灵歌(spiritual)
北美洲白人与黑人的民间音乐，用英语歌唱的民间赞美诗。白人灵歌来源多样，主要源於17世纪中期「逐句吟唱」的圣歌。那时会众不会读诗篇，由一位领唱者带有音调地吟唱其词句，一次一行，根据会众的每行诗的唱法来改变为一个熟悉的音调；缓慢吟唱的曲调用短音符、装饰音和其他倚音或颤音来修饰。第二个来源是颂唱赞美诗，设定为借来的旋律，常是世俗的民间曲调。野营布道会与奋兴运动的特徵是自发性的群众歌唱，采用呼应的形式和修饰过的旋律。主题有「回到应许之地」、「撒旦的失败」、「战胜罪恶」；典型的叠句是「流吧，约旦河」和「荣耀哈利路亚」。这些歌曲在与外界隔绝的地区用口授的方法保存下来，也存在於用图形记谱（图形记谱赞美诗集）的歌曲中。黑人灵歌部分从白人的乡村民间赞美诗发展而来，但在音质、声音效果、节奏和节奏性伴奏类型方面大为不同。黑人灵歌不仅是宗教礼拜歌曲，也是劳动歌曲，常反映出具体的任务。和白人福音歌曲一样，现代黑人福音歌曲也起源於灵歌。
English version：
spiritual
In North American white and black folk music, an English-language folk hymn. White spirituals derived variously, notably from the “lining out” of psalms, dating from at least the mid-17th century. Where congregations could not read, a leader intoned the psalm one line at a time, alternating with the congregation's singing of each line to a familiar melody; the tune, sung slowly, was ornamented with passing notes, turns, and other graces. A second source was the singing of hymns set to borrowed melodies, often secular folk tunes. Camp meetings and revivals were marked by spontaneous mass singing, often with call-and-response patterns and ornamented melodies. Themes included going home to the promised land, the defeat of Satan, and gaining ground against sin; typical refrains were “Roll, Jordan” and “Glory Hallelujah.” The songs survive in oral tradition in isolated areas and also in shape-note singing. Black spirituals developed in part from white rural folk hymnody, but differ greatly in voice quality, vocal effects, rhythm, and type of rhythmic accompaniment. They were sung not only in worship but also as work songs, and the text imagery often reflects concrete tasks. Like the white gospel song, the modern black gospel song derives from the spiritual.