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WACO -- Deep in the basement of Baylor University's Moody Library, a slightly worn 45-rpm record nestled around a high-tech turntable starts to spin, producing a mysterious voice from the past.
The Mighty Wonders and lead crooner John Stewart Jr. deliver a moving version of the gospel standard Old Ship of Zion. Stewart exhorts listeners to "get on board if you want to see Jesus," as the rest of the Wonders keep pace in the background.
Like those of so many of their contemporaries in the late 1950s and early '60s, the group's emotional solos and rich harmonies were buried at the bottom of collectors' cardboard boxes or lost to time -- until now.
Robert Darden, a journalism professor and music historian, has made it his life mission to preserve every gospel record made from 1940 to 1970, a period that includes the genre's golden age.
He's been stretching a $350,000 grant from a Connecticut investor for the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project at Baylor. With a staff of three, Darden buys and solicits old records from collectors, average fans, record companies and other schools.
Along the way, he is finding some lost or forgotten gems, such as the Wonders' track.
"It blew me away," he said of the recording that brought tears to his wife's eyes. "I've never heard anything like it. It just makes you want more. I have not been able to get that song out of my head."
Since the project began more than a year ago, Darden and his staff have preserved more than 1,000 rare and classic gospel records.
Their work has thrilled gospel lovers.
The Rev. Bryan Carter, pastor at Concord Baptist Church in Dallas, said old-time gospel music is still performed in many churches but is not easy to find on CD.
Churchgoers are familiar with songs because they have been sung for years, though the original recordings have faded with time.
"It's a great project that's long overdue," Carter said. "The oral tradition has been passed down and is still around. But a lot of the actual music has been lost, so this undertaking helps preserve an important part of African-American history."
There was a time when gospel was a dominant sound in black culture. It evolved from spirituals that were moaned by slaves on plantations. The melodic pleadings were often coded messages about the Underground Railroad to freedom.
Gospel, by definition, refers to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The religious themes of the music often created a dichotomy for the performers, many of whom performed both gospel music and blues.
"Gospel helped launch the whole R&B era," said Carter. "It's directly linked to the R&B music we hear today."
Many of Darden's newly restored sounds were never meant to be heard by wide audiences. Some material has mold on it. Other recordings that he has collected and preserved were made of cardboard.
Tony Tadey, the studio engineer who makes the digital transfers, says he tries to stay true to the music.
"We preserve everything," he said. "We want the hisses and the pops."
Darden's project is made necessary in part because of the music he believes is stockpiled in record company vaults.
He's been unsuccessful in persuading companies to re-release the music or at least lend it to the project.
"It's hard to know what they really have," he said.
About 70 percent of rare gospel music is in the hands of about 15 collectors worldwide. Getting them to come together to develop a catalog has been challenging. So Darden is seeking collaboration with other universities to bolster his collection. He hopes to get donations from the Universities of Texas, Michigan and Southern California.
Ultimately, Darden wants to take the show on the road, showing people the collection and picking up more donations.
The music historian said the project would go on long after he's gone.
"I don't know how many songs are out there," he said, listening to a rare rendition of How Far Am I From Canaan. But "we're a little bit diminished as a people when something cut with that passion and love is lost."
