Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World

Subject: Lyr Add: JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 07:38 PM

WARNING: Folk process at work.

Here's how we'll do one version, saving the Hark version for a little later.

~S~

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JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Based on a version recorded by the Bethel Quartet, 1928. Additional verses (text based on Sacred Harp) edited by Susan O. Hinton.



REFRAIN:
Walk in this light,
Beautiful light!
Come where the dewdrops of Mercy shine bright.
Shine all around us
By day and by night,
Jesus, the light of the world.

1. My grief a burden long had been
(Jesus, the light of the world),
Because I could not bear my sin
(Jesus, the light of the world).
Naught but my sin had I to give,
(Jesus, the light of the world).
Naught but His love did I receive
(Jesus, the light of the world).

2. Oh I am done with this old world
(Jesus, the light of the world);
From now I want to serve the Lord,
(Jesus, the light of the world).
Jesus my all to heaven is gone;
(Jesus, the light of the world)
He whom I fixed my hopes upon
(Jesus, the light of the world).

3. His track I see and I'll pursue
(Jesus, the light of the world);
The narrow way till Him I view
(Jesus, the light of the world).
This is the way I long have sought
(Jesus, the light of the world),
And mourned because I found it not;
(Jesus, the light of the world).

4. The King's highway of holiness
(Jesus, the light of the world);
I'll go, for all His paths are peace
(Jesus, the light of the world).
The way the holy prophets went
(Jesus, the light of the world),
Th road that leads from banishment
(Jesus, the light of the world).

5. Then I will tell the sinners around,
(Jesus, the light of the world).
About the Savior I have found;
(Jesus, the light of the world).
I'll point to His redeeming blood,
(Jesus, the light of the world).
And say, "Here is the way to God."
(Jesus, the light of the world).

6. When I get home I'll see the Lamb
(Jesus, the light of the world),
And He'll enfold me, as I am
(Jesus, the light of the world).
Upon the crystal pavement down
(Jesus, the light of the world),
With joy I'll cast my worldly crown
(Jesus, the light of the world).

7. I'll sing His praise in Paradise
(Jesus, the light of the world),
Warmed by the light that never dies
(Jesus, the light of the world).
If you get there before I do
(Jesus, the light of the world);
Just tell my Lord I'm comin' too
(Jesus, the light of the world).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 06:47 PM

Good JOB, thanks Burke!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: Burke
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 06:39 PM

I think I found your 3rd verse, but it's really corrupted. It's from "Must Jesus bear the cross alone" that seems to pop up in brief & often corrupted snippets in a lot of those 20's recordings of black groups. Go here for the whole thing.

Upon the crystal pavement down
At Jesus' piercèd feet,
Joyful I'll cast my golden crown
And His dear Name repeat.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: Burke
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 06:27 PM

2. Jesus my all to heaven is gone
(Jesus, the light of the world)
He whom my faith, my hope's upon
(Jesus, the light of the world)


Comes from a John Cennick hymn from 1743

Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone,
He Whom I fix my hopes upon;
His track I see, and I'll pursue
The narrow way, till Him I view.
The way the holy prophets went,
The road that leads from banishment,
The King's highway of holiness,
I'll go, for all His paths are peace.

There are several settings in the
Sacred Harp. Most have a similar structure of couplets and choruses.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 04:41 PM

Well, after getting quite happily lost at that site Q provided, I spent some time with the MIDI for this song. I suspect it MAY have been built out of the musical phrases of a couple of other tunes. If not, there is a definite relationship between this song and at least two other well-known pieces of gospelry.

First, if you slow the MIDI down to about 50% speed, it's about the pace the song has on the CD. Once you do that, you can pick out distinct passages that are Dvorak's familiar Largo (New World Symphony) (also used for the gospel piece, "Goin' Home"). Other passages are parts of "Revive Us Again." That leaves about a third of the song-- the response in the call-response pattern-- unaccounted for.

But if Elderkin (what a name, Elder Kin!) built his arrangement from parts of existing tunes, that would explain a lot, including the lack of composer attribution. (And Elderkin would get the royalties.)

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 02:14 PM

Q, that page also did not appear, but by going here:

www.geocities.com/american_vocalist/songs

I was able to open it from the directory.

The tune is almost identical to what is sung on my CD.... the CD is much slower, like a dance... I see (as you said) it's ARRANGED by Elderkin; still no certainty as to composer.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 02:09 PM

OK-- I should mention that this song also is mentioned by Joe Offer HERE
as appearing in a songbook. Anyone have it?

If so, let's keep posting the info here in this thread.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 02:05 PM

WYSIWYG, I used the location as it showed at the site when I was reading Elderkin's song. Checking google, this was an abbreviated link; the ... is filled in:
http://www.geocities.com/american_vocalist/songs/Jesus_the_light_of_ the_world.htm
That may get it for you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 01:59 PM

Thanks!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 01:43 PM

Hi, this is Rita. The "Hark the Herald" version uses the first couplet of each verse of "Hark..." A friend found it in a 1935 AME hymnal. I heard still a third version, (I think) on the radio and took the verses down in shorthand.

At this very moment I have no idea where those verses are but I'll trace this thread and see if I can find them. It's such a good tune that I suspect it was very natural for people to make up verses.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 01:35 PM

I think the "golden crown" would be the crown (wealth, rewards, etc.) of this world, not the starry crown of the next world... that it's a crown to discard or trade in, not the desired crown...

I'm getting a Page Not Found on that Geocities site, so I can't get the tune (hoping there is one there)... but the tune on this CD could fit those words and make a lovely carol, and we'll use it like that as well.

And from that I can see a lot of other ways to use the tune and the pattern, too....

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 01:15 PM

Lots of "starry crowns," but no golden do I find. Looks like lines from various texts with the response, Jesus, the Light of the world, added.

The title was copyright in 1890 by George D. Elderkin. It is a variation of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Probably not the only copyright; there are several gospel hymns with that title.
There is a list in Cyberhymnal of some 290 hymns composed by Fanny Crosby under her many pseudonyms, but no Jesus, the Light, or Light of the world.

Lyr. Add: JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (2)

Jesus, The Light of the World
Arr. George D. Elderkin

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Jesus, the light of the world;
Glory to the newborn King,
Jesus the Light of the world.

Refrain:
We'll walk in the light, beautiful light,
Come where the dew drops of mercy are bright,
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the Light of the world.

Joyful all ye nations rise,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
Join the triumphs of the skies,
Jesus, the Light of the world.

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Jesus, the Light of the World,
Christ the everlasting Lord,
Jesus, the Light of the world.

Hail! the heaven born Prince of peace,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
Hail! the sun of righteousness,
Jesus, the light of the world.

With midi and sheet music, from "The Finest of the Wheat, part 2," edited by George D. Elderkin, ca. 1895.
http://www.geocities.com/amer...ist/songs/Jesus_the_light_of_the_world.htm
(Not linking because of my problem with the 404 error on Mudcat)

Another with the title (Leader plus response arrangement) is "Jesus, he is the light of the world," at this site:
http://www.grahamkendrick.co.uk/songs/lyrics/jesus_he_is_the.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 12:43 PM

Thanks Bill!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jesus, the Light of the World
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 12:14 PM

we have a local friend who discovered this also...it is a fascinating piece. I will see if her version differs significantly.

Subject: Lyr Add: JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 11:57 AM

On Rounder CD1137, available from CAMSCO:

A Warrior on the Battlefield
a capella Trail Blazers: 1920'2 - 1940's
[Black "Barbershop" Quartets]

From album notes: This unusual 3/4 piece is probably from the blind composer Fanny J. Crosby, who copyrighted the title in 1908. Hmm-- she was a text writer, not a composer, as far as I know. The verses are a call-and-response pattern as in spirituals. I think there are some transcription errors in the lyrics supplied in the liner notes.

~S~
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JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
As recorded by the Bethel Quartet, Sept. 21, 1928
Lyrics as per liner notes

REFRAIN:
Walk in this light, beautiful light
Come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright
Shine all around us by day and by night
Jesus, the light of the world

1. If you've been there when I come through
(Jesus, the light of the world)
Just tell my Lord I'm coming too
(Jesus, the light of the world)

2. Jesus my all to heaven is God
(Jesus, the light of the world)
He whom my faith, my hopes are upon
(Jesus, the light of the world)

3. Upon the Christian fame and doubt
(Jesus, the light of the world)
With joy full I cast my golden crown
(Jesus, the light of the world)


SH

================================================

What I'm hearing, with the aid of Pacemaker software that slows down sound without altering pitch:

1. If you'll been there when I come through
(Jesus, the light of the world)
Just tell my Lord I'm coming too
(Jesus, the light of the world)

2. Jesus my all to heaven is gone
(Jesus, the light of the world)
He whom my faith, my hope's upon
(Jesus, the light of the world)

3. Upon the Christian [unclear] down
(Jesus, the light of the world)
With joyful eye cast my golden crown
(Jesus, the light of the world)

Verse one is clearly a mishearing of the oft-used floating/zipper verse:
If you get there before I do
Just tell my Lord [or, "my friends"] I'm coming too

I think these differences are a combination of Mondegreens heard and reproduced as the song was passed down to the Bethel Quartet, as well as in the transcription of their version for the liner notes. Any sources in spirituals clear these up? In the last verse in particular, what is the golden crown being cast down upon? Might it originally have been the Cross, not "Christian"?

~Susan