Vocal Music
- Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum (b. 1942)
- Down to the River to Pray – arr. Robert Lee (b. 1951)
Instrumental Music
- Shall We Gather at the River – Joe Utterback (b. 1944)
- Every Time I Feel the Spirit – Dennis Janzer (b. 1954)
- Ton-y-botel – Craig Curry
- Every Time I Feel the Spirit – Richard Elliot (b. 1957)
Congregational Music (all hymns from The Hymnal 1982 with the exception of those marked “R” which are from Renew.)
- Hymn R283 Creating Spirit, holy Lord (PUER NOBIS)
- Hymn 513 Like the murmur of the dove’s song (BRIDEGROOM)
- Hymn From north and south and east and west (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
- Hymn R248 Oh, let the Son of God enfold you (SPIRIT SONG)
- Hymn R90 Spirit of the Living God (IVERSON)
- Hymn R168 If You believe and I believe (Traditional, Zimbabwe)
- Hymn 511 Holy Spirit, ever living (ABBOT’S LEIGH)
- Psalm 104 - Alexander Peloquin
Spirit in the Sky
The Priest walks into the Music Director's office and asks, "What would you think about singing "Spirit in the Sky" on Pentecost Sunday?" The Music Director, aware of his role as support for the pastoral staff and always willing to please, says, "I don't know it, but I am sure we can do it if you think it will work." So, after the Priest leaves, the Music Director searches online, listens to the YouTube video of the original and thinks, "Oh Sweet Jesus, what have I agreed to?"
Thus how it happened that this Sunday, Pentecost, the choir is singing what The Rolling Stone Magazine refers to as Norman Greebaum's "immortal boogie-rock anthem," "Spirit in the Sky."
The song came out in the U.S. in January 1970. Propelled by a chugging, bluesy riff and featuring lyrics about befriending Jesus and preparing for death, it peaked at Number Three on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was certified gold.In the 50 years since its release, “Spirit in the Sky” has never really gone away. The song has appeared in more than 30 commercials and 60 films, including Wayne’s World 2, Apollo 13, Remember the Titans, and I, Tonya. “I’ve got an audience that’s coming around again,” Greenbaum, now 77, says over the phone from his home in California. “The song started with kids’ grandparents and then their parents and then they hear it in all these movies. Now there’s a whole young generation that is into the song.(1)
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| Norman Greenbaum Photo by Jeff Fasano Photography |
This is not our usual anthem. As I began to think about it, I realized that just using piano to accompany the choir would not be satisfying, so I asked Margie (VanBrackle) if she thought she and her husband Hans would play bass and guitar, respectively, to provide the accompaniment. They agreed, then I recalled another church member, Mark McGinn, who had said he could play drums anytime we needed it. So I contacted him, and he agreed. Yours truly is playing tambourine. I am WAY outside my comfort zone. So is the choir.
Some of us (me included) were uncomfortable with the third verse. Greenbaum explained:
I know the line “Never been a sinner / I never sinned” upset Christians. It did upset some people. When I said I can do this, that didn’t mean I could do it perfectly. It wasn’t my religion; I just did it. I didn’t think twice about it. I took some of the seriousness out of it, but I didn’t do it as a joke or against anyone. I guess people can take offense to almost anything. There was the song about the plastic Jesus on your dashboard. They liked that one. (ibid.)
According to the Rolling Stone, this song is a popular choice for funerals.
Down to the River to Pray
Made famous in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, "Down to the River to Pray" is a traditional American song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an African-American spiritual, an Appalachian song, and a Southern gospel song. The exact origin of the song is unknown.
I think it is an African American spiritual. The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867. And the lyrics fill the bill for a slave song - one that has double meaning.
Aside from the obvious meaning of baptism ("..down to the river"), many songs sung by victims of slavery contained coded messages for escaping. When the enslaved people escaped, they would walk in the river because the water would cover their scent from the bounty-hunters' dogs. Similarly, the "starry crown" could refer to navigating their escape by the stars. And "Good Lord, show me the way" could be a prayer for God's guidance to find the escape route, commonly known as "the Underground Railroad."
This setting is arranged by Robert E. Lee. No, not that one, but the irony does not escape me. This Robert is an Alabama native and has been a church organist from age 16. With a BMusEd in organ performance from Samford University and a MEd in history from Mississippi College, Mr. Lee has worked as a choral director and history teacher for 25 years. He has been active with college and professional musical theater groups and is currently the assistant organist at St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church in Louisville, KY.
The Voluntaries
Just a few short notes about the instrumental music this Sunday. Since our choir music departs greatly from our usual genres, the organ and piano music, too, will take on different forms. The first voluntary at the beginning is by noted jazz organist Joe Utterback. This sounds more like theatre organ than church organ.
The second opening voluntary is a setting of the Spirit-focused spiritual, "Every Time I Feel the Spirit." This setting, by Memphis composer Dennis Janzer, is the most traditional of all the keyboard music this Sunday, as it is more like a Bach two-part invention than a spiritual.
The piano piece at communion is pure jazz, from it's rhythms to its harmonies. Craig Curry is a widely-published composer, arranger, pianist and recording artist, and a former worship pastor and university music professor. The tune is TON-Y-BOTEL, found twice in our hymnal (look at 381 or 527).
The closing voluntary is a spirited setting of the same spiritual which opened the service, only this time by the organist at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Richard Elliot. I hope you stay and listen!
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