Lyr/Tune Req: Beautiful Stars (from Isaac Freeman)

Subject: Lyr ADD: Beautiful Stars
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 May 02 - 11:36 AM

Isaac Freeman's title cut on his new CD "BEAUTIFUL STARS" is just gorgeous. I have been all through my hymnal collection and numerous online searches, and I can't find any trace of it.... he learned it at his mother's side, as a child, singing with her in church.

SOUND CLIP

Here is the verse and chorus he sings (minus what I think are additional exclamations):

Beautiful stars of love,
Shining from heaven above,
Leading the world to look that way.
Radiant is the glow over the earth below,
Cheering me on to perfect day.

REFRAIN:
Stars of wondrous love,
Shining from above.
Filling the earth with light,
Scattering gloom at night.
Beautiful stars of wondrous love.

It must have originally had additional verses... I've drafted a couple myself but I'd rather have the real ones. Anyone have any information on this one?

~Susan

Subject: RE: Beautiful Stars, Print Version?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 May 02 - 11:05 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Beautiful Stars (from Isaac Freeman)
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 07:34 PM

Hi Susan....Not certain how long your post was up, but I just stumbled upon it. I produced that CD along with Kieran Kane. Mr. Freeman would sing that song for me over the years and it always blew me away. He knew nothing of its origin other than, as you say, his mom sang it. Our efforts to trace the song also led to dead ends. So, it is what it is. I suspect it may be a hymn of non-African American origin published in a hymn book of the day....1930s or so. Wish I could tell you more...but very heartening to see that others have been impacted as much as I....Best. Jerry Z.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Beautiful Stars (from Isaac Freeman)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 10:38 AM

thanks for bringing this lovely song to our attention, Wysi.

Subject: Dots for Band
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 12:06 PM

Jerry, thank SO MUCH for writing!

Our band also incorporates the Fairfield Four "rules" for public behavior, so beautifully described by Mr. Freeman on Prairie Home Companion.

I would like to observe that people singing with us who have insisted that we must get sheet music for songs we present... are not usually aware of what you describe. Thanks be to God that Isaac Freeman was not bound by dots!

~Susan

Subject: ADD: Beautiful Stars (from Isaac Freeman)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 12:12 PM

Here's what we ended up with.

~S~

BEAUTIFUL STARS
Isaac Freeman version edited and verses 2, 3 by Susan O. Hinton for The Good News-Goodtime Band.

1. Beautiful stars of love,
Shining from heaven above
Leading the world to look that way.
Radiant is the glow over the earth below,                
Cheering me on to perfect day.                

REFRAIN:        
Stars of wondrous love,         
Shining from above.
Scattering gloom at night,
Filling the earth with light.
Beautiful stars of wondrous love.

2. Beautiful stars of grace,
Flowing from God's holy face,
Lending His light where darkness had reigned.
Warm and sweet as the peace of salvation's release,
Healing the wounded spirits chained.

3. Beautiful stars of strength,
Measuring heaven's breadth and length,
Made by our Father's hand so long ago.
Marking the Father's time, creation's celestial rhyme,
Ordering our time on earth below.

SH

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Beautiful Stars (from Isaac Freeman)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 12:14 PM

I would also comment that this is nothing like "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" (another great hymn), either melodically or textually.

~S~