Meet the recording
Recorded at the Library of Congress on December 2, 2010, this performance by the McIntosh County Shouters documents the Gullah-Geechee ring-shout tradition of coastal Georgia. Watch the counterclockwise movement and listen for call-and-response singing, handclaps, and stick-struck floor percussion. The ensemble carries a communal and sacred practice with roots in the era of enslavement.
What might you notice?
Listen for a sound or moment that catches your attention—a rhythm, a voice, an instrument, a change in texture, or something unexpected. You do not need technical terms or a correct answer.
Hear it at the original source
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Listening access: Performance video · YouTube
Source access, licensing and verification details
Public concert-performance video hosted by the verified Library of Congress YouTube channel; also linked from the McIntosh County Shouters official website. Earth to Ear links to 4:10 (250 seconds), immediately before the singing begins, skipping introductory speakers. Recorded 2010-12-02; free public video listed, but playback availability by region not independently tested.
Source credit: Library of Congress, American Folklife Center · Homegrown Concerts and Interviews · recorded December 2, 2010 · archival item https://www.loc.gov/item/2021688572/