For Colored Girls' at the University of Oxford.

9. Wyatt Tee Walker, “ Somebody’s Calling My Name”: Black Sacred Music and Social Change. Judson Press, 1979.

10. IMAGE: Photograph of Stacey Abrams by John Bazemore (Associated Press). Accessed May 25, 2018. https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Stacey-Abrams-victory-georgia-ap-img.jpg?scale=896&compress=80.

11. "Stacey Abrams's historic win," The Economist. Accessed May 25, 2018. https://www.economist.com/democracy-in-america/2018/05/25/stacey-abramss-historic-win.

12. The Honorable Carol Moseley Braun (The HistoryMakers A2002.024), interviewed by Julieanna L. Richardson, March 19, 2002, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 5, story 6, Carol Moseley Braun outlines the benefit of her primary win for women candidates.