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Dem Charming Bells
Traditional Spiritual
ARTIST: from Old Plantation Hymns by William Eleazar Barton 1899
SHEET MUSIC: http://books.google.com/books?id=ArEVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA455&d
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CATEGORY: Traditional and Public Domain Gospel
RECORDING INFO: Dem Charming Bells
Barton, William Eleazar. Old Plantation Hymns 1899
OTHER NAMES: "Them Charming Bells"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Old Plantation Hymns by William Eleazar Barton 1899
NOTES: "Dem Charming Bells" is a traditional spiritual collected from Old Plantation Hymns by William Eleazar Barton 1899
In Old Plantation Hymns by William Eleazar Barton (1899) he describes collecting the spiritual:
During this long revival, which lasted a good many weeks, a bright young lady lay dying of consumption in the large house on the hill. As she lay at night near her open window she enjoyed hearing the colored people sing, and there was one hymn that touched her heart with its sweetness and pathos. As she felt her own time "drawing near" and began to listen for the "charming bells," this hymn grew more dear to her; and as the colored people came to know that she cared for it, they grew accustomed to singing it each night, with all its stanzas, for her benefit.
Night after night I heard this song, —an invitation to the sinner, a glad anticipation of heaven, and a salute from the humble but kind hearted worshipers as they closed their meeting in the tobacco barn, to the dying girl in the big house on the hill, who listened nightly for this greeting.
As cold weather came on, she passed away, and we sent her body to the Northern home whence she had come too late. We had a simple little service in the chapel, and a company of the colored people sang the clear, bell-like notes of the song, which ever since has seemed to me most beautiful, wth its ringing, confident, hopeful and inspiring words, —
"Lord, I'm almost home,
I'm almost home!
Lord, I'm almost home,
For to ring dem charming bells."
DEM CHARMING BELLS- William E. Barton 1898
1. Come along, my brother, come along,
For your time is drawing near;
And the angels say there's nothing to do,
But to ring them charming bells.
REFRAIN: Lord, I'm almost home!
I'm almost home!
Lord, I'm almost home!
For to ring them charming bells!
2 — Come along, my sister, etc.
3 — Come along, my preacher, etc.
4 — Come along, my deacon, etc.
5 — Come along, po' mourner, etc.
6 — Come along, O sinner, etc.
7 — Come along, Sister Mary, etc.
8 — Come along, Sister Martha, etc.
9 — Come along, Brother 'Lijah, etc.
10 — Come along, true believer, etc.
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