Or is there one?

Good question

Probably the same difference between a curl and a jheri curl. LOL!

I was always taught that a hymn is based on the Bible. Where as, spiritual is a folk-type song.

IE: Hymn: Holy Holy, Blessed Assurance

Spiritual: This Little Light of Mine, Soon A Will Be Done.

spirituals are also often based on the bible, so that's not the best distinction. for example, Wade in the Water is a Negro spiritual that you would not find in a hymn book, but it IS based on the bible,

John 5:4-7 to be exact (the chorus talks about God "troubling the water" based on this verse).

Spirituals often had dual meanings with escape warnings embedded therein. I'd say the main difference is that hymns are more "canonized," and developed more in a structured religious context and thus more widely accepted by a larger (i.e., mainly white) audience and placed in book form whereas spirituals were often created in more diverse settings as a response to oppression and slavery and are thus less universal

Thank you!

Harlepolis said:

Good question

You ain't lying, I need to know this myself.

Technically speaking, a hymn is composed of words only and need not have a musical accompaniment. The ideal hymn is a sacred song addressed to Deity.

Spirituals: These are so designated because they exhort and uplift the worshipers and are addressed to them rather than to Deity.

Thanks, Ms Trina!

This is just my perception. I think of a hymn as a song based in scripture, that typically praises God. I think of a spiritual as a song that likely involves some praise of God, but is based more in human experience and emotion than scripture. By my perception a hymn is: Holy Holy Holy

Spiritual: We've Come This Far By Faith

119 said:

This is just my perception. I think of a hymn as a song based in scripture, that typically praises God. I think of a spiritual as a song that likely involves some praise of God, but is based more in human experience and emotion than scripture. By my perception a hymn is: Holy Holy Holy

Spiritual: We've Come This Far By Faith

"We've Come This Far By Faith" is not really a traditional spiritual. It is more of a Gospel song. Spirituals are more "folk like" and are not usually structured with full verses. They are more like simple phrases that are sung throghout the song (kinda like a chorus throughout). Like "This Little Light of Mine," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," and "Soon 'Ah Will Be Done With The Troubles Of The World."

If you notice the song is not really structured with a verse as much. It's more like some phrases incorporated together. If the song does have verses, they are not in the traditional sense and are usually traded off with the underlying theme being sung in the background.

"We've Come This Far By Faith" is structured like a traditional song. Chrous, verse, chorus, verse and chorus again. This is how the original composition sounds. Many modern day arrangers have incorporated other songs with it, but here is the original.

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