Classical singer Randye Jones highlights the Negro spiritual.

AMERICAN soprano Randye Jones has released the album 'Come Down Angels' (AhhJay Records) featuring the singer performing Negro spirituals accompanied by pianist Francis Conlon. She is singing "settings" by composers including HT Burleigh. She told Billboard, "I don't use the term 'arrange' because it doesn't give the composer proper credit for composing the piece of music. So using the term 'settings' is my way of giving credit to the unknown person who originally inspired the creation of the song."

A librarian at George Washington University in Washington, DC, Jones operates the Art Of The Negro Spiritual website and a sister site, Afrocentric Voices In Classical Music, which focuses on African-American performers and composers and on the vocal music forms they influenced - especially opera, art songs and Negro spirituals composed for concert performances. Jones now looks to produce other recordings of spirituals, in addition to publishing a book for singers, teachers and musicologists. CR

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