Gloomy Tunes: Golden Gate Gospel Quartet, “Go Down, Moses”

Last night was the first seder of Passover, the retelling of the Jews’ Exodus from Egypt. It’s also a mighty fine meal, with matzo ball soup, gefilte fish (with plenty of horseradish), lamb, sweet Charoset, macaroons.

And songs. Can’t forget the songs. “Dayenu” the melodic recitations of the Four Questions (one good thing about getting old is that I’m no longer called on to recite them.) But none of them are as great as the Negro spiritual, “Go Down, Moses,” which uses the Exodus as a stand-in for slavery in American South. Originally published in 1872, and credited to the Jubilee Singers, it’s become something of a standard. Here’s the Golden Gate Quartet, who still carry on the tradition of Jubilee singing, performing their arrangement of the song.

Next year in Jerusalem!

Steven Mirkin

Steven Mirkin’s diverse career has taken him from politics to pop culture to high art, offering him a front row seat to some of the most fascinating events and personalities of our time: writing speeches, fundraising appeals and campaign materials for Ed Koch, John Heinz and independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson; chronicling the punk/new wave scenes in New York and London; interviewing musicians such as Elton John, John Lydon and Buck Owens; profiling modern masters Julian Schnabel, Paul Schrader and Jonathan Safran Foer; and writing for TV shows including 21, The Chamber, Let's Make A Deal, and Rock Star: INXS.