[Music]
Thou man of grief, Remember me,
Thou never canst thyself forget
Thy last expiring agony,
Thy fainting pangs and bloody sweat.
The tune is attributed in the southern books to "Dare". Found also GCM
165, OSH 48, SOC 175, HOC 45, WP 16. The tune is of a type which was
widely sung to texts of the extremely solemn sort. The introduction of
slight variation in the expression of this melodic idea led to tunes
with other titles and various composers (?). I have called this tune
family the 'Kedron' group. Its members are 'Distress', OSH 50;
'Solemnity', MOH 40; 'Salem', UH 22; 'French Broad' in this
collection; 'Child of Grace', KNH 74; and 'Messiah', VH 30. Secular
songs showing the same general melodic trend are 'McAfee's
Confession', Sharp, ii., 16, and Cox, p. 525; 'A Brisk Young Sailor',
Sharp, _One Hundred English Folksongs_, No. 94; 'Lord Bateman', ibid.,
No. 6; and 'Samuel Young', Sharp, ii., 271.
No. 58
ALL IS WELL, OSH 122
Hexatonic (6th missing, cannot be classified but obviously ionian) (I
II III IV V -- VII)
[Music]
What's this that steals, that steals upon my frame?
Is it death, is it death?
That soon will quench, will quench this mortal flame?
Is it death, is it death?
If this be death I soon shall be
From every pain and sorrow free.
I shall the King of glory see,
All is well, all is well.
Weep not, my friends, weep not for me,
All is well, all is well!
My sins forgiv'n, forgiv'n, and I am free,
All is well, all is well!
There's not a cloud that doth arise,
To hide my Jesus from my eyes.
I soon shall mount the upper skies,
All is well, all is well!
Tune, tune your harps, your harps ye saints on high,
All is well, all is well!
I too will strike my harp with equal joy,
All is well, all is well!
Bright angels are from glory come,
They're round my bed, they're in my room,
They wait to waft my spirit home,
All is well, all is well.
As to sources we quote the 1911 editor of the _Original Sacred Harp_.
After attributing tune and words to J. T. White, nephew of B. F.
White, compiler of the 1844 _Sacred Harp_, the editor states: "The
tune had been published before it was printed in the [1844] _Sacred
Harp_." A negro version of the song was recently recorded in Texas and
appears in the _Publications of the Texas Folk-Lore Society_, vii.,
109.
No. 59
FAITHFUL SOLDIER, SOH (1835) 122