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15 Oct 00 - 03:31 PM (#319352) Subject: Angel Band From: JTT I'm just listening to Angel Band, from the O Brother Where Art Thou album. I'm fascinated by this song, which is identical in structure, tone, emotion, content and even wording, though not in its extraordinary Welsh-sounding tune, to Catholic hymns of my youth. In what context would it normally be sung? Oh, by the way, one of the particularly nice things about the CD is that it's made up to look like an old 78: black with a wine label. |
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15 Oct 00 - 03:45 PM (#319360) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: WyoWoman I've only heard this on the Emmylou Harris CD of the same name. I'll look forward to seeing what's posted on this one. I really like that song .. ww |
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15 Oct 00 - 05:01 PM (#319381) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: wysiwyg JTT, If this is the same song... We do a lot of tunes in our Saturday night service that may not have been intended as service music... may have been meant for the concert hall or parlor or home prayer meetings or camp meetings or revivals or cotton field or singing conventions...or.... But our Saturday night congregation, though small, is so mixed in heritage that whatever we leave out would be someone's favorite memory. I found ANGEL BAND, words and chords only, in a songbook, and the melody and time seemed obvious when I played the chords. I sang it that way on church one week, no one said anything. Later I saw it in a movie, and the rhythm was different somewhat, but I had nailed the tune pretty well. Later still I heard several versions recorded. The movie and all the recordings were bluegrass, and although they varied somewhat from each other, they varied more from what I had done with it. It was a small difference technically, but now I can't seem to get back to how I first did it, and it was pretty that way, very calm, very little bluegrass-type ornamentation vocally, no trilly-twanging around. I love trill-twanging around. I just wish I could get the trillytwang outta the Angel Band. I would love to hear more from people with actual musicology in their bones, about the answer to your questions. To me, almost anything belongs in church, on the right occasion. I never dreamed they weren't all meant for some application in church. So other views are very helpful to me. Love to hear your version-- wonder if it is a third approach or another piece entirely. ~Susan |
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15 Oct 00 - 09:02 PM (#319488) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Barbara We've had a number of discussions of this song; put the name in the search engine to find them all, but here's a blue clicky thing to one of them.
Blessings, |
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15 Oct 00 - 09:27 PM (#319497) Subject: Lyr Add: ANGEL BAND (Rev. J. Haskell)^^^ From: Dale Rose I located the music for Angel Band in one of those lovely old paperback hymnals, Cheerful Message, Compiled and Edited by Geo. W. Sebren, The Sebren Music Co., Asheville, N. C., c.1926. The book is undated, but since there is nothing copyrighted past 1926, that is the logical choice. I have uploaded the music to my site, Good Old Songs, which really seems to be devoted to just gospel music, though that was not the original intent, just the way it has worked out so far. Maybe I just need a separate site for other music ~~ we'll see. Go here for the music ANGEL BAND Rev. J. Haskell, arr by J.D.V. 1. My latest sun is sinking fast, My race is nearly run, My strongest trials now are past, My triumph is begun. CHORUS: Oh, 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. 2. I know I'm near the holy ranks Of friends and kindred dear, I brush the dew on Jordan's banks, The crossing must be near. CHORUS 3. I've almost gained my heavenly home, My spirit loudly sings; The holy ones, behold they come! I hear the noise of wings. CHORUS 4. O bear my longing heart to Him Who bled and died for me; Whose blood now cleanses from all sin, And gives me victory. CHORUS The J.D.V. listed as arranger would be James D. Vaughn, noted writer and publisher of gospel music. The Emmylou Harris version mentioned by WyoWoman just uses the first and fourth verses. She is a bit at variance with the lyrics I have posted, the most jarring of which I hear is her use of snow white wings, rather than snowy wings, not such a big deal, I suppose, but I do like snowy better. I have heard the third verse before, but the second one is new to me, at least I do not remember ever hearing it in recorded or live versions I have heard. Praise, I know we have talked before about this music and what I am doing with my site so far (not much). As you can see, it does not a very well defined purpose yet. Maybe when I get "a little more time" we can work on that. ^^^ |
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15 Oct 00 - 09:32 PM (#319498) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Dale Rose Hi Barbara, your message was not there while I was clacking away at the keys, researching, blah, blah. Now I will have to go back and read that old thread (which I see I posted to as well ~~ talk about failing memory) and see how redundant my work was! |
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15 Oct 00 - 09:41 PM (#319501) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Dale Rose SIGH I see I could have saved myself most of that work, except for posting the music, adding the composers, Haskell and Vaughn, and dating it back to at least 1926. Oh, well. |
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15 Oct 00 - 10:05 PM (#319508) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Sandy Paton Praise: I recorded a trio in the tiny church in Beech Creek, North Carolina, singing this lovely old hymn -- unaccompanied, three-part harmony, the way they liked to sing it in that church. It's on my Traditional Music of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, Volume 2 -- available as a custom cassette from Folk-Legacy. Check our web site under "custom," if you're think it might be of interest to you. They also say "snowy," by the way, and sing all the verses. Sandy |
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15 Oct 00 - 10:15 PM (#319510) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: GospelPicker (inactive) Stanley Brothers recording of this song is BREATHTAKING... GP |
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16 Oct 00 - 12:15 AM (#319556) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Uncle Jaque My earliest example of "Angel Band" appears in a late 19th Century Hymnal as "The Land of Beulah" and is noted "As sung by the late Bishop MORRIS" , credited to "Rev. Jefferson HASCALL 1860 - Wm. BRADBURY, by per." . Written in "C", 6/8 time. I do it (on guitar) in "G", using mostly G/C/D with Am-G-Em-G over "...your snow-y wings..."; this is the tune still heard today, albiet frequently "modernized". I like it just fine the way it was written, thank'yu very much! I was just playing it for my Wife before checking into Mudcat on my steel-strung Yamaha (12-string with only 6 on board), but I love the way it sounds on the old gut-strung parlor guitar fingerpicked, as it would have been done back then. There is a lovely guitar rendition of it on the Ken Burns' "Civil War" PBS series soundtrack, by the way. I am in the habit of "speaking" the 3rd verse over the guitar acc. (a primitive form of "rap", i suppose)... "The Holy ones; behold; they come! Can't you hear...the noise... of wings?!" Quite effective. The modern "PC" singer might want to leave the patently "religious" 4th verse out... I do not. "Angel" remains one of my all-time favorites. |
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16 Oct 00 - 12:54 AM (#319565) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Dale Rose Uncle Jaque's info (1860) seems to place it a whole lot older than 1926, which I figured was not the beginning point anyway. Note the spelling of Haskell/Hascall, obviously the same person intended. Since writing my earlier posts, I have found several instances of the Hascall/Bradbury authorship. I was in hopes of finding it at Cyber Hymnal under the Land of Beulah title, but no luck there, or anywhere else for that matter.
Here is the listing of recordings given by The Folk Music Index, I am sure that at least some of them are available on CD, though not listed as such. And there are other recording not listed, notably the Stanley Brothers.
Angel Band - Hascall, J./Bradbury, W.
Butler, Carl. Anthology of Country Music, Vol 2. Early Country Harmony 1940's, ACM ACM-2, LP, cut# 15
Gospel Three. Music of the Ozarks, National Geographic Soc. 0703, LP (1972), cut# 6 |
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16 Oct 00 - 05:57 AM (#319639) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: JTT The Stanley Brothers sing it on O Brother, Where Art Thou. They only sing three verses, not including "I know I'm near the holy ranks" or "I've almost gained my heavenly home", sadly. Amazon.com has the soundtrack for sale now, I see. Well worth buying. Listening again to the verses, I find that some verses are Catholic-hymn-like: "Oh bear my longing heart to him, who bled and died for me; Whose blood now cleanses from all sin, and gives me victory" - the same blood-as-Vim theory carries through to Republican (Irish, not American, that is) thinking). But other verses are very Protestant-sounding: "I brush the dew on Jordan's banks, the crossing must be near". And of course angels don't tend to appear in *legitimate* Catholic hymn, though there are a lot of folk prayers which sue for grace from them, like the Irish children's prayer "Garda na n-aingeal os mo chionn, Dia romhaim agus Dia liom" ("Guard of angels over my head, God before me and God with me") which is traditionally said at sleep time; and by many grownups during time of trial, if the truth were told. By the same token, Angel Band, with its welcoming of death, is strangely comforting. |
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16 Oct 00 - 06:33 AM (#319655) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: greenfields Just want to add that there is also a lovely rendition of this on the Joan Baez 3-CD set called "Rare, Live, and Classic". The song is actually song by Jeffrey [forget the last name]; the chorus is sung by many, in beautiful harmony. |
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16 Oct 00 - 07:24 AM (#319678) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: wysiwyg JTT, funny, the blood aspect in circles around here is quite Protestant. Dale, we will connect eventually! ~S~ |
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16 Oct 00 - 07:34 AM (#319682) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: wysiwyg BTW, see the words Hardiman posted in the current YOUR Favorite Hymns Part Two thread... St. Catherine's Court. (Dale, I haven't been able to find it in any of the hymn links yet. Is it up your alley?) If the dying person sings Angel Band, the pastor who buries them sings this. Hardi was, last night, for all we have lost lately. From memory, not having heard it for years and years. Funny how that works, eh? Wow, a medley with Angel Band and Swing Low Sweet Chariot. I know what I'm singing as I drive to work this AM. ~S~ |
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16 Oct 00 - 07:37 AM (#319685) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Barbara Shaw I have the recording "Music of the Ozarks" mentioned above. The liner notes say that traditionally, the family would gather around the bedside of a dying loved one, and sing this song to them to help ease the passage. |
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16 Oct 00 - 09:00 AM (#319729) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: GUEST,jaze The Joan Baez/Jeffrey Shurtleff version on Joan's box set is beautiful. Their two voices compliment each other so well they should have done many more duets. This version was previously unrelaeased prior to the box set. |
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16 Oct 00 - 01:27 PM (#319930) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Robo "Songs from the Mountain," a CD by Tim O'Brien, Dirk Powell and John Herrmann, contains the only version I've heard. It is a fine one, too. My wife surprised me by singing along with it right off. She's from West Virginia and remembers hearing it at wakes and such. |
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16 Oct 00 - 06:22 PM (#320238) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Burke Bradbury sounds right for this hymn. Vaughn was just claiming the arrangement. The copy mentioned above shows a good example of the Aiken 7 shape system for anyone who thinks shape note books only come with 4 shapes & oblong. The old thread says it's in the Southern Harmony. It's not. It is in the appendix of the J.L. White revision around 1910. If you see a 4 shape version with the air in the tenor, it's ultimately a copy from that. |
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16 Oct 00 - 10:50 PM (#320459) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Dale Rose The more I look, the more versions I find. I also have the O'Brien, Powell, and Hermann version, quite nice it is, too ~~ I got it from John Hermann himself when he was in Mountain View with Ralph Blizard earlier this year. BUT, a version that I really treasure, and have put up on my site is by Cynthia Clawson, from her River of Memories CD, Chapel 3306, 1994. Now, normally, she sings what I call contemporary Christian music, but this particular album is much more Gospel oriented. For those who don't know her, it is quite possible that you have heard her without knowing it. It was she who sang over those lovely opening and closing scenes of A Trip To Bountiful, Horton Foote's 1985 film.
You can get to the sound file through the link in my first post, or you can bypass the music and lyrics and go straight to the Real Audio by clicking here. Remember that these are downloadable files, so it will take a while, but you will be rewarded by being able to listen to the whole song without annoying buffering! She sings the first and third verses, by the way, but substitutes I brush the dew on Jordan's banks, from verse two for The holy ones, behold they come! Composer credit is given as Words and Music by Jefferson Hascall and William B. Bradbury. |
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16 Oct 00 - 10:54 PM (#320464) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Matt_R I like best the solo guitar arrangement of Angel Band that's on the soundtrack to Ken Burns' The Civil War. |
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16 Oct 00 - 11:11 PM (#320474) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Stewart Take a look at this poem "Angel Band" on the Folknik website -- CLICK(click) Stewart in Seattle |
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16 Oct 00 - 11:15 PM (#320475) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Stewart Sorry about that -- try this again "Angel Band" on Folknik website CLICK |
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17 Oct 00 - 11:25 AM (#320871) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: JTT Blood as detergent is definitely Catholic in Ireland, where it is also regarded as useful by republicans for wiping out those distressing orange spots. In fact there's been a cross, contentious argument a couple of months ago in the Irish Times letters page, sparked by an article by Kevin Myers giving out yards about Padraig Pearse, with various people going it hot and heavy pro and anti. |
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17 Oct 00 - 12:37 PM (#320923) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Uncle Jaque I love that poem on Folknik; it brings back fond memories of those precious nights at Ken Vinyard's old place up in Crystal, NH nearly 35 years ago, when I'd sling the old Sears & Sawbuck banjo over my shouder and ride my Benelli motorcycle up from my home in Randolph. One fella used to arrive from Boston on a 500 Vellocette single-cylender (now there's a REAL motorcycle!) with his banjo in the sidecar, and he was VERY good. I can't remember names, but folks would show up from all over New England, some of whom were "Pros" and had LPs out. I spent most of the session with banjo in lap, jaw hanging open in rapture and awe as the wine, cheeze, and songs went 'round 'till the wee hours. Ken, Marie and family were among the loveliest people it has ever been my blessing to have associated with, and I miss them yet. That mention of the tradition of singing around the deathbed of a loved one touched my heart; I can hardly think of a better way to go! One of my favorite pieces of classical music is R. WAGNER's "Ride of the Valkyeries", and I have requested that it be played good and loud at my wake / funeral when the time comes. Although it has been unfortunately associated with Teutonic Paganisim and later the Nazi regime (I understand that it was one of der "feurer"'s favorites as well), I have mentally / emotionally "Christianized" it, and envision Angellic "Walkyerie" swooping down at the Rapture, perhaps in the form of huge, magnificent, brilliantly white eagles (Rapture / Raptor) snatching the Children of Grace up gently but firmly in mighty golden talons, winging us up through cloven skies to Home Everlasting. Contemplating propsal thread for Old-Thyme Gospel HearMe night; stay tuned! |
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17 Oct 00 - 12:48 PM (#320933) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: wysiwyg JTT, I heard that deeply, despite your economy with words. Maybe because of it. Thank you. ~Prays |
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17 Oct 00 - 02:11 PM (#320987) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Uncle Jaque JTT: What is meant by "yards about Padraig Pearse"? I'm not familiar with that term, and like to understand as much as I can about the situation over there, especially if I intend to go playing Irish tunes in public, some of which, I have discovered (fortunately without getting a shilleighliegh up side the head for emphasis) that some tunes can eliciet strenuous and potentially unpleasant audience responces if played to the wrong crowd. And that I like to understand a little about a situation and people for whom I occasionally pray. I downloaded and enjoyed the Angel Band rendition (albiet truncated) by Cynthia Clawson, from her River of Memories CD. I found myself spontaniously singing along with "intuitive" bass harmony; Lord, wouldn't I love to try this with real human beings! |
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17 Oct 00 - 02:14 PM (#320991) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: Uncle Jaque Re. the Cynthia Clawson version: That "whining" C&W steel slide-guitar, I could live without! |
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17 Oct 00 - 02:36 PM (#321009) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: JTT "Giving out yards" means, umm, complaining at length. |
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17 Oct 00 - 06:39 PM (#321269) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: JTT Uncle Jacques, I've been thinking about your comment about politics. If you want to know the politics of any particular song or tune, ask here and someone's bound to know. But in general, unless you get a really rude crowd, if you introduce songs by saying "I hope there's nothing political about this: I just think it's a really good tune/song/whatever" people will usually listen appreciatively. Besides, quite political people often know and sing the music of the "other side" here. The main thing is to let people know (sane people, that is) that you're not deliberately giving offence. |
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06 Mar 01 - 08:15 AM (#411904) Subject: Angel Band From: Pinetop Slim Can anyone steer me to a tune, preferably GIF, for Angel Band? Thanks |
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06 Mar 01 - 08:28 AM (#411908) Subject: RE: Tune Req: Angel Band From: Malcolm Douglas It took less time searching via the very useful "Digitrad and Forum Search" on the main Forum page to find this: Angel Band notation than it has taken me to type the message. |
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29 Dec 06 - 05:26 PM (#1921593) Subject: looking for Angel Band recordings From: DebbieOlsen Hey, everyone, I'm new here. I'm excited to find you guys, because I've been looking for recordings by "Lisa Neustadt and the Angel Band" and this place seems to be full of people who not only know of them, but actually know them--or are them! Woo hoo!! I grew up on "Shout for Joy" and "Angels Hoverin' Round" and recently found out that there is a third recording out there. I'd like to get my own copies of all three--right now I have ripped copies of my dad's SFJ and AHR, and I've never heard "Anywhere is Home." Does anyone know where I can start? I've had no luck on Google or Ebay. This is what I listen to when I need to get happy, the best of the best. I appreciate any help. Thanks, Debbie |
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29 Dec 06 - 06:33 PM (#1921670) Subject: RE: looking for Angel Band recordings From: NH Dave Try When Morning Comes 1. Redpath, Jean; and Lisa Neustadt. Anywhere Is Home, Fretless FR 154, LP (1981), trk# B.03 A little Google work. Dave |
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15 Sep 08 - 05:22 PM (#2441405) Subject: My Latest Sun Is Sinking Fast [Angel Band] From: Genie The Cyber Hymnal has this song under a different title (the first line), with lyrics attributed to Jefferson Haskell, 1860, and music to William B Bradbury ("Golden Shower,"* 1862. My Latest Sun Is Sinking Fast (Cyber Hymnal) *no snickering, please. I'd guess that term had a different meaning a century and a half ago. |
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15 Sep 08 - 10:33 PM (#2441662) Subject: RE: Angel Band From: masato sakurai In Bradbury's Golden Shower of S. S. Melodies ([1862], 1882, pp. 50-51), this hymn was titled THE LAND OF BEULAH. For this hymnal, go to Michigan State University Libraries - Digital and Multimedia Center - Digital Collections - Hymnals. See also Uncle Jaque's post (Date: 16 Oct 00 - 12:15 AM) above. |
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11 Jul 10 - 08:01 PM (#2943678) Subject: RE: Origins: Angel Band From: GUEST,j g sebren jr I saw this posting and just wanted to say hello. Sebren music was my grandfather and uncle. I have found some of the old hymnals on line and given them to my father. It's good to see they are put to good use. sincerely, Joseph Sebren Jr. |
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20 Jul 12 - 11:38 PM (#3379469) Subject: RE: Origins: Angel Band From: Haruo There are maybe a couple dozen scans of this song in the Hymnary.org database. See the note I added there about the variant tunes and wordings. Text Authority Page (scroll down to the Page Scans section, then scroll to the right to see more and more scans; click on a scan to enlarge, or right-click and open in a separate tab or window. Here's one of the scanned versions that uses a tune different from that by Bradbury. This tune by Dadmun was published in 1860, i.e. two years earlier than Bradbury's "Land of Beulah" tune. I think three of the scans are of this tune, and I think I may have seen one that was of a different, non-Dadmun non-Bradbury, tune. The hymnary.org database incorporates the entire Dictionary of North American Hymnology (as well as much additional material), and can be a treasure trove of information concerning all manner of queries about hymns. It has a forum, too, where you can post questions you can't find answers to in their searchable database. |