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Bower of Prayer/To leave my dear friends
Shape-Note Gospel; Text by John Osborn 1815;
ARTIST: William Walker; 1835
SHEET MUSIC: Southern Harmony: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/walker/
harmony/files/hymn/Bower_of_Prayer.html
CATEGORY: Traditional Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: 1835 William Walker; First recording Charles Butts Sacred Harp Singers/Columbia records 1929 Atlanta, Georgia
RECORDING INFO: Bower of Prayer [Me III-D 63] - Osborn, John
Charles Butts Sacred Harp Singers/Columbia Ecords 1929 Atlanta, Georgia
de Ville, Paul (ed.) / Concertina and How To Play It, Carl Fischer, sof (1905), #231
OTHER NAMES: "To leave my dear friends"
SOURCES: Southern Harmony; Sacred Harp
NOTES: "The Bower of Prayer" is found in William Walker's 1935 Southern Harmony. The composer is listed as Richerson & Walker, but the text is from John Osborn in 1815. Walker's melody is different from the one found in the Sacred Harp by E. J. King, in 1844 which gives P. P. Pratt credit for the lyrics in 1831.
First recording was made by Charles Butts Sacred Harp Singers for Columbia records 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.
100 The Bower of Prayer- Sacred Harp; Tune: E. J. King, 1844; Words: P. P. Pratt 1831 ; Meter: 11s (11,11,11,11)
To leave my dear friends, and with neighbors part,
And go from my home it affects not my heart
Like thoughts of absenting myself for a day
From the bless’d retreat where I’ve chosen to pray.
Dear bow’r, where the pine and the poplar have spread,
And wove with the branches a roof o’er my head;
How oft have I knelt on the evergreen there,
And poured out my soul to my Savior in prayer.
The early shrill notes of the loved nightingale
That dwelt in my bow’r I observed as my bell,
To call me to duty, while birds of the air
Sang anthems of praise as I went to my prayer.
Bower of Prayer- Southern Harmony no. 70
First Line: To leave my dear friends, and with neighbors to part
Composer: Richerson & Walker
Meter: 11s
1. To leave my dear friends, and with neighbors to part,
And go from my home, it afflicts not my heart,
Like thoughts of absenting myself for a day
From that blessed retreat where I've chosen to pray,
I've chosen to pray.
2. Dear bower where the pine and the poplar have spread,
And wove, with their branches, a roof o'er my head,
How oft have I knelt on the evergreen there,
And poured out my soul to my Savior in prayer,
My Savior in prayer.
3. The early shrill notes of the loved nightingale
That dwelt in my bower, I observed as my bell,
To call me to duty, while birds of the air
Sing anthems of praises as I went to prayer,
As I went to prayer.
4. How sweet were the zephyrs perfumed by the pine,
The ivy, the balsam, and wild eglantine;
But sweeter, ah! sweeter, superlative were
The joys I have tasted in answer to prayer,
In answer to prayer.
5. For Jesus, my Savior, oft deigned there to meet,
And blessed with his presence my humble retreat
Oft filled me with rapture and blessedness there,
Inditing, in heaven's own language, my prayer,
Own language my prayer.
6. Dear bower, I must leave you and bid you adieu,
And pay my devotions in parts that are new,
For Jesus, my Savior, resides everywhere,
And can, in all places give answer to prayer,
Give answer to prayer.
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