GRE Reading Comprehension

Home > GRE Test > GRE Reading Comprehension Questions

Next steps

Source: 1996

This is not to deny that the Black gospel music of the early twentieth century differed in important ways from the slave spirituals. Whereas spirituals were created and disseminated in folk fashion, gospel music was composed, published, copyrighted, and sold by professionals. Nevertheless, improvisation remained central to gospel music. One has only to listen to the recorded repertoire of gospel songs to realize that Black gospel singers rarely sang a song precisely the same way twice and never according to its exact musical notation. They performed what jazz musicians call "head arrangements" proceeding from their own feelings and from the way "the spirit" moved them at the time. This improvisatory element was reflected in the man- ner in which gospel music was published. Black gospel composers scored the music intended for White singing groups fully, indicating the various vocal parts and the accompaniment, but the music produced for Black singers included only a vocal line and piano accompaniment.

Question List: 1 2

The passage suggests which of the following about Black gospel music and slave spirituals?

  • A Both became widely known in the early twentieth century.
  • B Both had an important improvisatory element.
  • C Both were frequently performed by jazz musicians.
  • D Both were published with only a vocal line and piano accompaniment.
  • E Both were disseminated chiefly by Black singing groups.

Show Answer

Previous       Next