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Abstract
I propose to show Jester Hairston's importance to the "movement" to preserve Negro spirituals by undertaking a four-part project that blends compositional, ethnomusicological, and historical approaches to a study of his arrangement of "Hold On." The four sections begin with Jester Hairston's biography and role with Negro spirituals. That section is followed by an Interview concerning Negro spirituals that I conducted with Dr. Kathy Castilla, (my mother and a choral director), who continues the tradition inherited from others, such as Moses Hogan, William Dawson, and Jester Hairston (composers and directors of Negro spirituals), that is often found on the campus of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Next, there is a Comparative Analysis of Hairston's arrangement of "Hold On" and my composition "Precious Lord, I'm Holding On." Finally, I conclude with thoughts about this project and the score of my composition, which is written for piano and alto saxophone.
