Text for American Angels
May 2004
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Anonymous 4—American Angels
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Text: George Atkin (1819)
Tune: William Moore. Columbian Harmony (1825)
Performing source: William Walker. The Southern Harmony (1835)
Brethren, we have met to worship,
And adore the Lord our God;
Will you pray with all your power,
While we try to preach the Word.
All is vain, unless the Spirit
Of the Holy One comes down;
Brethren, pray, and holy manna
Will be shower'd all around.
Sisters, will you join and help us?
Moses' sisters aided him;
Will you help the trembling mourners,
Who are struggling hard with sin?
Tell them all about the Saviour,
Tell them that he will be found;
Sisters, pray, and holy manna
Will be shower'd all around.
Abbeville folk hymn
Text: Benjamin Beddome, in Rippon. Selection of Hymns (10th ed., 1800)
Tune: arr. E.J. King, in B.F. White and E.J. King The Sacred Harp (1844)
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Anonymous 4
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With energy divine,
And on this poor benighted soul,
With beams of mercy shine.
From the celestial hills,
Light, life, and joy dispense;
And may I daily, hourly feel
Thy quickening influence.
Melt, melt, this frozen heart;
This stubborn will subdue;
Each evil passion overcome,
And form me all anew.
Mine will the profit be,
But thine shall be the praise;
And unto thee I will devote
The remnant of my days.
New Britain folk hymn
Text: John Newton, in his Olney Hymns (1779)
Tune: Columbian Harmony (1829)
Performing source: The Sacred Harp (1991 ed)
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
Sweet Hour of Prayer gospel song
Text: W.W. Walford
Tune: William Batchelder Bradbury, in Bradbury's Golden Chain (1861)
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father's throne,
Make all my wants and wishes known;
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter's snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear,
To him whose truth and faithfulness,
Engage the waiting soul to bless;
And since He bids me seek his face,
Believe his word and trust his grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share;
Till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height,
I view my home, and take my flight;
This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer.
Jewett camp revival song
Text: John Newton, in his Olney Hymns (1779)
Tune: R.F.M. Mann, in B.F. White and E.J. King.
The Sacred Harp (1869 ed)
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Shout, shout for glory,
Shout, shout aloud for glory:
Brother, sister, mourner,
All shout glory hallelujah!
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
Poland psalm tune
Text: Isaac Watts, Psalm 39, in his The Psalms of David Imitated (1719)
Tune: Timothy Swan, in his New England Harmony (1801)
God of my life, look gently down.
Behold the pain I feel;
But I am dumb before thy throne,
Nor dare dispute thy will.
Crushed as a moth beneath thy hand,
We moulder to the dust;
Our feeble pow'rs can ne'er withstand,
And all our beauty's lost.
I'm but a sojourner below,
As all my fathers were;
May I be well prepared to go,
When I the summons hear.
But if my life be spared a while
Before my last remove,
Thy praise shall be my business still,
And I'll declare thy love.
Wayfaring Stranger folk hymn
Text: Bever's Christian Songster (1858)
Tune: arr. John M. Dye (1935), in The Original Sacred Harp (1936 ed)
I am a poor, wayfaring stranger,
While journ'ying thru this world of woe,
Yet, there's no sickness, toil nor danger,
In that bright land to which I go.
I'm going there to see my Father,
I'm going there no more to roam;
I'm only going over Jordan,
I'm only going over home.
I know dark clouds will gather o'er me,
I know my way is rough and steep;
Yet beaut'ous fields lie just before me,
Where God's redeemed their vigils keep.
I'm going there to see my Mother,
She said she'd meet me when I come;
I'm only going over Jordan,
I'm only going over home.
I want to wear a crown of glory,
When I get home to that good land;
I want to shout salvation's story,
In concert with the bloodwashed band.
I'm going there to meet my Savior,
To sing His praise forevermore;
I'm only going over Jordan,
I'm only going over home.
Sweet By and By gospel song
Text: S. Fillmore Bennett
Tune: Joseph P. Webster, in his The Signet Ring (1868)
Arranged by Johanna Maria Rose
There's a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we may see it afar,
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore!
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest,
And our spirits shall sorrow no more-
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
To our bountiful Father above
We will offer the tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of his love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Blooming Vale fuging tune
Text: Isaac Watts, Psalm 55, in his Psalms of David Imitated (1719)
Music: [J.P.?] Storm, in Lewis Edson, Jr The Social Harmonist (2nd ed, 1801)
O, were I like a feathered dove,
And innocence had wings,
I'd fly and make a long remove,
From all these restless things.
Let me to some wild desert go,
And find a peaceful home;
Where storms of malice never blow,
Temptations never come.
By morning light I'll seek his face,
At noon repeat my cry;
The night shall hear me ask his grace,
Nor will he long deny.
Wondrous Love folk hymn
Text: Stark Dupuy. Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1818)
Tune: arr. James Christopher (1840), in
William Walker. The Southern Harmony (1840 printing)
Performing source: B.F. White and E.J. King.
The Sacred Harp (1844)
What wondrous love is this!
oh, my soul! oh, my soul!
What wondrous love is this! oh my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse
for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
When I was sinking down,
sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
beneath God's righteous frown
Christ laid aside his crown,
for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown, for my soul.
Ye winged seraphs fly,
bear the news, bear the news,
Ye winged seraphs fly, bear the news,
Ye winged seraphs fly,
like comets thro' the sky,
Fill vast eternity,
with the news, with the news,
Fill vast eternity, with the news.
And when from death we're free,
we'll sing on, we'll sing on,
And when from death we're free, we'll sing on,
And when from death we're free,
we'll sing and joyful be
And in eternity
we'll sing on, we'll sing on,
And in eternity we'll sing on.
Idumea folk hymn
Text: Charles Wesley, in his Hymns for Children (1763)
Performing text source: Benjamin Lloyd. Primitive Hymns (1872 ed)
Tune: Ananias Davisson, in his Kentucky Harmony (1816)
And am I born to die,
To lay this body down?
And must my trembling spirit fly
Into a world unknown.
Wak'd by the trumpet's sound,
I from my grave shall rise,
To see the Judge with glory crowned,
And view the flaming skies.
How shall I leave the tomb?
With triumph or regret?
A fearful or a joyful doom?
A curse or blessing meet?
O Thou who wouldst not have
One mourning sinner die;
Who died Thyself that soul to save
From endless misery;
Show me some way to shun
Thy dreadful wrath severe,
That when Thou comest on the throne,
I may with joy appear.
Shall We Gather at the River gospel song
Text and Tune: Robert Lowry, with the title
"The Beautiful River", in Happy Voices (1865)
Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod;
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?
Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.
On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We shall walk and worship ever,
All the happy, golden day.
Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.
At the smiling of the river,
Mirror of the Saviour's face,
Saints whom death will never sever,
Lift their songs of saving grace.
Soon we'll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.
Angel Band gospel song
Text: Jefferson Haskell
Tune: William Batchelder Bradbury, with the title, "The Land of Beulah",
in Bradbury's Golden Shower (1862)
Arranged by Marsha Genensky/Anonymous 4
My latest sun is sinking fast,
My race is nearly run,
My strongest trials now are past,
My triumph is begun.
O come, angel band,
Come and around me stand
O bear me away on your snowy wings,
To my immortal home,
O bear me away on your snowy wings,
To my immortal home.
I know I'm near the holy ranks
Of friends and kindred dear;
I brush the dew on Jordan's bank,
The crossing must be near.
I've almost gained my heav'nly home;
My spirit loudly sings;
The holy ones, behold they come!
I hear the noise of wings.
Sources and Acknowledgments:
Tunebooks and hymnals we used to prepare this recording that are still in active use:
The Sacred Harp, 1991 edition (Denson Revision. B.F. White and E.J. King, compilers, four-shape tunebook, first publ. 1844)
The Southern Harmony (reprint of 1854 edition. William Walker compiler, four-shape tunebook, first publ. 1835)
Christian Harmony (reprint of 1873 ed. William Walker compiler, seven-shape tunebook, first publ. 1866)
Elder C. H. Cayce. The Good Old Songs (seven-shape Primitive Baptist hymnal, first publ. 1914)
Benjamin Lloyd. Primitive Hymns (text-only Primitive Baptist hymnal, first publ. 1841)
The following Web sites contain a wealth of information about some of the singing styles on this recording, and contain links to many other related sites: www.fasola.org and www.mcsr.~mudws.harp.html
For information about Anonymous 4 recordings visit Public Radio MusicSource.
