John Wesley Work, Jr. John Wesley Work is said to have been the
first black collector of Negro folksongs, and was most likely
born on August 6, 1871 in Nashville, Tennessee. His father, John
Wesley Work, was a church choir director in Nashville, where he
wrote and arranged music for his choirs. Some of his choristers
were members of the original Fisk Jubilee Singers. He attended
Fisk University in Nashville where he studied Latin and history.
Singing in the Mozart society while at school sparked an
interest in Negro spirituals in Work. Following graduation, Work
went on to teach for a year, studying for one year at Harvard
University, and a year as a library assistant at Fisk
University. In 1898, he received a Master’s degree from Fisk and
took an appointment as a Latin and Greek instructor. While
teaching, Work became a leader in the movement to preserve,
study, and perform Negro spirituals. He organized Fisk singing
groups about 1889. With the help of his brother, Frederick
Jerome Work ,John Wesley Work, Jr