Image by: Ken Light, 1989

Escape at Christmas

From: Shannon Service
Length: 05:01

With most modes of communication outlawed, slaves embedded hidden messages inside Christian spirituals to communicate their plans for escape. This piece combines the Christmas spiritual "Go Tell It On The Mountain" with an expert who takes it apart, piece by piece, to show what the slaves were communicating. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Escape at Christmas
From: Shannon Service

Moonlight_river_small

American slaves used codes in spirituals to pass messages about The Underground Railroad. "Our Lord", for example, referred to the person who would lead them to freedom. "Midnight" could refer either to the time of escape or to Detroit--the last stop on the railroad. Slaves would gather in "Ring Shouts", a call-and-response circle, and as each person sang, more and more of the plan would unfold.

In this music-infused interview, scholar Taiwo Kujichagulia-Seitu decodes "Go Tell It On the Mountain". The interview focuses on Christmas Spirituals because this was the time of year most slaves sought freedom.

Kujichagulia-Seitu is an Oakland-based teacher and a Negro Spitirual Keeper as awarded by Friends of the Negro Spiritual.

Piece Description

American slaves used codes in spirituals to pass messages about The Underground Railroad. "Our Lord", for example, referred to the person who would lead them to freedom. "Midnight" could refer either to the time of escape or to Detroit--the last stop on the railroad. Slaves would gather in "Ring Shouts", a call-and-response circle, and as each person sang, more and more of the plan would unfold.

In this music-infused interview, scholar Taiwo Kujichagulia-Seitu decodes "Go Tell It On the Mountain". The interview focuses on Christmas Spirituals because this was the time of year most slaves sought freedom.

Kujichagulia-Seitu is an Oakland-based teacher and a Negro Spitirual Keeper as awarded by Friends of the Negro Spiritual.