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Come Sing to Me of Heaven/O Sing to Me of Heaven/Sing to Me of Heaven
Traditional/Public Domain shape note; Sacred Harp; Lyrics: Mary Stanley Bunce Dana, 1840; Tune: John Massengale, 1850
ARTIST: Ginny Hawker & Kay Justice. June Appal 1993
SHEET MUSIC:
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em6XlhQKLOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMfDqfKSM54
DATE: Sacred Harp 1859
CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
RECORDING INFO: Come Sing to Me of Heaven
Ginny Hawker & Kay Justice. June Appal 1993
Alabama Sacred Harp Singers. Columbia 1928
OTHER NAMES: "Sing to Me of Heaven," "There'll Be No Sorrow There" "O Sing to Me of Heaven"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Meade; Sacred Harp
NOTES: "Come Sing to Me of Heaven" or "Sing to Me of Heaven" or "O Sing to Me of Heaven" is a shaped note hymn from the Sacred Harp with text by Mary Stanley Bunce Dana (Schindler), 1840 and tune by John Massengale, 1850. The chorus is the well know "There'll Be No Sorrow There." I'm not sure when this was added or if it was originally from Mary Stanley Bunce Dana (Schindler).
Meade lists a recording, "Sing to Me of Heaven," by the Denson Parris Sacred Harp in 1928 for Columbia. Also "There'll Be No Sorrow There" Swagerty 1929 on Okeh, and
"No Sorrow There" by Elder Golden Harris in 1931.
First Line: Come sing to me of heaven
Author: Mary S. B. Dana Shindler
Publication Date: 1875
Refrain First Line: There'll be no sorrow there
1303. Come Sing to Me of Heaven from Songs for the Sanctuary: by Charles S. Robinson 1864
1. Come, sing to me of heaven,
When I'm about to die;
Sing songs of holy ecstasy,
Lo waft my soul on high.
There'll be no sorrow there,
There'll be no sorrow there,
In heaven above, where all is love,
There 'll be no sorrow there !
2. When the last moment comes,
Oh, watch my dying face,
To catch the blight seraphic glow,
Which on each feature plays.
3. Then to my raptured ear
Let one sweet song be given;
Let music charm me last on earth,
And greet me first in heaven!
Sing to Me of Heaven 312 (Sacred Harp) Tune: John Massengale, 1850
Alto: Miss Henrietta Spivey, 1902; Lyrics: Mary Stanley Bunce Dana, 1840
Meter: Short Meter (6,6,8,6)
O, sing to me of heav'n,
When I am called to die,
Sing songs of holy ecstasy,
To waft my soul on high!
When cold and sluggish drops
Roll off my marble brow,
Burst forth in strains of joyfulness,
Let heav'n begin below!
When the last moment comes,
O, watch my dying face,
And catch the bright, seraphic gleam
Which on each feature plays.
Then to my ravished ear
Let one sweet song begin
Let music charm me last on earth,
And greet me first in heav'n.
Then close my sightless eyes,
And lay me down to rest,
And clasp my cold and icy hands
Across my peaceful breast.
Then round my senseless clay
Assemble those I love,
And sing of heav'n, delightful heav'n,
My glorious home above.
THERE’LL BE NO SORROW THERE- Frederic D. Huntington (1819-1904) Words: Frederick D. Huntington (1819-1904). Music: Dunbar, Charles W. Dunbar, circa 1855
There’ll be no night in Heav’n,
In that blest world above;
No anxious toil, no weary hours;
For labor there is love.
Refrain
There’ll be no sorrow there,
There’ll be no sorrow there,
In Heav’n above, where all is love,
There’ll be no sorrow there.
There’ll be no grief in Heav’n,
For life is one glad day,
And tears are those of former things
Which all have passed way.
Refrain
There’ll be no sin in Heav’n;
Behold that blessèd throng,
All holy in their spotless robes,
All holy in their song.
Refrain
Come Sing to Me of Heaven
Cyberhymnal uses a hymn by Lewis Hartsough with this same title, melody, and chorus. This version is also found in the Praise and Worship Hymnal published by the Lillenas Publishing Co. of Kansas City, MO.
1. "I love to sing (orig. think) of heaven, Where white robed angels are;
Where many a friend is gathered safe From fear, and toil, and care."
2. "I love to think of heaven, Where my Redeemer reigns;
Where rapturous songs of triumph rise, In endless, joyous strains."
3. "I love to think of heaven, The saints’ eternal home,
Where palms, and robes, and crowns ne’er fade, And all their joys are one."
4. "I love to think of heaven, The greetings there we’ll meet,
The harps–the songs forever ours–The walks–the golden steet."
5. "I love to think of heaven, That promised land so fair;
Oh, how my raptured spirit longs To be forever there."
A song which focuses attention on the fact that there will be neither sorrow nor crying in heaven is "There’ll Be No Sorrow There." The text was written by Mary Stanley Bunce Palmer Dana Shindler (1810-1883). She married Charles W. Dana in 1835, but he died in 1840 and she married Robert D. Shindler in 1851. During her life she published some six volumes of poetry. Cyberhymnal lists nine hymns attributed to her, including "Flee as a Bird" and "I’m a Pilgrim," both of which have appeared in some of our hymnbooks. She is also sometimes erroneously credited with "Prince of Peace, Control My Will" which is actually by Mary Ann Barber Sterrett. "There’ll Be No Sorrow There" was first published in the author’s 1840 work The Southern Harp.
The tune was composed by Charles R. Dunbar. No further information is available about him, except that he also produced the melody for Ralph E. Hudson’s "I’ll Live for Him" in 1882. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the only in which I have found any form of "There’ll Be No Sorrow There" is the 1927 book The Cross and Resurrection In Song, Revised and Enlarged, edited by S. H. and Flavil Hall and published by F. L. Rowe of Cincinnati, OH, where the tune and chorus are used with the first three stanzas of an arrangement from a hymn by Anne B. Steele, with words as follows:
1. "Far from the scenes of night Unbounded glories rise,
And realms of infinite delight Unknown to mortal eyes."
2. Fair land! could mortal eyes But half its charms explore,
How would our spirits long to rise, And dwell on earth no more!"
3. "No cloud those regions know, Realms ever bright and fair,
For sin, the source of every woe, Can never enter there."
4. "O may the prospect fire Our hearts with ardent love,
Till wings of faith and strong desire Bear every thought above."
5. "Prepare us, Lord divine, For Thy bright courts on high;
Then bid our spirits rise, and join The chorus of the sky."
Other books in which I have seen Mrs. Shindler’s hymn with Dunbar’s music include the 1939 Favorite Songs and Hymns published by Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Co.; the 1972 Christian Hymnary edited by John J. Overholt; and the 1993 Old School Hymnal Eleventh Edition edited by Roland U. Green. The text is used with another tune arranged by William Hauser in the 1913-1914 Good Old Songs edited by C. H. Cayce, and in the 1980 New Harmonia Sacra Legacy Edition compiled by Lydia Ann Beery from Genuine Church Music begun by Joseph Funk in 1822. The 1957 All American Church Hymnal published by John T. Benson has a hymn by Luther B. Bridgers (author and composer of "He Keeps Me Singing") entitled "Some Day, It Won’t Be Long," which uses the chorus of "There’ll Be No Sorrow There" to be sung after the last stanza.
I. Oh, sing to me of heaven
When I am called to die;
Sing songs of holy ecstasy
To waft my soul on high.
II. When cold and sluggish drops
Roll off my marble brow,
Break forth in songs of joyfulness;
Let heaven begin below."
III. When the last moments come,
Oh, watch my dying face,
To catch the bright seraphic gleam,
Which on each feature plays.
IV. Then to my raptured ear
Let one sweet song be given;
Let music cheer me last on earth,
And greet me first in heaven."
V. Then round my senseless clay
Assemble those I love,
And sing of heaven, delightful heaven,
My glorious home above.
Online account: James Billings cut his sons' hair when they needed a haircut. His son John, aged 13, had evaded a haircut for some time, and his hair was down into his eyes. On Friday afternoon James got the scissors, cornered John and proceeded to become a barber. In spite of John's protests, his hair was cut to about one half inch in length and his neck was closely shaved. James believed in doing a good job. On Saturday morning they arose early and hurried through the morning chores. A strong, cold norther had blown up during the night, and James delayed leaving the house after breakfast as he knew he had a long cold ride. After a bit he asked Becky, his oldest daughter, to get the song book and sing with him. After two or three songs they sang "O, Sing to Me of Heaven". (J. W. Cadwell provided the words in his book, Twenty-seven Years on the Texas Frontier)
O, sing to me of Heaven, When I am called to die; Sing songs of holy ecstasy, To waft my soul on high. There'll be no sorrow there, There'll be no sorrow there; In Heaven above, where all is Love, There'll be no sorrow there. Then 'round my senseless clay, Assemble those I love; And sing of Heaven, delightful Heaven, My glorious home above. There'll be no sorrow there, There'll be no sorrow there; In heaven above, where all is Love; There'll be no sorrow there.
Come Sing to Me of Heaven- Arranged Aaron McDermind (b.1973)
Come sing to me of Heaven,
when I am called to die.
Sing songs of holy ecstasy
to waft my soul on high.
When my last moment comes,
let one sweet song begin.
Let music cheer me last on earth;
to greet me first in heaven.
Come sing to me of Heaven,
when I am called to die.
Sing songs of holy ecstasy
to waft my soul on high.
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