God's Trombones

Seven Negro Sermons in Verse

By: James Weldon Johnson

Narrated by: Various

Introduced by Maya Angelou, the inspiring sermon-poems of James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson was a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and one of the most revered African Americans of all time, whose life demonstrated the full spectrum of struggle and success. In God's Trombones, one of his most celebrated works, inspirational sermons of African American preachers are reimagined as poetry, reverberating with the musicality and splendid eloquence of the spirituals. This classic collection includes "Listen Lord (A Prayer)," "The Creation," "The Prodigal Son," "Go Down Death (A Funeral Sermon)," "Noah Built the Ark," "The Crucifixion," "Let My People Go," and "The Judgment Day."

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.©1955 Viking Penguin; (P)1993 Penguin HighBridge Audio

Critic reviews

“[Johnson ] is a distinguished and intelligent poet. . . . There is sensitivity, artistic judgment, and a sustained emotional beauty in his work." —The New York Times

Amazing Production!

I can't imagine how this could be done better. I have been reading these poems for many, many years and this reading with music brought tears to my eyes. A treasure!

Amazing Experience

Any additional comments?

This production of James Weldon Johnson's book of African-American sermons in verse filled me with joy. Johnson's scholarly introduction is here, as well as an opening prayer and a closing hymn. And in between! The seven glorious poems, each read by a different actor, are given all of the dignity and cadence due to them. The responses of the congregation are a treasure. I cannot think of a better example of American poetry than this book, and this recording just became my favorite way to experience it. I will come back to it again and again.

Good brief history & sermon recaps

Very interesting to hear some of the sermons from days gone by.
I love the Word of God and love to hear how God used His servants, so I found this very interesting!

Index of the poems

Because these poems honor the black preachers of Johnson's memory, it's invaluable to listen to them read by similarly skilled orators, especially if you are using them in the classroom.

Here is an index of the locations of the poems in this recording.

Preface: :40 – 15:30
Listen, Lord – A Prayer: 15:30 – 18:16
The Creation: 18:30 –23:57
The Prodigal Son: 24:19 –31:21
Go Down Death – A Funeral Sermon: 31:35 – 36:37
Noah Built the Ark: 36:55 – 45:25
The Crucifixion: 45:35 – 51:00
Let My People Go: 51:10 – 1:00:29
The Judgment Day: 1:00:40 – 1:06:30

A Great Audiobook Rendition of Text And Poetic Sermons

This is a compilation of several sermons in verse composed by James Weldon Johnson. James Weldon Johnson is a very great, if somewhat forgotten African American of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He was a man of letters, a statesman, educator, lawyer, and author. As explained by James Weldon Johnson himself, these sermons were composed by Mister Johnson in the tradition of African American religion. Mister Johnson wrote in a variety of styles and voices, including, at times, dialect. These poetic sermons are examples of that. This audiobook is excellent. Thank You...