Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jun 11 - 11:52 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:26 PM

Not a lot of dialect re-enactors out there, are there?

Now, I DO have a hymnal sponsored, researched, and edited by African Americans for church use, with a foreword by a noted AA musicologist, which INSISTS that the dialect in the spirituals included in the book MUST be followed exactly as written. (We don't follow it, though, in our own music ministry when we use those songs as source material.) It's a pretty recent book in current print with no changes planned as far as I know. I forget which one it is-- and I have others with exactly the opposite viewpoint.

These viewpoints and reasons vary with the times and with the backgrounds of those who opine on the subject. Bottom line, each of us has to decide, best we can.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: Azizi
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:19 PM

Susan,

I suppose you are referring to my comment that

"However, I do think that any individual or group who would sing such songs using that dialect nowadays should know that using such dialectic songs would likely cause a great deal of offense."

-snip-

Perhaps you are right "that stuff posted at Mudcat with dialect intact is not sung that way by 99.99999% of present and potential future Mudcatters."

If so, great.

I suspect that people who are not present or even future Mudcatters also read these threads. If so, my comment is also addressed to that population.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:06 PM

Azizi,

I think you can take it as a given that stuff posted at Mudcat with dialect intact is not sung that way by 99.99999% of present and potential future Mudcatters. I think people are pretty responsible about respecting scholarship without perpetuating stereotypes; if anything I would suspect that most Mudcatters bend over backwards on that point.

~Susan

Subject: Lyr Add: The Morning Trumpet
From: Burke
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 02:59 PM

This seems to me a good example of the free floating choruses and exclamations that were apparently prevalent in the 19th century camp meetings and other revival activities.

The Sacred Harp has an example that uses the Trumpet sound motif as both an interjection in a basic 4 line hymn and then adds a chorus.

Pilgrim Productions has a recording of it.

The Morning Trumpet
85
Tune: B. F. White, 1844
Lyrics: John Leland, 1793
Meter: 7s,6s (7,6,7,6)

Oh when shall I see Jesus,
And reign with Him above,
And shall hear the trumpet sound in the morning?
And from the flowing fountain
Drink everlasting love,
And shall hear the trumpet sound in the morning?

Chorus:

Shout, Oh glory! for I shall mount above the skies,
When I hear the trumpet sound in the morning.

When shall I be delivered
From this vain world of sin,
And shall hear the trumpet sound in the morning?
And with my blessed Jesus,
Drink endless pleasures in,
And shall hear the trumpet sound in the morning?

(Chorus)

But now I am a soldier,
My Captain's gone before;
He's given me my orders,
And bids me ne'er give o'er;

His promises are faithful --
A righteous crown He'll give,
And all His valiant soldiers
Eternally shall live.

Through grace I feel determined
To conquer, though I die,
And then away to Jesus
On wings of love I'll fly;

Farewell to sin and sorrow,
I bid them both adieu!
And, Oh my friends, prove faithful,
And on your way pursue.

Whene'er you meet with troubles,
And trials on your way,
Then cast your care on Jesus,
And don't forget to pray.

Gird on the gospel armor
Of faith, and hope, and love,
And when the combat's ended,
He'll carry you above.

Oh do not be discouraged,
For Jesus is your Friend;
And if you lack for knowledge,
He'll not refuse to lend.

Neither will He upbraid you,
Though often you request,
He'll give you grace to conquer,
And take you home to rest.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 05:19 PM

Q, I recognize that your purpose is to share & study examples of and information about folk songs in the manner that they were collected. The fact that you do so as a researcher and not as a performer is understandable. I too am interested in sharing and studying folk songs from 19th century Southern Americans. I usually edit these examples to reduce their dialectic content. However, I'm not asking you to do this. Indeed, I can see the merit of retaining for the record the original phrasing.

I accept your point that "Much of it [this dialect] can be found in UK dialects of the past." However, no matter where this dialect originated, it has come to be associated-in a demeaning if not racist way-with 19th century Southern African Americans. My purpose is to point out that there is at the very least room to doubt the authenticity of the dialect of these songs.

My purpose is also to share my strong belief that it would be highly offensive to African Americans-if not to other people-for performers to publicly sing these dialectic, minstrel songs in the way they are posted here for non-research reasons, such as entertainment.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 03:55 PM

The odd part is that the 'dialect' of the minstrel incorporates much of white immigrant country or regional, dialect, better known to the white performers than the black dialects. Much of it can be found in UK dialects of the past.
Gwine, often excoriated, came from England, esp. Sussex but also Isle of Wight.
The slaves, who had to learn English to communicate, picked it up from overseers and people they came in contact with on the plantations, delivering the products of the plantation to market, dock, etc.- not the plantation owners.
They picked up usages and accents of the less well-educated, often fairly recent immigrants.
These words have something to teach us, but often it is not what seems 'obvious'.

Wackipedia, as noted in Mudcat by other posters than myself, lacks peer review or basis in research. It has the value of trash blowing in the wind.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 03:30 PM

Can I just interrupt long enough to say that I see an outstanding example of easily-findable and well-documented material in this thread, posted in a totally usable form whether for scholarly interest or use by a musician. Long, LONG ago I wrote in the Spirituals Permathread:

The goal of this [spirituals] index is to make it easier to search for information about individual songs from the widely-defined "Negro Spirituals" tradition. This means that even when there is doubt as to the "authentic" nature of a specific song, the song will be listed in this index.

In other words, being listed here does not mean that diligent scholarship has ensured that any specific song is a "spiritual" in whatever sense any one individual might mean the term... it means, "Here is a place where we can look up titles we know or run across, and see what others have said, and add what we know-- or ask questions."

The scholarship will be in the THREADS, not in this index... the index is merely a means of facilitating our continued study.

And this thread is exactly what I envisioned back then-- fulfilled. It makes maintaining the permathread not only a pleasure, but a real joy.

GO, TEAM!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 03:21 PM

Having said that, I don't believe that you mean to cause any offense, Q.

However, I do think that any individual or group who would sing such songs using that dialect nowadays should know that using such dialectic songs would likely cause a great deal of offense.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual)
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 03:17 PM

With regard to the use of dialect in spirituals and in minstrel song such as "BLOW GABRIEL BLOW" posted above, I believe that it's important to note that these songs are written in what http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show terms "pseudo-black dialect".

Subject: Lyr. Add: Blow Gabriel Blow (Cole Porter)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Jan 07 - 02:45 PM

Secular variations have been asked for in the past; Gabriel and his trumpet have attracted a variety of songs.

The potent earworm, "Blow Gabriel Blow," by Cole Porter, from his hit "Anything Goes," has re-infected me. Looking for details on the song, I found a 'plantation' (minstrel) song. Cole Porter's song is original, but points of form suggest that he knew the older one. Only the first part, sheet music and text at Levy Sheet Music.

BLOW GABRIEL BLOW
C. Frank Horn, 1889

1.
Oh someone has tol' me dat Gabriel am here,
An' we'll hear his trumpet berry soon,
If dat am de case den de time is near
Fo' to go up higher, higher, higher,
Millions ob miles past de moon.

Den we'll hear his trumpet berry soon,...
(line changes with each verse)

Blow Gabr'el blow yo' trumpet, wid all yo' might,
Fo' my long white robe am ready fo' de mawnin',
But I'll put it on tonight...

Chorus:
Git on....
Yo' robe....
Git yo' long white robe all ready,
For you must not delay,
Git on...
Yo' robe...
For Gabriel blows his trumpet at de dawn ob day.
Git on yo' long white robe,
For Gabriel blows his trumpet at de dawn ob day.

(The last verse says "De Baptis' and Mefodis' will all go along to swell the mighty strain,")

Lyr. Add: BLOW GABRIEL BLOW
Cole Porter, 1934, "Anything Goes"

(spoken)
There's a good lesson for ya, sinners!
Search your hearts!
Sign off with Satan and tune in with heaven!
Where will you stand on the day of glory?

Do you hear that playin'?
(Yes, we hear that playin',)
Do you know who's playin'?
(No, who is that playin'?)

Well, it's Gabriel, Gabriel playin'!
Gabriel, Gabriel sayin'
"Will you be ready to go
When I blow my horn?"

Blow, Gabriel, blow,
Come on and blow, Gabriel, blow.
I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp,
But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp,
So blow, Gabriel, blow.

Oh, I was low, Gabriel, low.
But now that I've seen the light
I'm good by day and good by night
So blow, Gabriel, blow.

Once I was headed for Hell
Once I was headed for Hell!
But when I got to Satan's door,
I heard you blow on your horn once more,
So I said, "Satan, farewell!"

And now I'm all ready to fly
Yes to fly higher and higher.
'Cause I've gone through brimstone
And I've been through the fire
And I purged my soul
And my heart too
So climb up the mountaintop-

And start to blow, Gabriel, blow,
Come on and blow, Gabriel, blow
I wanna join your happy band
Play all day in the Promised Land
So blow, Gabriel, blow!

Get up you scamps, get up you sinners!
Get up on your feet and sing!

Blow, Gabriel, blow (Blow, Gabriel!)
Come on and blow, Gabriel blow (Blow, Gabriel!)
I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp,
But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp,
So blow, Gabriel, blow!

Oh I was low, Gabriel, low (Low Gabriel!)
Mighty low, Gabriel, low.
But now that I have seen the light
I'm good by day and I'm good by night
So blow, Gabriel, blow!

Once I was headed for Hell.
Once I was headed for Hell!
But when I got to Satan's door,
I heard you blowin' on your horn once more
So I said, "Satan, farewell."

Satan, you stay away from me,
'Cause you ain't the man I wanna see!
I'm gonna be good as the day I was born
'Cause I heard that man on the horn-
Do ya hear 'im?

Blow, Gabe, Gabriel! (5x)
Blow, blow, blow, blow!
Blow that horn, Gabriel (5x)
Blow, blow, blow, blow!
Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel!
Blow etc.

I wish I had the original Ethel Merman (1934). Sheet music under copyright.
From 1962 Eileen Rodgers, helped by lyrics site: www.lyricsdownload.com/porter-cole-blow-gabriel-blow-lyrics.html

Subject: Lyr. Add: Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 10:18 PM

Surprised I couldn't find "Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel," which appears in Allen, 1867, and a fine arrangement for low voice in "Seventy Negro Spirituals," 1926, William Arms Fisher.

Lyr. Add: BLOW YOUR TRUMPET, GABRIEL

De talles' tree in Paradise,
De Christian call de tree of life;
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To de new Jerusalem.
Blow your trumpet, Gabriel,
Blow louder, louder;
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To de new Jerusalem.
2.
Paul and Silas, bound in jail,
Sing God's praise both night and day;
And I hope, etc.

As sung Port Royal Islands. Variant from Virginia:

2.
Paul and Silas, bound in jail,
Christians pray both night and day.
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To my new Jerusalem.
So blow de trumpet, Gabriel,
Blow de trumpet louder,
And I hope dat trump might blow me home
To my new Jerusalem.

Score provided for both variants. Allen, William Francis, "Slave Songs of the United States," 1867, no. 4, p. 3.
http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/allen/allen.html

Lyr. Add: BLOW YOUR TRUMPET, GABRIEL
Arr. G. A. Grant-Schaefer, 1926

De talles' tree in Paradise,
De Christian call de tree of life,
An' I hope dat trump will blow me home
To my New Jerusalem.
De talles' tree in Paradise,
De Christian call de tree of life,
An' I hope dat trump will blow me home
To my New Jerusalem.

So blow de trumpet, Gabriel,
Blow de trumpet,
An' I hope dat trump will blow me home
To my New Jerusalem.

O Paul and Silas, bound in jail,
Sing God's praises night and day,
An' I hope dat trump will blow me home
To my New Jerusalem.
O Paul and Silas, bound in jail,
Sing God's praises night and day,
An' I hope dat trump will blow me home
To my New Jerusalem-

So blow de trumpet, Gabriel,
Blow de trumpet,
An' I hope dat trump will blow me home
To my New Jerusalem.

Pp. 8-11, full score for low voice. Edit. William Arms Fisher, "Seventy Negro Spirituals," Oliver Ditson Company, 1926.

Not in "African-American Heritage Hymnal," GIA Publ., Gen. Ed., Dolores Carpenter, 2001. Not in Cleveland and Nix, "Songs of Zion," Abingdon Press, 1981.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: In-a That Morning
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 07:21 PM

IN-A THAT MORNING

You can bury me in the East,
You may bury me in the West
But I'll hear that trumpet sound
In-a that morning my Lord,
How I long to go
For to hear the trumpet sound
In-a that morning.

Good old Christians in that day,
They'll take wings and fly a-way
For to hear the trumpet sound
In-a that morning my Lord,
How I long to go
For to hear the trumpet sound
In-a that morning.

-snip-

Source: "I'm Going To Sing": Black American Spirituals Vol #2" {Ashley Brown, editor; New York, Atheneum, 1982, p. 9]

A musical score is included in this book for each song

This version seems to be very similar to "In The Morning" posted by Q above at 15 Mar 05 - 01:08 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual_
From: Azizi
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 10:41 AM

Thread drift-Correction

The Kanye West words are different than the song I have heard sung..

I guess even a little bit of word tweaking would be enough for him to take credit as the composer of that song {??}

Q, it's interesting that "I'll Fly Away" is also a great favorite of White gospel singers. Are you aware whether this song is particularly sung at funerals? That seems to be the ONLY time that I've heard it sung in Black churches..But then again, I'm not a frequent church goer anymore.

And I wouldn't be surprised to find out that few African Americans know that this song was composed by a White man. Well, there are quite a few religious songs composed by non-African Americans that we've embraced & sing in our own ways and for our own purposes.

IMO, this is another example of music making the whole world kin.

Subject: Lyr Add: IN THE MORNING
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 01:08 AM

Lyr. Add: IN THE MORNING

In de mornin',
In de mornin'.
Chil'en? Yes, my Lord!
Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

If I had a-died when I was young,
I never would had de race for run.
Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

O Sam and Peter was fishin' in de sea,
And dey drop de net and follow my Lord.
Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

Dere's a silver spade for to dig my grave
And a golden chain for to let me down.
Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

In de mornin',
In de mornin',
Chil'en? Yes, my Lord!
Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

T. W. Higginson, "Negro Spirituals, Atlantic Monthly, June 1867.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/TWH/Higg.html
Higginson

Another 19th c. spiritual with the words "hear the trumpet sound."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual_
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 12:37 AM

Not the thread for it, but hear Ollie Gilbert sing "I'll Fly Away" in the Max Hunter Collection: I'll Fly Away

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual_
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 12:28 AM

Albert E. Brumley is credited with composing "I'll Fly Away." See thread 40489 and the DT. Brumley
The song is a great favorite of white gospel singers. It was copyright in 1932 by Brumley; see post by Joe in thread 7414: I'll Fly Away

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual_
From: Azizi
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 11:45 PM

FYI: I have read in a number of books that early on, enslaved African Americans had a belief that when they died their spirit would take wings and fly back to their African homeland [as they became more Christianized, the belief may have changed to this return to African was made before the spirit went up to heaven].

Consequently there are a number of lyrics in spirituals about "flying away"..

I'm wondering if the featured song in this thread [which is new to me] is in any way related to "I'll Fly Away".

I suppose "I'll Fly Away" is a Gospel song and not a spiritual [but frankly, at some point the line between spiritual and gospel is quite blurry..so IMO it's a toss up which category a song is placed in...

At any rate, in my experience "I'll Fly Away", is THE song that is sung the most often at African American funerals..The song has a moderate tempo and its words are a celebration of the 'homegoing' of the loved one...However, everytime this song is sung-usually after the pastor's remarks and right before the end of the funeral service, most of the people in attendance are crying.

This song is not in the Mudcat African American Spiritual PermaThread. [as I said earlier I'm not sure if it's a spiritual or not..]

Here are the words:

Some glad morning when this life is over,
I'll fly away.
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory,
I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.

When the shadows of this life have flown,
I'll fly away.
Like a bird thrown, driven by the storm,
I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory,
I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.

Just a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away.
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory,
I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.
****

Incidently, Kanye West, a noted hip-hop artist had a recent serious brush with death. As a result of that experience, he has recorded an album entitled "College Dropout" that includes "I'll Fly Away" and other songs that explore the meaning of life. And I applaud him for doing so.

I've not heard the this recording..But from the web site that I visited, it appears that "I'll Fly Away" is credited to West and not listed as traditional. The words appear to be the same. Maybe the tune is slightly different. Who knows??!

Here is the link if your interested in other songs on that album.
Kanye West Album

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual_
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 11:04 PM

Indexd now under that title as well. It really helps when you guys can post about these updates in the permathread-- I don't know how many I have missed. I am not here as much as before. I hope to get the index updated very soon, so if there are some you have posted that are not listed in the permathread posts, please add them ASAP.

Thanks,

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual_
From: masato sakurai
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 10:41 PM

Sometimes titled "You May Bury Me in the East," as in Johnson & Johnson, The Book of American Negro Spirituals, vol. 1, pp. 181-82 ["You May Bury Me in de Eas'" ].

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll hear the Trumpet Sound (spiritual_
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 10:02 PM

Indexed.

~S~

Subject: Lyr Add: I'LL HEAR THE TRUMPET SOUND (spiritual)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 05:47 PM

This spiritual is in the DT, song id 2954, copied from Lloyd and de Ramon y Rivera, p. 95, Folk Songs of the Americas, 1965, Novello and Co., London. This printing lacks an instruction found in both "Negro Spirituals, or the Songs of the Jubilee Singers," No. 11, and in G. C. Noble, "The Most Popular Plantation Songs," 1911, Hinds, Noble and Eldridge, NY, p. 83.
In thread 52566, an article on the Fisk Jubilee Singers in the "American Heritage" magazine, 2000, parts quoted by Wilco48 in thread 52566: Fisk Singers , says George L. White, Civil War veteran, song collector and first director of the Fisk Singers, collected "I'll Hear the Trumpet Souns" from Jennie Jackson, a former slave.
Published verses are similar in content. Are there any variants?

The missing direction reads: "Repeat the music of the first strain for all of the verses but the first." Only the first two verses are given completely below, to show how the parts of this repetitive spiritual fit (camp-meeting song?).

Lyr. Add: I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound

First strain:
You may bury me in the East,
You may bury me in the West,
But I'll hear that trumpet sound
In that morning.

1. Father Gabriel in that day
He'll take wings and fly away,
For to hear the trumpet sound
In that morning.
You may bury him in the East,
You may bury him in the West;
But he'll hear the trumpet sound
In that morning.

Chorus:
In that morning, my Lord,
How I long to go,
For to hear the trumpet sound
In that morning.

2. Good old Christians in that day,
They'll take wings and fly away,
For to hear the trumpet sound
In that morning.
You may bury them in the east,
You may bury them in the West;
But they'll hear the trumpet sound
In that morning.

You may bury me in the East,
You may bury me in the West;
But I'll hear the trumpet sound
In that morning.

Chorus:
In that morning, my Lord,
How I long to go,
For to hear the trumpet sound
In that morning.

3. Good old preachers in that day,
They'll take wings and fly away, etc.

First strain and chorus:

4. In that dreadful judgement day,
I'll take wings and fly away, etc.

First strain and chorus:

Other 19th c. spirituals with mention of the trumpet are "In the Morning" (Higginson) and "Where Shall I Be When de Firs' Trumpet Soun'?" Neither one seems to be in the DT or threads.