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Deep River
NOTE: Not related to Deep River Blues
Traditional spiritual;
ARTIST: Fisk Jubilee Singers
SHEET MUSIC:
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbN_U-ynWmo
CATEGORY: Traditional and Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; circa 1875
RECORDING INFO: Deep River
Lomax, J. A. & A. Lomax / American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p594
Snyder, Jerry (arr.) / Golden Guitar Folk Sing Book, Hansen, Fol (1972), p 42
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swinging Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p318b
Best, Dick & Beth (eds.) / New Song Fest Deluxe, Hansen, Sof (1971/1948), p154
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p208
Lorenz, Ellen J.(ed.) / Men's Get-Together Songs, Lorenz, Fol (1938), p 64/# 88
Herder, Ronald (ed.) / 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, Dover dn500/500, Sof (1998), p 79b Anderson, Marian. Spirituals, RCA (Victor) LM-2032, LP (1956), trk# A.01a
Fisk Jubilee Singers. Marsh, J. B. T. / Story of the Jubilee Singers, Houghton Mifflin, Bk (1880), p196/# 77
Harris, Kim and Reggie; Group. Music and the Underground Railroad, Ascension KRH-002, LP (1984), trk# B.01a
Hayes, Roland. My Songs, Vanguard VRS- 494, LP (1956), trk# A.03
Pringle, Valentine. I Hear America Singing, RCA (Victor) LSP 2689, LP (1963), trk# B.01
Robeson, Paul. Essential Paul Robeson, Vanguard VSD 57/58, LP (1974/1958), trk# C.02
Teagarden, Jack. Swing Low Sweet Spiritual, Capitol T 820, LP (195?), trk# B.03
Williams, Mason. Of Time and Rivers Flowing, Skookum SK 1001, LP (1984), trk# A.04
OTHER NAMES:
RELATED TO: "Steal Away" songs
SOURCES: Wiki; Folk Index; Gene Tyranny, All Music Guide;
Deep River, Book Of American Negro Spirituals
Deep River, Books Of American Negro Spirituals
Deep River, Everybody's Favorite Songs
Deep River, Let's All Sing
Deep River, My Songs
Deep River, Song Fest
Deep River, Misc Choral Sheet Music
Deep River, Songs Of Zion (Nix)
Deep River, Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit
Deep River, Lift Every Voice And Sing
Deep River, Arr.Carol Barnett (Plymouth Music: The Dale Warland Folk Series) Deep River, Roy Ringwald, Arr., Mcmxlviii (Renewed Mcmlxxvi), Shawnee Press, Waring Choral Series
NOTES: "Deep River" is an anonymous spiritual of African American origin. It has been sung in several films, including the 1929 film version of Show Boat, although it was not used in the original show.[1] The melody was also adapted into the popular song "Dear Old Southland", in 1921.
Deep River is sung as the closing spiritual in Michael Tippett's oratorio, A Child of Our Time. This moving song is unusual among spirituals because it is more of a soloistic tune with a few large intervals and rubato timing. The first word, "Deep," is set to three descending tones (III, II, and I of the scale) and suggests the looser timing. The first line, "Deep river, my home is over Jordan," contains an octave skip from "is" to "over" (I to I octava), a musical gesture, an energetic cry which depicts the distance to be traveled. The next line, "Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into the campground," is set to notes in the lower register that give a feeling of introspection and prayerful hope, matching the text. The central bridge passage is usually sung to a more steady beat. "Oh! Don't you want to go to that glorious gospel feast/That promised land where all is peace?" The last three musical phrases are identical for "that glorious...," "That promised...," and "where all...." The entire first section is then recapitulated.
The symbolism of the words is scarcely hidden, "campground," for instance, indicating a land of freedom in several other spirituals. Freedom here and now was meant, as well as freedom in the afterlife. Dr. Howard Thurman, in his book Deep River: Reflections on the Religious Insight of Certain of the Negro Spirituals (1945), discusses the ingredients of the spiritual from nature, experience, and the Bible. H.L. Mencken once suggested that the same unknown genius who wrote "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" also penned "Deep River" and "Roll, Jordan, Roll."
It is known from the programs of the legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers, founded and directed by George Leonard White, that this spiritual or jubilee song was part of their repetoire in the early to mid-1870s as they toured to raise money for Fisk University in Nashville, TN. It was also published in J.B.T. Marsh's The Story of the Jubilee Singers (Cleveland [1892]).
Arguably, the best modern arrangement of the song is the 1917 setting for voice and piano by Harry T. Burleigh (1866 - 1949), with its sophisticated yet simple modal harmonies.
Ballad Index: Deep River
DESCRIPTION: "Deep River, "(My home is over Jordan), I want to cross over (to the campground)." The singer hopes to cross (the Jordan) to heaven , there to meet family, friends, etc.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1875 ("The Story of the Jubilee Singers")
KEYWORDS: religious death river
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Lomax-ABFS, pp. 594-595, "Deep River" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 370, "Deep River" (1 text)
Fuld-WFM, p. 195, "Deep River"
DT, DEEPRVR2
Roud #12332
RECORDINGS:
Marian Anderson, "Deep River" (Victor 19227, 1924) (Victor 22015, 1929; Victor 2032, 1940)
Carroll Clark w. Fletcher Henderson [Orch.?] "Deep River" (Columbia 128-D, 1924)
Commonwealth Quartet, "Deep River" (Conqueror 7079, 1928)
Hampton Institute Quartette, "Deep River" (RCA, unissued, 1941)
The King's Heralds, "Deep River" (Chapel CR 23, n.d.)
Lions Quartet, "Deep River" (Columbia 1167-D, 1927)
Oriole Male Quartette, "Deep River" (Oriole 893, 1927)
Randolph's Kentucky Jubilee Choir, "Deep River" (Brunswick 4063, 1928)
Paul Robeson, "Deep River" (Victor 20793, 1927)
Notes: Not to be confused with either of two songs called "Deep River Blues" (one traditional, with the opening "Let it rain, let it pour; Let it rain a whole lot more..."; the other coming from the W. C. Handy tradition and beginning "Deep river, deep river, Mississippi River, so deep and wide my heart is breaking"). - RBW
No. 77. Deep River- Fisk Jubilee Singers
CHORUS: Deep river,
My home is over Jordan,
Deep river,
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground,
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground,
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground.
1. Oh, don't you want to go to that Gospel feast,
That promis'd land where all is peace?
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground,
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground,
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground.
2. I'll go into heaven, and take my seat,
Cast my crown at Jesus' feet.
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground,
Lord, I want etc.,
Lord, I want etc.,
3. Oh, when I get to heav'n, I'll walk all about,
There's nobody there for to turn me out.
Lord, I want to cross over into camp ground,
Lord, I want etc.,
Lord, I want etc.
DEEP RIVER- from This Is My Song! (Vi Higginsen, 1995); Rise Up Singing Songbook and The Odyssey of Paul Robeson (CD)
CHORUS: Deep River, my home is over Jordan,
Deep River, Lord I want to cross over into campground.
Oh, don't you want to go to that gospel feast
That promised land where all is peace?
Oh, don't you want to go to that promised land where all is peace?
Deep River, Lord I want to cross over into campground.
CHORUS
I'll go up to Heaven and take my seat
And cast my crown at Jesus' feet
I'll go up to Heaven and cast my crown at Jesus' feet
Deep River, Lord I want to cross over into campground.
CHORUS
Oh, when I get to Heaven I'll walk about
There's nobody there to turn me out
When I get to heaven there's no one there to turn me out.
Deep River, Lord I want to cross over into campground.
CHORUS
DEEP RIVER- New Park Choir
Deep river
My home is over Jordan
Deep river, Lord
I want to cross over into camp-ground
O God's children, why don't you want to go
To the heavenly feast, in the Promised Land
The land where all is peace ;
Walk right into Heaven and take my seat
And throw myself at Jesus' feet...
Deep river
My home is over Jordan
Deep river, Lord
I want to cross over into camp-ground
DEEP RIVER-American Ballads and Folk Songs- Lomax 1934
Chorus: Deep river,
Deep river, Lawd,
Deep river, Lawd,
I want to cross over in a ca'm time.
I'm gonna meet death smilin',
I'm gonna meet death smiling Lawd,
I'm gonna meet death smilin', Lawd,
I want to cross over in a ca'm time.
My mother's done crossed over,
My mother's done crossed over,
Lawd, My mother's done crossed over, Lawd,
She's done crossed over in a ca'm time.
And sometimes, it seems, one's father "has done crossed over," and one's sister, brother, aunty, and cousins, along with the elders and the deacons of the church.
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