No Song is Safe From Us

We revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on October 1, 2015. Today’s song is “Let Us Break Bread Together” sung by Jessye Norman, with beautifully orchestrated accompaniment. Antonin Dvorak was an early champion of the Negro spiritual during his stay in New York (and Iowa) in the […]

We revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on September 30, 2015. In our brief survey of the Black American Spiritual this week, we’ve heard from Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson. Let’s hear now from Robert McFerrin Sr. from 1957. Yes, this is Bobby McFerrin’s Dad. Two […]

We revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on September 29, 2015. Today’s Song of the Day features Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole in “Steal Away.” The lyrics are “Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus. Steal away, steal away home. I ain’t got long to stay […]

We revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on September 28, 2015. I have just been baptized in the Colorado River. It wasn’t intentional. I was swept into the rapids of Cataract Canyon about 100 miles south of Moab, Utah. I had several mouthfuls of the the holy […]

In response to current protests against police brutality, NYFOS is re-posting Songs of the Day from tenor Joshua Blue, who has been bringing our attention to the Black Lives Matter movement on Song of the Day since 2017. He is currently requesting donations to support the Equal Justice Initiative. Childish Gambino’s (Donald Glover) “This Is America” […]

In response to current protests against police brutality, NYFOS is re-posting Songs of the Day from tenor Joshua Blue, who has been bringing our attention to the Black Lives Matter movement on Song of the Day since 2017. He is currently requesting donations to support the Equal Justice Initiative. “You Grew Up” is a look at […]

In response to current protests against police brutality, NYFOS is re-posting Songs of the Day from tenor Joshua Blue, who has been bringing our attention to the Black Lives Matter movement on Song of the Day since 2017. He is currently requesting donations to support the Equal Justice Initiative. “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” is […]

In response to current protests against police brutality, NYFOS is re-posting Songs of the Day from tenor Joshua Blue, who has been bringing our attention to the Black Lives Matter movement on Song of the Day since 2017. He is currently requesting donations to support the Equal Justice Initiative. “America” is from the 2017 album “Everybody” […]

In response to current protests against police brutality, NYFOS is re-posting Songs of the Day from tenor Joshua Blue, who has been bringing our attention to the Black Lives Matter movement on Song of the Day since 2017. He is currently requesting donations to support the Equal Justice Initiative. A remix of Beyonce, and Kendrick Lamar’s […]