The Belleville Choir is associated with the Church of God and Saints of Christ, which teaches that the African-American people are descended from the lost tribes of Israel, and incorporates aspects of Judaism into their faith. When recorded by folklorist Alan Lomax in 1960, the choir learned everything by ear, yet was adept at executing vocal arrangements with harmonic complexity that derived more from European musical tradition than much American black gospel. The choir remains active today, over a hundred years after the church was founded. ~ Richie Unterberger