via bcnn1.com heologians and clergy members of every religious stripe may debate the existence of God until the cows come home.
Mavis Staples in a documentary history of black gospel music.
But as demonstrated by “Rejoice and Shout,” Don McGlynn’s documentary history of African-American gospel music, reasonable arguments are nothing compared with the power of voices lifted in song to invoke the Holy Spirit. Your religion or lack of one doesn’t matter. At some point while watching the film, you may feel that music is God, or if not, a close approximation of divinity.
This historical survey of the genre draws heavily on the extensive archives of its producer, Joe Lauro, and is grounded in the work of two experts: Anthony Heilbut, who wrote the classic book “The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times,” and Bil Carpenter, whose “Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia” chronicles the lives and careers of more than 650 gospel figures. Their analyses are supplemented by the observations of Jacquie Gales Webb, the host of a popular radio program. Mr. Heilbut’s approach is primarily scholarly and historical, and Mr. Carpenter’s is more sociological and political. Smokey Robinson, who introduces the film and offers its closing observations, sets its praiseworthy tone. read more
