Greetings!! My name is Randye Jones. I am a musician–specifically a soprano. While my training and appreciation of music is fairly broad, I’ve chosen to specialize in the research and performance of concert spirituals composed for solo vocalist.
My current base of operations is in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area of the United States, but my travels take me to venues throughout the country, and I anticipate more opportunities to perform and/or lecture internationally.
You can learn more about my upcoming performances and lectures on my performance page and about my current and upcoming published writing on my research page.
Books in Publication
So You Want to Sing Spirituals
So You Want to Sing Spirituals provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and performance of this rich and diverse musical style. Singer and historian Randye Jones explores spirituals’ folk song roots and the music’s transformation to choral and solo vocal concert repertoire. She profiles key composers and pioneers of the genre while also discussing the use of dialect and other controversial performance considerations. Contributed chapters address elements of collaborative piano, studio teaching, choral arrangement, and voice science and health as they apply to the performance of spirituals.
The So You Want to Sing series is produced in partnership with the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
Recorded Solo Concert Spirituals, 1916-2022
Recorded Solo Concert Spirituals, 1916-2022 catalogs commercially produced recordings of Negro spirituals composed for solo concert vocalists. More than 5,000 tracks are listed, with entries sourced from a variety of recording formats. The featured recordings enhance the study of concert spiritual performance in studio, church, or concert settings, and beyond.
For more information about the books and how to order, please visit randyesbooks.com
And you can learn more about me on my about page.
Below are three videos from past performances. I hope you enjoy them.
Randye in Performance
Below are three videos from my performances. Others are available at https://www.youtube.com/@randyejones706.
Please contact me if you wish to discuss engaging my services or have questions. My email address is: soprano@randyejones.com. Thanks!
Randye