Instrumentation: Using her deep and soothing voice, Odetta performs, "Glory Glory" in ballad form. Odetta sings the majority of the song at a low volume and alto manner, yet hits higher and louder notes on the emphasis of the word "hallelujah," which is sung in the commonly repeated line, "Glory, Glory Hallelujah, When I lay my burden down."
Texture: Due to the recording being done only by Odetta's voice, the texture is very thin and monophonic. The lack of instrumentation add to the ballad's influence to relax and subdue the audience.
Meter: The pace of this piece is very slow. There exists a slow rhythm that naturally comes from the songs repetition. The slow rhythm makes the song move slowly and prolongs the repeated chorus, adding to a lack of movement in the song.
Lyrics/ Style of the song: The song stresses the line, "Glory Glory Hallelujah, When I lay my burden down." Out of the four verses, three of them are the repetition of this line. When the audience thinks about the meaning of the phrase they can only agree that it is always a relief to let go of the stress and burden's of life. Odetta was greatly involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and in this context we can imagine Odetta dreaming of one day when she no longer has to fight for her rights, and can put to rest the "burden" of protest and inequality.
Importance: By only using her voice to convey her message, Odetta assures her audience of her independence and prominence. Her voice and programmatic music ignited African Americans to continue to fight for civil rights.
Well --- there certainly is a different kind of power in an a capella performance. Do you think there is the possibility of call and response with the audience in a performance of this work?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think she chose not to use her guitar, do you think it really was in order to subdue the audience, or evoke the performance aesthetic of the (unaccompanied) "spiritual"?