Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 05 Feb 23 - 01:18 AM

Bingo! We have a winner...

“BLACK RODE THE WIND; w Bonnie Becker*, m John Cacavas, female voices (S.S.A.) New York, Skidmore Music Co. Score 15 p., (Skidmore choral library, SK3020) NM: arr © Skidmore Music Co, Inc.; 25May64; EP188225”
Note: EP18824, Skidmore SK 1005, same for male voices (T.T.B.B.)
Black Rode the Wind

John Harry Cacavas (1930-2014)
John Cacavas

*Now Bonnie Cacavas & also very likely double listed on Discogs as Bonnie L. Becker as well. John Cacavas passed in 2014. No mention of a Bonnie Cacavas or Becker at his wiki but see far-right in the photo here...
Cinematic Arts Library adds the music of composer John Cacavas

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Choir member, alto, 1965-1970, Hinds County,
Date: 04 Feb 23 - 11:09 PM

I remember the title being "Black Rode the Wind" What other competition pieces do you all remember from that time?

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Choir member, alto, 1965-1970, Hinds County,
Date: 04 Feb 23 - 10:20 PM

Yes, that is the song. It was one we all worked on for competition. My choir from a small country school did well. We always received all 1's. We were pretty good. I think this choir butchered it. Too fast, not melancholy as it should be, and can't understand the words. It seems we all have an ear worm from that one. I'll never forget the tune and the feeling we all had singing it.

Thank you very much for sharing. I couldn't remember all the words. And yes, my class should have had our 50th reunion in 2020. But, somebody shut down all happiness. Had something to do with a virus.

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Sradtke
Date: 10 Oct 22 - 10:56 PM

This is the song, albeit in a bizarrely fast arrangement compared to how I sang it back it the 60's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uRrJFofOtE

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,MickeyD
Date: 18 Mar 21 - 10:41 PM

Yep, I remember it so well...high school choir in 1967. What a mystery! We had a wonderful accompanist...she might know. I'll ask.

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST
Date: 27 May 18 - 12:14 AM

Rendition of On a big black horse he came riding into town

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST
Date: 26 May 18 - 11:34 PM

Found this song on my high school choir tape from 1975, but didn't write the title down on the tape!.   The fact that this song does not exist anywhere anymore makes me think it must of run into some kind of rights problem.

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 17 - 11:28 PM

I am a retired high school choral teacher, and I searched for this song throughout my teaching career. I sang it with the "Collegiate Singers" at Albany [Georgia] Junior College (now Darton University) in 1976 or1977. I would LOVe to find a copy of this beautifully haunting piece...

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Don Bowman
Date: 03 Dec 16 - 12:09 AM

Around 1962-4 we sang something I believe was called:

CRY OH WINDS and it went something like this:

On a big black horse he can riding into town
On a big black horse rode he.
He talked of love with a smile upon his lips.
And he talked of live to me - talked to meeee.

Cry on winds that morn for me.
Cry with tears of rain for me.
With love and song he played a game.
My empty blackness I'm afraid to name.
O-o-o O-o-o O-o-o

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,singdown
Date: 30 May 16 - 10:37 PM

Original post author here again... doing my every couple of years check-in for new info. Anita, of 20 April 16, do you know how to contact your choir teacher Shirley Wilkinson, if she is still alive? Did a search on her but can't find anything after 1991.

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Anita L
Date: 20 Apr 16 - 12:26 AM

We sang this at my high school in the ninth late 1970s. Tried to find it online tonight and found this thread. Like most of you I have never forgotten this song. Only our boys in the choir sing it Four competitions and they always got a one, the top score. They always sang about she... on a big black horse she came riding into town... my choir teachers name was Shirley Wilkinson comma Louisville Kentucky, West Port High School

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Janejane
Date: 21 Nov 15 - 01:05 AM

I have never forgotten this song. We sang it in choir in 74-75 time frame ( I think) at Martin High School in Martin MI, I have always wanted to know the author and full lyrics. Our music was Mrs. Helen Gambee and she was amazing! G

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Tlyna
Date: 15 Sep 14 - 02:06 PM

I remember singing this in choir back in 1968 at Pontiac Northern High School. I have frequently thought of it and wished to find the song but although I remembered some of the words and part of the music I have no clue as to the author or name of the song. I was just thinking of it again today and tried to Google it (sighing) Sadly this is the only link that came up that was accurate. Hope someday it shows up.

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,singdown
Date: 05 Sep 14 - 12:11 AM

I'm the author of the original post in this thread back in 2005. Every year or so I check back and so delighted when I find a new contribution! Carol, you have nailed the lyrics. How do you remember all that and not the title??? How is it possible that after all this time, no one has posted this song on the net? It still gets no hits.

Keep 'em coming folks. Every new post is a piece of the puzzle : )

Note to Diana Strassman of the May 20, 2012 post: was your choir teacher at East Lansing High school Miss Mary Alice Powell?

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,carol
Date: 25 Mar 14 - 03:58 PM

On a big black horse he came riding into town,
On a big black horse road he.
He talked of love with a smile upon his lips,
He talked of love to me.

CHORUS: Cry, oh wind, and mourn for me,
Cry with tears of rain for me,
With love and smiles he played a game,
This empty darkness I am afraid to name.
I saw him smile in the brightness of the moon,
But the smile was not for me.
I saw him fall in the middle of the road,
A gun wound to his head.
A gift of death I have given to my love,
Whoaa, oh,oh,oh, .....dead.
Return to chorus.

Song had bass,alto, tenor, 2nd soprano, soprano solo. Only song we sang for regionals with only 3 to 4 people in each group. Only had one soprano and 1 bass in our small choir, lol. I hummed my 2nd soprano part mostly, as it consisted of oh, whoa, and ooooo mostly. Only soprano had all the words. Don't remember the title either.

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Apr 13 - 09:24 AM

I tried to track down the song called WEEP, O WILLOW mentioned by Guest,Nancy above.

WorldCat.org reports that several college and university libraries have the sheet music, described thus:

WEEP, O WILLOW : for mixed voices
arranged by Sven Lekberg
Evanston, Ill. : Summy-Birchard, ©1957.
SSAATTBB and S solo.
Piano for rehearsal only.

The only recordings available seem to be by various high-school and college choirs.

Several performances are viewable on YouTube.

After listening to one of them, I conclude it is NOT the song we are looking for. It would be hard to transcribe, but I'm pretty sure there is no mention of a horse.

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,darren
Date: 21 Apr 13 - 06:05 PM

I recall singing it but it was "she" Maybe I mis-recall...?

Subject: RE: Req: On a big black horse he came riding into town
From: GUEST,Eric
Date: 12 Jan 13 - 11:34 PM

I don't think it's called "Weep, O Willow". I think that one goes something like:

    O I am sad, my heart is weeping,
    And I long for the only boy I love,

Something like that.

I'd really like to find the one about the rider on the big black horse! It's been bugging me for decades!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a big black horse he came riding into
From: GUEST,Nancy
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 10:52 PM

I also would like to find this info. I sang this in high school in the late 60's. I seem to remember it being called Weep, O Willow but can't find anything on Google wither.

On a big black horse he came riding into town,
On a big black horse rode he,
He talked of love with a smile upon lips,
He talked of love to me.
O-o-o-o-o, he talked of love to me.

?????
I saw his smile in the brightness of the moon,
But the smile was not for me,
o-o-o-o-o, but the smile was not for me.

I saw him fall in the middle of the road,
A gun wound in his head.
??????
O,o,o, my love is dead

That's all I can remember.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a big black horse he came riding into
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 20 May 12 - 09:38 AM

The schools that sang it (the ones mentioned) should be having 40th or 50th alumni reunions in a few years. A good bet for at least finding what title was on the music would be to go to a reunion and try to pry memories out of a few classmantes, especially ones who were in the choir.

Many schools have about a three or four year spread of classes, so if you were there at the same time as others 3 - 4 years older and others 3 - 4 years younger, you should be able check "classes of xxxx" over up to an 8 year or so span with at least a possibility of getting a "name" you recognize who might respond, especially if you can claim a common interest other than "just being there."

For the ones approaching the half-century reunions you may find that most of your classmates have fabricated most of the "memories" they'll be willing to talk about out of wishful thinking and/or hallucinations since they don't really remember much of anything that far back very accurately**, but some of the more recent ones might still have a glimmer of recollection.

Or you might try a few of the plethora of "alumni websites" where it's possible you could find an old classmate still functional enough to exchange email or at least post messages on a site, without having to muscle up or pretty your hair so you'll look good enough to actually show yourself off at a big to-do. (I'd warn that most such websites are basically "dysfunctional" but putting the school name in a search might get a lucky hit - and dysfuncitonal people sometimes have excellent memories.)

Many of those sites are "free," sometimes just for a "trial period" and some others have a range of memberships with zero to "some amount" in "dues." Posting the fragment you remember, without even asking the question, might prompt someone who remembers the song to post a comment, then you'd have your fish and just need to set the hook.

** at that age, we should learn to not really insist that the way we remember things is more accurate than what others remember. They might think we're ones who've been hallucinating if we're too insistent. (And "I really had the hots for you" probably isn't a very good lead in, even if the academy wasn't an all-male or all-female one.)

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a big black horse he came riding into
From: GUEST,Diana Strassmann
Date: 20 May 12 - 12:05 AM

I sand this in choir at East Lansing High School. Would also like the lyrics and author.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a big black horse he came riding into
From: GUEST,Tina Herring
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 05:47 PM

I saw him riding ipn the dark of night. In the dark of the night rode he. I cant remember anything else. I sang this at Glynn Academy (Brunswick,GA) 1967.
i

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a big black horse he came riding i
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Nov 10 - 02:13 PM

Someone is looking for the same song in another forum.

They quote the same lyrics with some small differences:

On a big black horse he came riding into town,
On a big black horse rode he.
He spoke of love with a smile upon his face.
He spoke of love to me.

That's all I could find.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a big black horse he came riding into
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 10:22 PM

I think I sang that in a choir in 1972, @ Center Grove High School. The bass part was "voom. voom." It was in a minor key & that song has stuck with me all those years ...   I can't find anything more about it either though ...

Subject: Lyr Req: On a big black horse he came riding into
From: GUEST,singdown
Date: 21 Mar 05 - 11:11 AM

Looking for information about a song I sang in choir about 1972. Google gets no hits. Looking for sheet music (SATB?) and complete lyrics (and title/composer). First verse goes: "On a big black horse he came riding into town, on a big black horse rode he (rode he), he talked of love with a smile upon his lips, he talked of love to me"

Anyone know what that is and where I can find it?