Folk music is entrenched in American cultural history, just as baseball is an important part of the sports story of the United States.
In the 1940s, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Huddie Leadbetter were all important figures in the folk movement. A generation later, Bob Dylan brought the genre to the forefront again.
Today, numerous revival groups perform folk, hymn and spiritual standards, keeping the tradition alive. Community groups nationwide have come to recreate the hootenannies of the 1960s for a new generation of music aficionados.
Spirituals and Hymns have long been associated with church music, proclaiming sinners’ lamentations and praising good news. Originally brought to the United States in the 1600s, this genre of music is still a staple of church music today.
The Alpharetta Chamber Singers will present its fall performance, “The American Folk Spirit: A Concert of Folk Songs, Hymns and Spirituals,” at 3 p.m. at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, located at 180 Academy Street.
The group was formed as a choir at the Alpharetta Methodist Church. After three years of performing with the church, the group steeped left Alpharetta Methodist Church and established itself as an independent and more community-directed group.