When the Saints Go Marching In

A traditional American gospel hymn whose simple melody and uplifting lyrics made it a jazz standard, especially in New Orleans.

Louis Armstrong: An American jazz trumpeter and singer whose recordings helped define twentieth-century jazz. His 1938 recording helped make the hymn a widely recognized jazz standard.
African-American spirituals: Religious songs created by enslaved and free African Americans, combining Christian themes with African musical traditions. The hymn belongs to a broader tradition of communal sacred singing.
Hymn: A religious song intended for worship, often organized in stanzas and a recurring tune. The song's verses and sacred subject identify its hymn form.
New Orleans jazz: A jazz tradition associated with New Orleans, emphasizing collective improvisation, syncopation, and ensemble interplay. The song became one of the tradition's most recognizable repertoire pieces.
Sidney Bechet: An American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, known for expressive vibrato and early jazz recordings. His recording offers an early New Orleans jazz interpretation of the hymn.
Gospel music: Christian music rooted in African-American worship, shaped by spirituals, blues, and church performance. Its sacred text and congregational character connect the song with gospel traditions.
Call and response: A musical or verbal pattern in which a leader's phrase is answered by a group or another performer. Group responses can turn the hymn into a participatory performance.
Second line (parades): New Orleans processions in which a brass band leads participants following behind the official parade. The hymn is often performed in the city's celebratory parade culture.
Judy Garland: An American singer and actor celebrated for her film and stage performances. Her popular rendition shows the hymn's reach beyond jazz and church music.
Edward Boatner: An American composer and arranger of African-American spirituals and gospel music. Boatner published an influential arrangement of the song in 1927.

Linked from 1 page

Swing Low, Sweet ChariotCompared with: Its stadium life offers a parallel case of sacred music becoming public entertainment.