Hallelujah!
In New York City today, many visitors arrive seeking a truly American experience such as gospel singing. And they fill busloads of Harlem tours; sing and worship alongside parishioners in churches and break cornbread in restaurants that offer the gospel experience.
Should you join them, keep in mind that Thurman T. Ruth introduced gospel music to mainstream audiences in the mid-1950s. The popular gospel singer and radio broadcaster packed the Apollo Theatre where men in shark-skinned suits and alligator shoes were rolling down the aisle. Ruth hired nurses to bring some listeners around with smelling salts.
“Historically we weren’t allowed to speak our African languages on the Southern plantations, so singing became our education, our hopes and our style,” said Bishop Nathaniel Townsley, Jr., a well-known founder of gospel groups. In most churches, spirituals are based on a call from the choir and a response from the parishioners. But when the three-hour sermon rolls around, some visitors prefer to not sit it out and quietly leave the church.
At the corner of West 44th Street and 8th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan (Sundays and Wednesdays), hop aboard the Harlem Spirituals bus for a tour of Harlem that begins north of Central Park at 96th Street, running to 165th Street, river to river. Stops are made in historic districts for a deeper appreciation of Harlem's Renaissance that began in the 1990s, ending with a soul-stirring visit to a local church. A Gospel Brunch in Harlem is available as well. Many tour guides are gifted entertainers and come from Harlem neighborhoods, which adds a hands-on experience to the tour.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill brings gospel to Times Square with an "all-you-can-eat" Gospel Brunch every Sunday from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Chow down favorites such as Panko Crusted Pan Fried Chicken; Collard Greens and Smoked Ham Hocks; South Carolina Grits and much more. And then get set to rock the rafters when the nine-member and world-renown Harlem Gospel Choir takes the stage.
Times Square Church - This one's free and open to all for three services on Sunday and one on Tuesday evening at this church located on West 51st Street and Broadway. Hundreds raise their voices, arms and tambourines in joyous gospel singing at this packed, non-denominational house of worship. The stage is part of the former Mark Hellinger Theater, and it's crowded with a three-tiered bleacher holding fifty or more gospel singers, lively musical accompaniment and two rows of preachers (several preach, the others listen).
Harlem venues: The Cotton Club on W. 125th Street has a Gospel Show and Buffet Brunch Saturday and Sunday at noon and 2:30 p.m. Guests are always welcome at the Abyssinian Baptist Church but get there early since the pews fill up quickly to hear this pure gospel treat.
Judith Glynn - I've written travel articles for years. See more and my novel about romance and travel at www.facebook.com/judglynn
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