Gospel Music: A Shelter from the Storm
Hope. History. Determination. Freedom: all words you hear that describe gospel music in the CBC Radio documentary "A Shelter from the Storm." It first aired in 1993 on the program Sunday Morning when producer Roger Bill introduced listeners to the East Preston United Baptist Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It sounds as fresh and moving today as it did then. So take a trip with us to the East Coast to celebrate the roots of Canadian gospel music. You'll hear plenty of inspiring stories as well as amazing songs that will make you get to your feet and sing along.
The East Preston United Baptist Church is one of the oldest black churches in Canada and the congregation celebrates its history through song. The church is at the centre of the community, and its music inspires and connects, offers meaning and release.
"Music is something that could not be stripped away from the black person. It's rooted so strong that no one can rip it out."- Henry Bishop, curator of the Black Cultural Centre in Nova Scotia
To help tell the story of the church, the first person you meet is the preacher. Walter Borden, an actor and playwright from New Glasgow N.S., describes how in these communities, the preacher was not simply a preacher. He was much more than that: leader, teacher, organizer, mediator and motivator. In the past he might have been illiterate, as were many members of his congregation, but tha wouldn't stand in the way as he would go anywhere and everywhere to hear sermons or have the Bible read to him. He'd then commit it all to memory. He'd rely on rhythm, repetition, imagery, and his own imagination to relay his message. To accomplish it and do it poetically, was pure art. Roger Bill remembers that in the white church where he was raised, the congregation would sit still and stay in their seats while the preacher preached. No one would shout, play the drums, clap their hands or stomp their feet. In the black churches, though, it was a different story. Making noise and moving your body are integral parts of the experience of worship.
"Gospel is just one of the threads that weaves through the fabric of our cultural experience, and we don't separate it. Our culture and religion is totally intertwined so you live a complete picture each day."- Walter Borden, Actor and Playwright
"Slavery gave us the black song. Period."
Reflecting on the church's rich history, current Church Elder Wayne Adams expressed gratitude to the people who had served the church over the decades, stressing that that "these men and women were unschooled, untutored and possessed little of this world's goods; yet they formulated the life of our communities with passed-down wisdom and knowledge. The Church was indeed central in the life of our people across these many, many years."
"The roots of the old -time religion that still lives and breathes in Nova Scotia are set firmly in slavery, and the only time the slaves could gather was for worship. The songs became the medium through which history was stored, news was exchanged, and dreams of freedom were dreamt."- Roger Bill, Documentary Producer
The East Preston United Baptist Church continues to thrive, with strong music and outreach programs. The population of East Preston today stands at less than 2000, with a church membership of 280. Its current pastor is Lequita Hopgood Porter.