Rosenbaum, Art

Description

Part one of a two-part recording. Art Rosenbaum records and interviews Otha Cooper and Imogene Riggens, who answer questions in between songs about the Brown's Chapel Baptist Church choir and their musical upbringing. The choir was formed in 1949, and has been singing unaccompanied since about 1978, when their piano player "got stuck on the bottles" and left the choir. As a result, the choir has returned to "old style" gospel, with unaccompanied vocals. Riggens and Cooper speak about learning songs from their family, all of whom sang, including Riggens' great-grandmother, a former slave. They discuss how good singing require faith and talent, and "putting your heart and mind on it." Cooper and Riggens perform six songs. The sequence of songs and interview segments are as follows: So Glad - lead O.C., It's A Man Goin' Round Takin' Names - lead I.R., Interview on Brown's Chapel Choir and Music, Sweet Home (Consolers), He's Real, Storm Is Passin' Over, Interview.

Record Contributed By

Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia