Black people have used music and singing to tell the story of hope amid pain, promise amid peril, and immovable faith amid adversity. This playlist celebrates the uniqueness of Black thought and spirituality through the years.
Though J.S. Bach wrote many sacred works, some historians have questioned his faith. Notes Bach made in his own personal copy of the Bible may reveal whether or not the composer was truly religious.
Salamone Rossi’s skill as a violinist and composer was highly valued at the Catholic court of Mantua. But as a Jew, he was still was seen as an interloper.
Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina might not be the first person that comes to mind at the mention of the word “savior.” Still, some refer to him as the “Savior of Church Music.”
