Spiritual

A piano arrangement or transcription of an African American spiritual — a sacred folk song originating in the enslaved communities of the American South. Piano arrangements of spirituals typically present the melody in a singing voice above a rich harmonic accompaniment, often with improvised-feeling ornamentation.

African American spirituals were first collected and arranged for concert performance in the late 19th century. Florence Price was among the most significant composers to elevate the spiritual as a piano concert form, bringing sophisticated harmonic language and formal structure to these folk melodies while preserving their expressive character.