Tuskegee Institute Singers Collection

The Tuskegee Institute Singers were created in 1914 as one of the famous University Jubilee style quartets. The first quartet consisted of students Hiram H. Thweatt, John F. McLeMore, Warren Logan, and Robert H. Hamilton. Hamilton led the group and arranged many of their performance pieces. Origin of the Genre Jubilee Quartets rose from Negro Spirituals finally being arranged and performed. They were groups of 4-6 members singing four-part harmonies. The types of Jubilee Quartets were university quartets, minstrel quartets, community quartets, shape note quartets, and barbershop quartets.

Characteristics of the Genre were the acapella: this is a musical style where the performers sing without musical accompaniment. In some instances, the performers use their voices as instruments. Acapella focuses on harmonising and melodies. In the past, it was forced upon African Americans because their instruments were taken away on plantations. It is a sign of resilience because despite not having instruments, we still made music and were able to influence all the rest of the music genres. Beat/Rhythm: the beat or rhythm were the aspect of the songs that classified them in the Jubilee Quartet genre instead of the Negro Spiritual genre.

These systematic arrangements of background sounds usually made the songs a faster tempo, and less melancholy. The four harmonies that make up the Jubilee Quartet Genre are the lead baritone, the bass, first tenor, and second tenor. These parts sing together to create the quartet sound. In Jubilee Quartets, there was no ad-libbing. It was strictly memorised and arranged performances.

(Source Blackmusicscholar)

Tuskegee Institute Singers Quartet Document Records

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