CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

December 10, 2006

25424 Aldine-Westfield, Spring, TX.  77373

www.geocities.com/adon77373/cypresswoodbulletin.htm

KEEP PRAYING FOR:

Our congregation                                                                 Various friends, relatives and co-workers

Our nation, leaders and military                                         Leon in the Army

Our students

NEGRO SPIRITUALS AND FOLK SONGS

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

Someone I recently read said that there have been between four and five thousand Christmas songs written over the years.  They come in all forms and styles from chants and carols to rock and roll.  Many have stories behind them, others come from the heart in love for the Savior.  Some are mysterious, the words and music coming from unknown sources.  Many have done research into the more familiar carols, those we hear from time to time. 

Some songs stick with you over the years.  One that I particularly like is a song called Rise Up Shepherd And Follow.  I first heard it sung by a fellow named John Gary on a sixty series of Christmas music by Firestone.  While there are several versions of this song, these are the most familiar to me.

                There’s a star in the East on Christmas morn

                Rise up shepherds and follow.

                It will lead to the place where the Savior’s born

                Rise up shepherds and follow.

                Follow, follow, rise up shepherd, and follow,

                Follow the Star of Bethlehem,

                Rise up, shepherd, and follow.

                If you take good heed to the angel’s words,

                Rise up shepherd, and follow.

                You’ll forget your flocks, you’ll forget your herds,

                Rise up, shepherd, and follow.

This is one of those old Negro spirituals.  Sometime after the Civil War (or War of Northern Aggression for some of you), several people made an effort to collect these songs for all to remember.  Since then, many have sung them including some of my favorite folk singers.  These songs came from sermons heard in various churches in the South.  As one can see from the above, it often mixed events together, though that was not uncommon in a number of carols (1).  They were often a mixture of African and American folk music.  The tribal sounds mixed with the American cultured introduced this new sound.  They were often songs of hope with themes from Moses and the Exodus (2).  Sweet Little Jesus Boy is one of several you might hear.

Another theme is to remember events in scripture.  One song that captures this is Children Go Where I Send Thee.  It could have anywhere from eight to twelve rounds similar to The Twelve Days of Christmas.  It begins by a statement, a question, and an answer.

                Children go where I send thee

                How shall I send thee?

                I’m gonna send thee one by one

                One for the Little Bitty Baby

                Who was born, born, born in Bethlehem.

This was followed by the following rounds,

                Two for Paul and Silas (or one version has Joseph and Mary).

                Three for the Hebrew children

                Four for the four who stood at the door (the four Gospels)

                Five for the Gospel preachers…etc.

This song was a way to remember the stories heard in church.  The slaves would go back to the fields to put tunes to them and learn and sing as they worked.  Each verse had a meaning, though there are several different versions of the song.  Peter, Paul and Mary have a ten verse version on their Christmas album.

One of the most famous of the Negro Spirituals is Go Tell It On The Mountain.  Again, there are a number of version of this song.  It has often been seen as a mission song.

                Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere

                go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!

Many artists have sung these songs, and among my favorites are the folk singers of the late fifties and early sixties.  While there were quite a few folk groups, only a few produced Christmas albums (3).  They put their own spin on the songs, capturing the simplicity of the music with their own twists.  But it isn’t just the old Negro spirituals that they emphasized.  I was listening to The New Christy Minstrels when one song really caught my attention.  It’s a French carol with powerful words.  Called II Est Ne, it means “He is born.”  While there are several versions of this song, here are the words generally used (4).

                He is born, the holy Child, Play the oboe and bagpipes merrily

                He is born, the holy Child, sing we all of the Savior mild.

                Through long ages of the past,, Prophets have foretold His coming;

                Through long ages of the past, Now the time has come at last!

                O how lovely, O how pure  Is this perfect Child of heaven;

                O how lovely, O how pure  Gracious gift to humankind!

                Jesus, Lord of all the world, Coming as a Child among us,

                Jesus, Lord of all the world, Grant to us Thy heavenly peace.

The New Christy Minstrels version has it this way:

                Ages long since are past and gone  When the wise men foretold his coming         

                Ages long since are past and gone  Noel, Noel, and let us sing.

                He was born in a stable bare  On bed of straw now he sleeps so solemnly

                He was born in a stable bare  Bow in homage before him now.

It is a beautiful song with a wonderful tune.  The most famous of the folk songs that we are familiar with is What Child Is This, sang to the tune of Greensleeves.   While the origins of the words are unknown, it is believed to have come out of England.  Again, it has become very popular to sing by various artists and certainly in the assembly during this time of year. 

Coming back to America, one other song has come out of the Appalachian Mountain area, though I’m sure there are others.  It was first heard by a fellow in a small western North Carolina town being sung by a little girl.  When asked how she learned it, she told the fellow that she learned it from her mother and grandmother.  It is called I Wonder As I Wander.  The song wonders about why Jesus came.

Each of these songs fine significance in the birth of Jesus and beyond; the hope that is found in His coming.  Like Moses who came with a message from God to deliver His people from bondage, so Jesus came to deliver us from sin and bring us into the redemptive fellowship.  While sometimes mixing Biblical events, they still tell a story that was important to the people of their day, and to ours.  Enjoy them and many of the others as they talk about God’s coming and its importance.

                                                                                                                                George B. Mearns

(1) The First Noel does this as it tells the story of the birth of Christ.  There are seven or eight verses and it helps to have them all to understand this particular carol.

(2) Ace Collins, More Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs Of Christmas, Zondervan, 2006.

(3) Peter, Paul and Mary, The Kingston Trio, The Seekers, and The Brother Four all produced a Christmas album.  The New Christy Minstrels produced two in the sixties and one in 2006.

(4) Since researching this song, I have found it in a Christmas carol book and several other places.