Timeline extended for launch of Wilson Library facilities work.

Collection Number: 20041-z

Collection Title: Brett Sutton Collection, 1974-1975

This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


expand/collapse Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size 38 items (2.0 linear feet)
Abstract Folklorist and librarian Brett Sutton was born in 1948 and raised in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. He enrolled in the Curriculum of Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a Masters degree in 1976. His thesis project, The Gospel Hymn, Shaped Notes, and the Black Tradition, focused on African American spiritual folk singing in North Carolina. The collection includes reel-to-reel tapes with cover sheets, tape indices, and content notes for each recording that were gathered for Sutton's thesis research. These tapes were recorded in several locations, including the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith in Durham, N.C., an African American congregational church. Recordings consist of Sunday morning services; a benefit to honor the choir's sixth anniversary; shape-note gospel hymns; spirituals; and interviews with Gurtha Dunston, leader of the vocal choir at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Franklin County, N.C. Other tapes contain music and preaching recorded from WSCR radio broadcasts in Durham.
Creator Sutton, Brett.
Curatorial Unit Southern Folklife Collection
Language English.
Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
Use of audio or moving image materials may require production of listening or viewing copies.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Brett Sutton Collection #20041-z, Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Provenance
Acquired in the late 1970s.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Related Collections

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Brett Sutton was born in 1948 and raised in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. He graduated with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 1970 with a Bachelors degree in English. After a period of work and pursuit of his musical interests, he enrolled in the Curriculum of Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned a Masters degree in 1976. His thesis project, The Gospel Hymn, Shaped Notes, and the Black Tradition, focused on African American spiritual folk singing around Raleigh and Durham, N.C.

Sutton's interest in spirituals is an extension of his more general interest in music, especially black folk music and jazz. He studied music widely and plays in the classical, jazz, and folk idioms. He has studied theory and historical aspects of music and transposes music into notation. Most of his collecting focused on black churches and the performances of individuals. He also studied blues, black chanted sermons, and the history of black sacred music.

In 1982, Sutton earned a Ph.D. in anthropology, and, in 1988, he earned a Masters in Library Science, both from UNC-Chapel Hill. While earning his Masters degree in Folklore, Sutton was the curator of the UNC Folk Music Archives, now the Southern Folklife Collection. Sutton led the development of a cataloging system for the archive's then thousand-plus holdings.

In 1976, Sutton, along with Peter Hartman, continued collecting religious folksongs in the Virginia mountains. Recordings from this collection can be found in the Brett Sutton and Peter Hartman Collection (#20042). From this research, Primitive Baptist Hymns of the Blue Ridge (book and LP record) was published in 1981 by the University of North Carolina Press.

Along with Sutton's numerous articles, books, and papers, 1986-1988, about religious folksongs, he participated in radio and film documentaries. As an audio engineer for WUNC public radio, he worked on a five-part series on North Carolina folklife that includes "The Golden Echoes of Creedmore, N.C.," and "Being A Joines: Brushy Mountain Tale Teller." Sutton initiated, along with Joan Fenton, Back Porch Music, WUNC's popular weekend music program, and, in 1986, he contributed sound recordings for A Singing Stream, a film by Tom Davenport.

Brett Sutton became Dean of Information Services at Aurora University, in Aurora, Ill., in 1997.

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The Brett Sutton collection consists of reel-to-reel tapes with cover sheets, tape indices, and content notes for each recording. These tapes were recorded in several locations, including the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith in Durham, N.C., an African American congregational church. Recordings consist of Sunday morning services; a benefit to honor the choir's sixth anniversary; shape-note gospel hymns; spirituals; and interviews with Gurtha Dunston, leader of the vocal choir at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Franklin County, N.C. Other tapes contain music and preaching recorded from WSCR radio broadcasts in Durham. This material was gathered for folklorist and librarian Sutton's Masters in Folklore thesis, The Gospel Hymn, Shaped Notes and the Black Tradition, which includes a compilation tape from these recordings along with the written text.

Back to Top

Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. Sound Recordings, 1974-1975.

25 items.

Sound recordings consist of reel-to-reel tapes recorded using a Sony tape deck and a Shure microphone in several locations, including the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith in Durham, N.C., an African American congregational church. Recordings consist of Sunday morning services; a benefit to honor the choir's sixth anniversary; shape-note gospel hymns; spirituals; and interviews with Gurtha Dunston, leader of vocal choir at Gethsemane Baptist Church. Other tapes contain music and preaching recorded from WSCR broadcasts in Durham. This material was gathered for Sutton's Masters in Folklore thesis, The Gospel Hymn, Shaped Notes and the Black Tradition, which includes a compilation tape from these recordings along with the written text.

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/809

Sunday morning worship service at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, African American church, Durham, N.C., 6 October 1974: tape 1 of 2

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "Pass Me Not."

2. "Come By Here."

3. "He's Sweet I Know."

4. "Let us Sing Till the Power of the Lord Comes Down."

5. "God Needs Workers in the Vineyard."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/810

Sunday morning worship service at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, African American church, Durham, N.C., 6 October 1974: tape 2 of 2

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Contains "My Soul Loves Jesus."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/811

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C: tape 1 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Toe-Red Singers

1. "There is a Beautiful Home."

2. "God Needs Workers in the Vineyard."

3. "God is Able to Carry You Through."

4. "Joy in a Christian Way."

5. "Telephone to Heaven."

6. "I Went and Saw."

7. "I'll be Home When the Role is Called."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/812

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 2 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the WGC Senior Choir

1. "I Need the Lord to Guide Me, Everyday."

2. "I Promised the Lord I Wouldn't Turn Around."

3. "When We All Get Up in Heaven."

4. "I Made a Vow to the Lord."

5. "Jesus is the Answer for the World Today."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/813

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 3 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Pearly Gates and the Ambassadors for Christ

1. "He Touched Me."

2. "I Got Shoes To Put on My Feet."

3. "Teach Me Master, Teach Me."

4. "Jesus is On the Mainline."

5. "Jesus Took My Burden and Left Me With a Song."

6. "Jesus is Walking With Me."

7. "More Love."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/814

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 4 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Carolina Four

1. "Oh Lord, Please Make Us Strong."

2. "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen."

3. "Lord, I'm Running Lord."

4. "God is Standing By."

5. "This is a Mean Old World to Live In By Yourself."

6. "Oh Wait A Little Longer, Please Master."

7. "Jesus Gave Me Water."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/815

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 5 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Gospel Tones

1. "The Lord's Prayer."

2. "You Got to Meet the Saints On Your Way Down."

3. "All Of My Help Comes From the Lord."

4. "Oh Lord, I Pray."

5. "Oh My Lord, Come On Jesus."

6. "Don't Let Jesus Down."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/816

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 6 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Faith Gospel Tabernacle Singers and the Elder Avery Senior Choir

1. "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross."

2. "I Have the Love of Jesus."

3. "King Jesus Will Roll All Burdens Away."

4. "The Lord is Blessing Me Right Now."

5. "I Got One More River to Cross."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/817

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 7 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Willing Workers and the WGC Senior Choir

1. "When All God's Children Get Together."

2. "Sit Down and Rest a Little While."

3. "Joy in a Christian Way."

4. "I Need the Lord To Guide Me Everyday."

5. "My Life is In God's Hands."

6. "I Heard So Much Talk About Jesus."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/818

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 8 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Eli Spiritual Singers, the Spiritual Tones, and the Day-lettes

1. "He Touched Me."

2. "I Love the Lord."

3. "Oh My Lordy Lord."

4. "I Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody."

5. "I Dreamed of a City Called Heaven."

6. "The Lord Lifted Me."

7. "Oh Fix Me Jesus."

8. "I Know the Lord Laid His Hands On Me."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/819

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 9 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Bible Way Senior Choir, the Family Gospel Singers, and the MP Gospel Singers

1. [When I Had No Friends.]

2. "Telephone To Heaven."

3. [I'm Pressing on.]

4. "Oh Lord, Let Me Lean On You."

5. "On My Way to Heaven Anyhow."

6. "The Great Crowd Shall Gather."

7. "I Believe I'll Go Back Home."

8. "People Say Mean Things About Me."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/820

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 10 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Starlights and Evangelist Sister Markham

1. "There's Only One Thing That I Long For."

2. "One Day."

3. "He's My Rock, My Sword, My Shield."

4. "God Works Wonders."

5. "There Are Some Things I May Not Know."

6. "Joy in a Christian Way."

7. "In a Little Wooden Chapel."

8. "Oh, If You Say You Love the Lord."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/821

Musical program and benefit held at the World's Greatest Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Durham, N.C., 13 October 1974: tape 11 of 11

1/4" Open Reel Audio

Musical groups from the area include the Bible Way Junior Choir and the Gilmore Four

1. "God Gave Me Shoes To Put On My Feet."

2. "Don't Let The Devil Ride."

3. "When I Was A Little Boy."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/822

Sunday morning worship service at the Alster Grove Congregational Church, African American church, Orange County, N.C., 23 February 1975: tape 1 of 2

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "Holy, Holy, Holy."

2. "Glory to His Name."

3. "Amazing Grace."

4. "This Morning When I Rose."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/823

Sunday morning worship service at the Alster Grove Congregational Church, African American church, Orange County, N.C., 23 February 1975: tape 2 of 2

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "Come To Jesus."

2. "Walk With Me."

3. "I Trust in God."

4. "Blest Be The Tie That Binds."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/824

Music and preaching recorded from broadcasts of WSCR, Durham, N.C., featuring African American groups, 8 June 1975: tape 1 of 3

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "I'm On the Right Road Now," AME Jubilee Singers.

2. "Just Call On Jesus," Weaver Singers.

3. "Trouble In My Way," Weaver Singers.

4. "Jesus Will Fix It For You," Weaver Singers.

5. "Stand Still," Weaver Singers.

6. "There Is a Beautiful Home," Kings of Harmony.

7. "Jesus Took My Burden and Left Me With a Song," Kings of Harmony.

8. "Jesus Made Me What I Am," Woods Gospel Singers.

9. "Sending Up My Timber," Kings of Harmony.

10. "Nobody But You Lord," Kings of Harmony.

11. "Jesus is On the Mainline," Mighty Royalettes.

12. "Packing Up," Mighty Royalettes.

13. "I Been Blessed, And I Been Brought Up By the Lord," Mighty Royalettes.

14. "Cooper Four Theme," Cooper Four.

15. "Come On Jesus And See About Me," Cooper Four.

16. "All Of My Help comes From the Lord," Woods Gospel Singers.

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/825

Music and preaching recorded from broadcasts of WSCR, Durham, N.C., featuring African American groups, 8 June 1975: tape 2 of 3

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "When I Come to the End of My Journey," Gospel Singers.

2. Unknown song, Woods Gospel Singers.

3. "Hold On a Little While Longer," Gospel Singers.

4. Unknown song, Emmanuel Tabernacle Holiness Church.

5. "Stand Still," Emmanuel Tabernacle Holiness Church.

6. "One Day," Emmanuel Tabernacle Holiness Church.

7. "I Need the Lord To Guide Me Everyday," World's Greatest Church.

8. "If I Live Right," World's Greatest Church.

9. "Touch Me, Lord Jesus," World's Greatest Church.

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/826

Music and preaching recorded from broadcasts of WSCR, Durham, N.C., featuring African American groups, 8 June 1975: tape 3 of 3

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "I'm On My Way to Heaven Now," Gospel Singers.

2. "Joshua," Gospel Jubilators.

3. "Sign of the Judgment," Gospel Jubilators.

4. "Yield Not to Temptation," Gospel Jubilators.

5. "What Are They Doing," Gospel Jubilators.

6. "Lord Lifted Me," Good Tidings Chapel.

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/827

Eight shape-note gospel hymns performed by Gurtha Dunston and the vocal choir at Gethsemane Baptist Church, Franklin County, N.C., 4 May 1974, 18 May 1974

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "Good Enough For Me."

2. "Come and Go With Me."

3. "Wondrous, Love of God."

4. "When Jesus Comes."

5. "I Want My Lord to Welcome Me."

6. "Come and Go With Me."

7. "Wondrous Love Of God."

8. "Keep Pressing Along."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/828

Interview and shape note singing with Gurtha Dunston, leader of vocal choir at Gesthemane Baptist Church, Franklin County, N.C., 17 June 1975, 8 August 1975: tape 1 of 2

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "Oh, Wondrous Love of God."

2. "Good Enough For Me."

3. "I Want My Lord To Welcome Me."

4. "Come and Go With Me."

5. "Amazing Grace."

6. "What You Gonna Do When the World's On Fire?"

7. "Lord, Lord."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/829

Interview and shape note singing with Gurtha Dunston, leader of vocal choir at Gesthemane Baptist Church, Franklin County, N.C., 17 June 1975, 8 August 1975: tape 2 of 2

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "Good Enough For Me."

2. "I Want My Lord To Welcome Me."

3. "What You Gonna Do When the World's On Fire."

4. "Lord, Lord."

5. "I See Signs of the Judgment."

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/830-831

FT-20041/830

FT-20041/831

Dubs of shape note gospel hymns taken from FT-20041/827-829; tape made to accompany Sutton's MA Thesis, The Gospel Hymn, Shape Notes, and the Black Tradition

1/4" Open Reel Audio

1. "Come and Go with Me," solo performance.

2. "Come and Go With Me." group performance I.

3. "Come and Go with Me," group performance II.

4. "Good Enough For Me," solo performance I.

5. "Good Enough For Me," solo performance II.

6. "Good Enough For Me," group performance.

7. "I Want My Lord To Welcome Me," solo performance I.

8. "I Want My Lord To Welcome Me," solo performance II.

9. "I Want My Lord To Welcome Me," group performance.

10. "Oh Wondrous Love of God," solo performance.

11. "Oh Wondrous Love of God," group performance I.

12. "Oh Wondrous Love of God," group performance II.

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/832

Panel discussion held in Boone, N.C., to plan scope of a dramatic production of Appalachian folk life and history to be developed and performed by UNC Carolina Reader's Theater: tape 1 of 2

Sutton was director of research for the production

SFC Audio Open Reel FT-20041/833

Panel discussion held in Boone, N.C., to plan scope of a dramatic production of Appalachian folk life and history to be developed and performed by UNC Carolina Reader's Theater: tape 2 of 2

Sutton was director of research for the production

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Documentation, 1974-1975.

13 items.

Documentation consists of cover sheets, tape indices and content notes for each recording.

Folder 1 was formerly in Southern Folklife Collection Field Notes (#30025), folder 462.

Folder 1

Field notes: FT-809-833

Back to Top

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Items Separated

Audiotapes (FT-20041/809-833)

Back to Top