In Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals

This book is fascinating! These sad and interesting testimonials are riveting. There's so much to digest with this material that I have to take my time. But I'm enjoying and learning so much. Thanks for documenting this unique information. I haven't come across many resources such as this. What this author has recorded simply reminds us of where we've come from and leaves us with a remarkable and redemptive story that needs more discussion and quotes. I plan to keep this resourceful book on my shelf for frequent references. Thank you!

I heard about Eileen Guenther and her book in The American Spiritual Ensemble 2021 virtual tour, The Power of Spirituals.This book is magnificent and a must read!!I couldn’t have fathomed that Spirituals could be made more powerful than they already are- I was wrong. I am so grateful for the author and her book. And a big thank you to Dr. Everett McCorvey for including the author in his documentary and recommending the book to his audience. Such gratitude for you both!!

A powerful book detailing the role of the spirituals in every aspect of slave life. Heartbreaking, really, that "Christian" slave owners could treat their slaves so badly as they continued singing and praising God. The author Eileen Guenther is a scholar, pastoral musician, retired professor at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC and former national president of the American Guild of Organists.

This is such a fantastic book, that I'm not sure where to start in praising it. Written beautifully and expressively, Dr. Guenther tells stories of slaves that may have never been heard. The use of testimonials from slaves themselves made those experiences more real and was profound and heart rending. The experiences of their lives is often overwhelming. I used the book to present a program at my church that was moving and inspiring and helped our congregation come to a fuller understanding of how racist we all still are.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals.Dr. Eileen Guenther © 2016 MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc.This encyclopedic work by Dr. Guenther should be in everyone’s library. It is written not only for working musicians,but for anyone interested in music that has come to represent our society, particular the Negro Spirituals.The scope of her research is breath taking, yet nearly 500 pages reads with the ease of a page -turning novel, with passion, humanity and spirit pouring forth.Immensely helpful for scholars and musicians, and a fabulous read for all.William T. Robinson, III Retired Music Educator

This is a wonderful, up-to-date portrait of the sacred songs created and first sung by enslaved African peoples in America, written largely from the perspective of the women and men who created the songs. It's a great blend of history, religion and musicology. I plan to use it as one of texts in my upcoming graduate course on cultural history of the spirituals. Although it will be great for that purpose, it's also quite accessible and will be of interest to any lay reader who wants to immerse her or himself in the magnificent legacy of these songs.

Beautifully written. Excellent research also. We have the privilege of having Dr. Gunther at our concert where she read from the book and added additional work from her own research. If you have any interest in the true life of slaves or in the history of spirituals and how they’ve contributed to American culture, you must read this book. Currently the very best book you can buy on the subject.

Painstakingly researched and organized and presented in attractive, approachable prose, In Their Own Words describes how the suffering, courage and perennial hope of the slaves is translated into the uniquely African-American medium of the spiritual. A must for the choral musician, this book will be attractive to anyone interested in the spiritual, the history of slavery or both. This is an excellent book and a significant contribution to the literature.