This is an edited PermaThread® for posting the spirituals collected by Nicholas George Julius Ballanta-(Taylor) on Saint Helena Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina.
This thread will be edited by Q. Feel free to post to this thread, but remember that all messages posted here are subject to editing or deletion.
-Joe Offer-

---

Saint Helena Island Spirituals
Recorded and Transcribed at Penn Normal Industrial and Agricultural School.

This edited permathread contains the spirituals collected by Nicholas George Julius Ballanta-(Taylor) on Saint Helena Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina.

Mr. Ballanta-(Taylor), African of Sierra Leone, had taught himself music from Sir John Stainer's book on harmony. He tendered a composition in 1922 to the editor of Musical Courier, and was sent to Walter Damrosch, the conductor, who in turn sent him to his brother at the Institure of Musical Art.
The spirituals are the result of Ballanta's residence at the Penn School and collections from the Black residents on the Island.
He received a diploma in 1924 from the Institute of Musical Art, and the spirituals were printed for use at the Penn School. A few copies were sold to the public by G. Schirmer, New York.
The book was copyright in 1925 by Penn Normal, Industrial and Agricultural School.
Mr. Ballanta received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Durham University, and returned to Africa to do research in Sierra Leone and neighboring countries.
Taylor was a Christian name bestowed on Mr. Ballanta's grandfather by missionaries.

The lyrics of the spirituals are in the dialect of the Saint Helena Island inhabitants, as it was in the 1920s.
Differences in punctuation, spelling or grammar in the texts not edited.

Spirituals noted as "Unique to Saint Helena Island" have not been found in other collections; they may have been noted in MS. or not collected from other South Carolina Low Country localities.

All spirituals with musical score.

INDEX

All I Do the Church Keep-a Grumblin'
All My Sins Done Taken Away
All Obuh Dis World
At de Jedgment Bar
Aye Lawd Don't Leabe Me
Bear Yo' Burden
Bin a Listenin'
Blow Yo' Gospel Trumpet
Come, Come, Come and Go wid Me
Comin' Here Tonight
Cyan' Hide Sinner Cyan' Hide
Daniel in de Lion's Den
De Angel in Heben Gwine to Write Muh Name
De Angel Roll de Stone Away
De Angels Are Watchin' obuh Me
Death Is Goin' to Lay His Cold Icy Han' on Me
De Blood Done Sign My Name
De Ole Ship Marie
De Po' Heathens Are Dyin'
Dere Is Rest Fo' de Weary Trabbler
De Sea Gwine Deliver Up de Dry Bones
Do Don't Touch My Garment
Don't Get Weary
Don't Let de Wind Blow Here No More
Don't Yo' Hab Eberybody fo' Yo' Fr'en
Don't yo' Hear de Lam's a Cryin'
Dust an' Ashes
Eagle's Wings
Eb'rybody Wants to Know Jis How I Die
Ebery Time I Feels de Spirit
Ennyhow Muh Lawd
Fix Me Jedus
Give Me Jedus
Glory Glory Hallelujah
Good News
Go Round, Go Round
Go Tell It on de Mountain
Handwritin' on de Wall
Heben Goin' to Be Muh Home
Heben Is a Beautiful Place
Hold Out
Holy, Holy, Yo' Promise to Answer Prayer
How Can I Pray
How Long de Train Been Gone
How Yo' Do Believer, How Yo' Do Today
I Ain't Gwine Grief Muh Lawd No Mo'
I Am Bound fo' de Promised Lan'
O Am Goin' obuh Dere
I Am Huntin' fo' a City
I Am Not Afraid to Die
I Got a Letter dis Mornin'
I Got a Mother in de Bright Shinin' World
I Hab a Leader obuh Dere
I Lub Muh Blessed Saviour
I'm a Runnun' fo' Muh Life
I'm a Trabblin' to de Land
I'm Goin' Down to de Ribbuh ob Jerden

To be continued.