The Stars of Faith of Black Nativity – Gospel Songs album art
The precise geometric multiline caps of Cassandre’s Bifur are contrasted with the swelling shapes of Dave West’s Cooper Nouveau Swash 10 on the cover of Gospel Songs by the Stars of Faith of Black Nativity. Both faces were carried by Photo-Lettering; the former as “Paris Bifur”, the latter being exclusive to the New York typesetting provider.
The Stars of Faith were a gospel vocal group from Philadelphia, formed in 1958 by former members of the Clara Ward Singers, including Marion Williams (1927–1994), Kitty Parham (1926–2003), Frances Steadman (1915–2009), and Esther Ford (1930–2016). In 1961 and 1962, the group appeared in the Black Nativity musical – an adaptation of the Nativity story by Langston Hughes (1901–1967), performed by an entirely black cast – and toured across North America and Europe.
Detail of the typography
