Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Casteleyn, Edith, Soesterberg Gospel Choir, Friendship Gospel Choir, Inspirational Community Gospel Choir, Rainbow Gospel Choir, Rainbow Gospel Singers, Life Line Gospel Choir, Dutch Combined Mass Choir, Freedom Gospel Choir, Rejoice Gospel Choir, New Land Gospel Singers, Alive Gospel Choir, and Thy Mention Gospel Choir
- Abstract:
- Includes the personal papers of Edith Casteleyn, founder and director of Dutch community gospel choirs in the Netherlands, as well as scrapbooks, recordings, videos, clippings, programs, publicity materials, and photographs documenting the Soesterberg Gospel Choir, Friendship Gospel Choir, Life Line Gospel Choir, Alive! Gospel Choir, Rainbow Gospel Singers, and other choirs directed by Casteleyn.
- Extent:
- 3 document cases (2.9 linear feet)
- Language:
- Materials are in Dutch and English.
- Preferred citation:
Edith Casteleyn Dutch Gospel Choirs Collection, SC 98, Archives of African American Music and Culture, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Edith Casteleyn (Kastelijn) is a conductor of Black Gospel choirs in the Netherlands. Originally from Soest, Casteleyn began applying her classical music training to accompanying Black Gospel choirs in the early 1990s when she was hired to accompany the choir on the American air base in Soesterberg. Casteleyn would go on to found multiple gospel choirs in the Netherlands, including Friendship Gospel Choir, Rainbow Gospel Choir, Life Line Gospel Choir, Freedom Gospel Choir, and other groups documented in this collection. At times, several of these choirs would combine into the Dutch Combined Mass Choir.
Casteleyn and the choirs actively hosted gospel music workshops around the Netherlands in which community members would participate in multi-day intensive gospel music training, typically culminating in a community concert. Casteleyn and the Dutch gospel choirs also traveled and performed outside of the Netherlands. Some of the international workshops and conferences they attended took place in Germany, Turkey, Nigeria, and England. Casteleyn and the choirs also toured internationally. Tours of the United States and Italy are represented here through photographs, documents, and audio-visual media.
Edith Casteleyn continues to direct workshops and multiple gospel choirs based in the Netherlands. For more biographical information about Casteleyn and the history of Black Gospel choirs in the Netherlands, refer to the video interview of Casteleyn conducted by Portia K. Maultsby (found in the Portia K. Maultsby Collection at the AAAMC).
- Scope and Content:
The Edith Casteleyn Dutch Gospel Choirs Collection is arranged into 3 series which contain documents in multiple formats generated throughout her career leading various gospel singing groups and workshops in the Netherlands.
The first series documents Casteleyn's work leading gospel music workshops and choirs, and participating in gospel conferences internationally. The bulk of the workshop materials relate to workshops and events in the Netherlands, however events in Germany, Turkey, England, and Nigeria are also present. Series 1 also collects organizational records, promotional materials, newspaper clippings, and correspondence. These materials are roughly separated into sub-series according to specific choirs. The membership and activities of the various choirs sometimes overlapped. Items were placed in spefic sub-series according to what appeared to be the top featured choir. These are arranged roughly chronologically. At the end of Series 1 is a small number of collected items that do not fit neatly into any of the previous sub-series, including song lyrics, a magazine article about the African American Music Museum in Nashville creating an exhibit about Casteleyn, and several church worship programs from the United States.
Series 2 includes photographic materials and multiple scrapbooks created by Casteleyn and the choirs documenting their activities. The AAAMC only holds one of the physical scrapbooks in the collection; this scrapbook contains materials related to the Soesterberg Gospel Choir. The other scrapbooks were loaned to the AAAMC temporarily so they could be scanned. The AAAMC holds these digital scans while the physical scrapbooks have been returned to Casteleyn and the choirs. The other sub-series in Series 2 includes individual photographs. The AAAMC holds prints for many of these photographs, while others were sent in digital format by Casteleyn and the choirs.
Series 3 contains audio-visual, time-based media generated during the gospel music workshops, performances and tours by the choirs, and some additional gospel-related media generated or collected by Casteleyn. Series 3 is arranged into sub-series roughly sorted by the performing choir(s) or events.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated between 2013 and 2019.
- Processing information:
Processed by AAAMC staff. Completed in 2023.
- Arrangement:
Arranged in 3 series with subseries:
- Series 1: Papers
- Series 2: Photos and scrapbooks
- Series 3: Audio-visual media
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed Terms
- Subjects:
- gospel music
Gospel singers - Places:
- Netherlands
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
Use of time-based media materials (audio and video) may require production of listening or viewing copies.
Access to streaming audio, moving image, and full resolution digital image materials may currently be restricted to researchers who can authenticate with an IU account or who are physically present on campus. Remote streaming to individual researchers may be allowed with the completion of applicable forms.
For further information about access to online audiovisual materials, contact AAAMC staff at aaamc@indiana.edu.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Indiana Public Records Act (5-14-3-2 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which Indiana University assumes no responsibility.
Copyright is retained by the creators/authors of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. All requests for copying and publishing materials must be submitted in writing to the Archives of African American Music and Culture, and may require the written permission of the creator(s)/author(s) or donor(s).
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
Edith Casteleyn Dutch Gospel Choirs Collection, SC 98, Archives of African American Music and Culture, Indiana University, Bloomington.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
Smith Research Center, Rooms 180-1812805 East 10th StreetBloomington, Indiana 47408-2601, United States
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
812-855-8547aaamc@iu.edu