There is a Balm in Gilead - Black spiritual. Performed by the Plymouth Choir, Schola Cantorum and Glen Thomas Rideout (soloist) for the 'We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace' Abendmusik Concert on 9-25-2022.
I love this piece. This is a particularly beautiful version. We sang it in our chorus. There’s something about starting up that run of notes, “there is a balm”, the music takes over and the spirit carries your voice up and over to, “to heal the sin sick soul”.
Of course it is. This as well as many other spirituals were derived from the black American experience of enslaved people. Brought to prominence by the great Fisk Jubilee Choir back in the 1800's. They were originally called slave songs, later Negro Spirituals, now (apparently) Black Spirituals. Try as you might, you can't erase history. It is well documented.
