Lyr/Tune Add: As Jacob with Travel Was Weary

Subject: Lyr Add: As Jacob with travel was weary
From: Haruo
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 09:37 PM

This is given in The Worshiping Church (Hope Pub., 1990) as "traditional English carol, c. 18th C.". It's not in the New Oxford Book of Carols, and I don't have my old OBC at hand to check it. The tune is usually called "Jacob's Ladder", although that invites confusion with the American spiritual, with which it has nothing in common, so I prefer to call it "Ladder of Mercy".

As Jacob with travel was weary one day
Anonymous English carol

As Jacob with travel was weary one day,
at night on a stone for a pillow he lay;
he saw in a vision a ladder so high,
that its foot was on earth and its top in the sky:

     Refrain:
Alleluia to Jesus, who did on the tree
and has raised up a ladder of mercy for me,
and has raised up a ladder of mercy for me.

The ladder is long, it is strong and well-made,
has stood hundreds of years and is not yet decayed;
many millions have climbed it and reached Zion's hill,
many millions by faith now are climbing it still.

Come, let us ascend! All may climb it who will,
for the angels of Jacob are guarding it still;
and remember, each step that by faith we pass o'er,
many prophets and martyrs have trod it before:

And when we arrive at the haven of rest,
we shall hear the glad words, "Come to me, all the blest,
here are regions of light, here are mansions of bliss."
Who would not want to climb such a ladder as this?

I see no sign of it in the DT, but it's called traditional or anonymous wherever I've found it.

Haruo

Subject: Tune ADD: Ladder of Mercy
From: Haruo
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 09:53 PM

Here's the tune (aka Jacob's Ladder):

MIDI file: Ladderom.mid

Timebase: 192

Name: Ladder of Mercy
Text: By anonima angla karolo
Copyright: laý TWC, 18a jc.
Tempo: 104 (576923 microsec/crotchet)
Key: F
TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Start
0000 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 70 110 0160 0 70 000 0032 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 70 110 0160 0 70 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the latest version of MIDItext and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Ladder of Mercy
M:4/4
Q:1/4=104
K:F
C2F2FFFA|GFG2GGGB|AGF2FFFA|GFG2CCC2|ABc2cdc2|
GGB2BBB2|ABc2cdcA|BGF2FFF2|CCF2FFFA|GFG2GGGB|
AGF2FFFA|GFG2CCC2|ABcc2cdc|ABGF2FFF|-F3/4||

Subject: RE: As Jacob with travel was weary
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 10:16 PM

It (as "Jacob's Ladder") is in The Oxford Book of Carols (1928 edition), No. 58 (pp. 120-121), with this note:

This ("Jacob's Ladder") is apparently a carol to which new words were fitted under the influence of the Methodist revival. It is printed here with its traditional melody, which Stainer made familiar in 1871.

~Masato

Subject: RE: As Jacob with travel was weary
From: Haruo
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 11:21 PM

Thanks, Masato. Is the OBC tune substantially the one I MID2TXTed?

Incidentally, I have found it online described as a Christmas carol. Is there any evidence it has ever so been used, or is this just the result of somebody not realizing (or not believing) that there can be any other kinds of carols?

Also, anybody know what text(s) used this tune before the Methodists got hold of it?

Haruo

Subject: RE: As Jacob with travel was weary
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 12:42 AM

Substantially the same, though it begings like this:

M: 2/4
C|F2FF|FAGF|G2GG|GBAG|F2FF|FAGF|...

~Masato