Lyr Add: Crismus / Christmas(slavery-era spiritual

Subject: Lyr Add: Christmas Song - Slavery Times
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 30 Dec 02 - 04:08 PM

Lyr. Add: CRISMUS (Christmas)

Come de Crismus morn
Heah de Crismus bell
A ringin' u-ooo, u-ooo-o
A ringin' u-ooo, u-ooo-o

Chillen open de doah
Let in de Crismus morn
A singin' u-ooo, u-ooo-o
A singin' u-ooo, u-ooo-o

Heah de Crismus Spirit
A callin' on de wind
A callin' u-ooo, u-ooo-o-o-o
A callin' u-ooo, u-ooo-o-o-o

See de Crismus Spirit
A ridin' en de cloud
A ridin' u-ooo, u-ooo, u-o-u-o-u-o-u
A ridin' u-ooo, u,ooo, u-o-u-o-u-o-u

"At the end of each verse the repetition grew more prolonged as I have endeavored to show. It was almost a wail, but was rather musical and quite interesting" (interviewer Barbara D. Darsey). Sung by ex-slave, Ella (Mother) Lassiter, 1940, Sebring, FL, WPA Writers Project of Florida. From American Memory (enter Ella Lassiter in Search for her story).

Negro songs of the slavery era are few, most of their songs cannot be traced back that far. The few songs collected from Ella Lassiter are valuable for that reason.

Another Christmas song sung by her can be heard (audio) on American Memory, Florida Folklife (enter Ella Lassiter in Search). I can't make out the words, but someone better attuned to the dialect may.

I will enter the songs from her biography, but help is needed for the three audio songs- Christmas Song, Virginia Reel, and Lament (a variant of "Motherless Child."