Don McGlynn is Gaga for Gospel with 'Rejoice & Shout'

"Rejoice and Shout" is the definitive historical and musical bible on gospel music. The documentary takes you on a journey from the cotton fields, to the church and ultimately the stages of pop culture. Director Don McGlynn's labor of love exhaustively picks apart the music, politics and cultural significance of a genre of music which Smokey Robinson describes in the film as "the root to all American music."

The documentary illustrates the spirituality and rich history in gospel music. It reveals how gospel is as deeply rooted in black culture as it is in American culture as a whole. Inspirational footage of African American leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr. and President Barack Obama, is sprinkled amongst extended archival footage of gospel music performances. There is also historical footage and interviews with gospel legends, church members and other experts. The music and its message are shown as integral building blocks which have influenced this nation.

During his research McGlynn was immersed in African American churches, culture and communities. When asked if he had any trouble being accepted he said, "I'm from a Catholic background and sometimes people aren't so welcoming or warm about it. Every time we would be shooting at a church and meeting people it was always like, 'what can we do for you?' There was no racial issue that I felt at all. It was very inviting and pleasant."

Gospel and rhythm and blues legend Mavis Staples is one of many artists interviewed for the documentary. McGlynn felt the acceptance of his project by Staples encompassed the reaction of the African American community as a whole. "I think you probably see it in Mavis Staples. She was very much happy, very outgoing and I found that really life affirming."

McGlynn found audience reactions to his documentary have been quite positive as well. "I was just in Atlanta, and I hadn't been going to many festivals but I went there, and that was really great because they loved it and I was so happy. A local DJ there--a gospel DJ, he showed up to introduce me and he wanted to run off to see a basketball game. I didn't expect him to stay and at the end of the movie, there he was. And he was like, 'I love your movie.'"

"Rejoice and Shout" opens with an a cappella rendition of "Amazing Grace" by a young girl in a church. She sits on a pew surrounded by her family members, many of whom are part of the choir. The strength and maturity of her voice, along with the emotion she exudes while performing, sent a ripple of amazement and admiration throughout the movie theater. Her performance resulted in enthusiastic applause by the film's audience. This was a genuine example of the vitality and talent which pervades gospel music.

About the morning of filming with the young singer from the Selvy Family McGlynn said, "I just showed up at that shoot without any sleep -- That really carried me through the rest of the day. I was holding a camera, doing this for hours. She's something."

This documentary has been a driving passion for McGlynn which spanned two years. Mired in footage and historical information, the director tried to create a linear story which would encompass everything gospel is and represents. "The joke I say is a lot of documentaries take forever to get made because you're looking for the money. In this film, we already had the money it just took forever to find the film," said McGlynn.

He found he had compiled many great stories but could not include them all. McGlynn revealed, "there's a half hour of extras that will be attached to the DVD. There's a very heart wrenching story from Andrae Crouch. We couldn't put it in the movie because it kind of stopped the film and the same thing with Marie Knight. And we have plenty of extra music on this too."

One of McGlynn's favorite moments in the film is some never before seen footage of a performance by The Swan Silvertones. It also happens to be the only existing performance footage of the group. " I almost cut [the scene] out like 10 times because it didn't really tell any of the story but every time I see this one Silvertones [clip] I am completely mesmerized. I just adore them. A lot of my friends feel the same way -- we really worked hard to try to make it sound and look good. That was one of the big revelations."

Another great revelation McGlynn had as a result of making this documentary was a correlation he made between a story in the Old Testament of people crossing the River Jordan to freedom and the African American slaves who crossed the Mississippi River. Although McGlynn at first thought it was a corny idea he said, "That was for me a personal discovery that kind of came out of the film that I'm actually kind of proud of because I think it is true."

When asked about where McGlynn thinks the future of gospel music is heading he said, "It's just like the movie says. It's going to take a little bit of now and a little bit of the old days." He adds that certain people's dislike of rap and electronic keyboards in modern gospel music is much the same as the uproar that occurred in the 1930s when Thomas Dorsey infused blues and gospel music. It may seem ridiculous now but at the time the blues infusion was threatening to many gospel purists.

"Rejoice and Shout" gives an indepth view into the rich history of gospel. The music is as much a political and countercultural tool as it is a manner to celebrate and praise God. Gospel has certainly evolved over decades, as other musical genres have been blended into it and born out of it, but the message of Christian hope still remains the same.