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A Charge To Keep I Have/Charge To Keep [Laban S.M.]
Public Domain Old-Time, Bluegrass Gospel by Charles Wesley in 1762, Lowell Mason music 1830; Also adapted as an African-American Spiritual
ARTIST: Charles Wesley words 1762, Lowell Mason music 1830;
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8uV5gmUimQ&feature=related
Marion Williams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZmc_9OcxRk&feature=related
CATEGORY: Traditional Bluegrass Gospel;
DATE: Charles Wesley in 1762, Lowell Mason music 1830; First recorded Wisdom Sisters 1926; Frank Welling's Gospel Singers 1933.
RECORDING INFO: A Charge To Keep I Have [Me III-D32] Wesley/Mason
Wisdom Singers 1926;
Frank Welling's Gospel Singers 1933.
Luella Hatcher of Orrville, near Selma, Alabama 1995
Troy Ramey & The Soul Searchers 2005
OTHER NAMES: "Charge To Keep" "Angel's Message To Me (different chorus)"
SOURCES: Meade; Brown Collection
NOTES: "A Charge To Keep I Have," by Charles Wesley words 1762 and Lowell Mason music 1830, is one of the more popular hymns and may be heard in both Missionary and Primitive Baptist African-American services, and in other events of worship. The first country gospel recording of "A Charge To Keep" was made the Wisdom Sisters on April 23, 1926 for Columbia records in Atlanta Georgia.
An obscure group, the Wisdom Sisters, probably from Georgia — but remembered by
Columbia's chief talent scout of the time, Frank Walker, as being from New York. At one recording session in 1927 Walker remembered that when they played back the recording of the Wisdom Sisters instead of a gospel song they had somehow recorded a broadcast of a baseball game in Dallas, Texas.
The song text is found in the National Baptist Hymn Book #89. The book directs the hymn to be sung to the tune "Boylston," and gives the poetic form to be S. M. or "Short Meter," syllabic form of 6-6-8-6 for each verse.
A Charge to Keep is found in Brown's NC Folklore Collection #580: Under the title 'Carolina,' Jackson DESO 158 reprints a hymn of four stanzas, of which the first corresponds to the following, and says that the hymn appears in Southern and Western Pocket Harmonist, compiled by William Walker, of Spartanburg, S. C, and printed in Philadelphia in 1846. "The text is by Charles Wesley." Under the title 'Kentucky,' the hymn appears in Songs of Zion. A Manual of the Best and Most Popular Hymns and Tunes, for Social and Private Dci-otion (New York, 1851 ), p. no.
Contributed by George D. Harmon, Union Mills, Rutherford county, as from "Uncle Frank"; without date (Mr. Harmon attended the Trinity College Summer School in 1921 and 1922).
A Charge to keep I have,
A God to glo-ri-fy,
A never lying* soul to save
And fit it for the sky.
*This line does not appear in the White ANFS version, Init does appear in the Ellison MS.
A Charge To Keep I Have is found on the CD "Lead me to the Rock"
(Text: Charles Wesley)
(A charge) to keep I have, a God to glorify
A never-to-dying soul to save and fit it for the sky.
To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill
O may it all my power engage to do my Master's will.
From the singing of John and Lovie Griffins; Near Cahaba River, Perry County, Alabama; April 10, 1954. Recorded by Frederic Ramsey, Jr. [Folkways 2656 Music from the South, Vol. 7: Elder Songsters, 2]
A Charge To Keep I Have- Wesley & Mason
A charge to keep I have
A God to glorify
A never-dying soul to save
And fit it for the sky.
To serve the present age
My calling to fulfill
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master's will!
Arm me with jealous care
As in Thy sight to live
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!
Help me to watch and pray
And on Thyself rely
Assured, if I my trust betray
I shall for ever die.
The following song by Rev. Gary Davis uses verses of Charles Wesley's hymn, "A Charge to Keep I Have":
Angel's Message to Me- Reverend Gary Davis
Davis ad libs the chorus parts changing them slightly, usually he holds out the "home" in "I'm going home." See: alternate chorus. Listen on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpPs6xUbHZo&feature=related
Brief Guitar intro
CHORUS: I’m going home to see my Jesus
I’m going home to see my Lord (God knows)
I’m going home to see my Jesus
There's a mansion up there for me. (Repeat Chorus)
Oh----A charge to keep I have
A God to glorify
A never dying soul to save
And fit it for the sky
Chorus 2X
Hey----Arm me with jealous care
And on thyself rely
And surely all my trust betray
I shall forever die
Chorus (Then Alt chorus 2X)
ALT CHORUS: I’m going home................
I’m going home see my Lord
I’m going home..................
There's a mansion up there for me.
Oh---Many times I’m going along
Don’t know what to do or say
I cast my cares to Jesus
And ask him to teach me to pray
Chorus (hold first line as in Alt chorus) 2X
Hey...Moan on sister moan on
Won’t be very long
Will be sitting in glory
Won’t have to weep and moan
Chorus then Alternate Chorus
Hey...If your brother don’t like you
Don’t take his name abroad
Just seal it in your bosom
And carry it to your Lord
LAST CHORUS: I’m going home................
I’m going home see my Lord (I know )
I’m going home to see my Jesus,
Yes I am.
A Charge to Keep- Union Jubilee Quartet (1934-42). This version has a slow intro, a chorus and a vamp section. Here's the chorus:
A charge to keep, to keep I have
A charge to keep, to keep I have
A charge to keep, to keep I have
A God to glorify.
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