Swing Low, Sweet Chariot African American spirituals exist in many forms and styles, evolving throughout decades as a part of American culture. Spirituals born in the early Black church were known as “folk spirituals.” American musicologist Eileen Southern noted that songs in the folk tradition were created by non-professionals who adapted the music to the “taste of those who sing and those who listen” (Southern 1997, p. 184). She describes three common compositional techniques used; a new song could be improvised or altered from an existing song, material from existing songs could combine to make something unique, or the music could be composed entirely of new material. “Swing low, sweet chariot” appears to be the latter type, though its origins are far from clear.
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
