Gospel Arrangements Of "We're Marching To Zion"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post features African American Gospel renditions of the 18th century Issac Watts hymn "We're Marching To Zion".

Click http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/a/marching.htm. for information about & the lyrics to "We're Marching To Zion". Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcAfxUj1D_0 for a traditional rendition of that hymn.

The content of this post is presented for religious and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
(These examples are posted in chronological order with the oldest dated examples presented first.)

Example #1: Roberta Martin Singers - Marching to Zion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaf7mtFGSIY

direfranchement, Uploaded on Aug 4, 2008 [Embedding disabled by request]

Eugene Smith leading the Roberta Martin Singers in an "old time" call to worship. Listen for the florid head notes of Delores Barrett in the background. Definitely my favorite Eugene Smith solo.
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Here are three comments from this sound file's viewer comment thread:

direfranchement, 2009
"This recording was made with four voices.

Soloist: Eugene Smith

Tenor: Norsalus McKissick

Contralto; Roberta Martin

Soprano: Delois Barrett

Martin and Barrett easily drown out McKissick on this record. The RMS were criticized in gospel circles for singing like a group of five soloists (in this case four) as opposed to singing genuine quartet harmonies. Recordings like this support that criticism, but with Roberta singing like that, I ain't mad at her."
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JayEm86 , 2012
"@direfranchement, are you sure about there being only 4 voices? I can hear a lower contralto singing lower than Roberta and higher than Norsalus. I think she may be Myrtle Scott. You can hear her trailing on the word "God" at 0:42."
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em jobs, 2008
"this song make me think of when I was a little boy and my mother marching into the choir loft and the choir singing this one day I will see my mother marching in heaven singing this song."
-snip-
"We're Marching To Zion" was often sung during church processionals (when the choir marched down the center aisle of the church sanctuary santuary up to the choir loft in back of the minister's podium.) Unfortunately, a number of African American churches no longer have processionals.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/sources-artistry-and-purposes-of-black.html for a post about Black church processionals.

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Example #2: 552. We're Marching To Zion- Earl Washington, song leader



pkteemax, Uploaded on Jun 12, 2009

Huntington coC in Long Island, NY - Gospel meeting
-snip-
This song leader adds a little bit of Gospel flourishes to the traditional version of "We're Marching To Zion".

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Example #3: We Are Marching up to Zion - Mount Zion SDA Church Reunion Youth Choir - Mount Zion SDA Church



Mount Zion SDA Church Uploaded on Nov 29, 2009

Filmed November 29, 2009, Homecoming Sabbath
-snip-
SDA=Seventh Day Adventist

This song was sung during the church offering. By the way, it's unusual for a church choir to remain sitted when they sing.

Notice that the title of this video is given as "We're Marching Up To Zion". The traditional title for this hymn is "We're Marching To Zion". The standard chorus for this hymn is:
We're marching to Zion.
Beautiful beautiful Zion
We're marching upward to Zion
That beautiful city of God.

In contrast, the chorus for Gospelized renditions of this hymn is usually:

We're marching. We're marching up to Zion.
That beautiful city of God.
We're marching. We're marching up to Zion.
That beautiful city of God.

[repeat entire chorus]
-snip-
Also, Gospelized versions of "Marching Up To Zion" start with the chorus while the standard hymn starts with the first verse.

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Example #4: Remembering Viola Crowley- "We're Marching To Zion"



Rowoches, Uploaded on Jun 20, 2011
-snip-
The video uploader's summary statement includes information about & praise to the Clara Ward Singer Viola Crowley. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPm0JnrGB-I

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Example #5: Janard! - "We're Marching Up to Zion" Christmas Special Grand Finale



Janard Cross, Uploaded on Dec 26, 2011

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Example #6:Trinity United Church of Christ - We're Marching Up To Zion

misaac78Published on Oct 23, 2012
Trinity United Church of Christ - We're Marching Up To Zion
Oct 18, 2009
-snip-
Notice that most of the choir and some other members of the congregation wear traditional West African (such as Senegalese or Nigerian long dresses for women or agbadas/grand boubou for men) or West African inspired clothing (such as some of the men wearing a dashiki, or women wearing clothing made with Malian mudcloth). Since at least the early 2000s it is customary in a number of African American churches for one Sunday in the year to be designated "African day". On that Sunday, members of the choir and the congregation are encouraged to wear African clothing to the main church service as a way of celebrating their African heritage. This is a huge change in the attitudes that African Americans once had about being of African descent.

Also, notice the woman in the yellow dress in the front of the choir on the far right signing that song. A number of African American churches have a sign language ministry.

*To my knowledge, there’s no specific Sunday that is common among all churches that have this custom.

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RELATED LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVLL4IooZPs
Darius McCrary - Marching to Zion [from the movie "Something to Sing About"]

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Thanks to the composer and the arrangers of this hymn. Thanks to all those who are featured in this video and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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African American Versions Of The Religious Song "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post features one sound file & four videos of renditions of the 19th century hymn "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior" This song is also known as "Pass Me Not" and "Do Not Pass Me By".

This post is dedicated to all those who have been directly impacted by the Superstorm Sandy that hit the Caribbean and the NorthEast region of the United States in late October 2012.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. I encourage all those who are able to support relief efforts!

The content of this post is presented for inspirational, religious, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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LYRICS: PASS ME NOT O GENTLE SAVIOR
(words: Fannie Cosby,1868; music: How­ard Doane, 1870)

1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.

2. Let me at thy throne of mercy
find a sweet relief,
kneeling there in deep contrition;
help my unbelief.
(Refrain)

3. Trusting only in thy merit,
would I seek thy face;
heal my wounded, broken spirit,
save me by thy grace.
(Refrain)

4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
more than life to me,
whom have I on earth beside thee?
Whom in heaven but thee?
(Refrain)

Reposted from http://www.elyrics.net/read/h/hymn-lyrics/pass-me-not-o-gentle-savior-lyrics.html

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FEATURED SOUND FILES & VIDEOS
These examples of this hymn are posted beginning with this song's traditional (old school) African American performances represented by Pastor Dewey Smith, Jr. and Fantasia Barrino. The featured examples move to sound file of a Gospel music arrangement of this song by Minister Douglas Miller as well as that same arrangement performed by the Bowie State University Gospel Choir. This compilation ends with a rendition by MC Hammer featuring Tramaine Hawkins which combines Douglas Miller's uptempo arrangement with Hip-Hop rap.

Example #1 Pastor Dewey Smith Sings - Pass Me Not



PastorDeweySmithJr, Uploaded on Jan 7, 2010

Sermon - Ministering with Suspect Credentials
The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church
Decatur, GA 30034

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Example #2: Fantasia Barrino - Pass Me Not


Aaron L McKinney• , Uploaded on Aug 23, 2006

Fantasia ripping it as she walks back in the church! from her movie on lifetime [The Fantasia Barrino Story, 2006]

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Example #3: Douglas Miller - Pass Me Not



Johnzoe777, Uploaded on Sep 3, 2008

DOUGLAS MILLER and The True Way Choir(C.O.G.I.C.) Title of album "The Joy Of The Is My Strength" "Pass Me Not soloist: DOUGLAS MILLER
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Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FrESHVXY-4 for a video of Minister Douglas Miller directing a mass choir singing his arrangement of this song.

I've also added the following information below in part because this arrangement of "Pass Me Not" has been so influential, and in part because information about Douglas Miller appears to be hard to find online:
From http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/artists/Douglas_Miller/12475/
[This song is from the] 1982 Gospel 12 inch vinyl:
Douglas Miller And The Trueway Choir (COGIC) - The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength.
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From http://www.medinacountylife.com/articles/2012/03/13/faces/doc4f48750871557204371885.txt
[This is an excerpt of a newspaper announcement about an upcoming concert in March 2012.]
"...“…Douglas Miller, professional Gospel Artist and Grammy and Stellar Award Nominee, began singing in the church choir as a young boy in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was blessed to be spiritually and professionally directed by Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark, who also helped launch his professional career.

Douglas Miller has not only made his mark as a singer, but as a successful musician, composer, recording and performing artist, and most recently, actor in gospel musicals.

As a professional performer, Mr. Miller has traveled throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, Japan, Africa and South Korea. He has shared the stage with gospel greats such as Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Vickie Winans and Bobby Jones.

Mr. Miller’s gospel musicals include, “God’s Trying to Tell You Something,” “Lord Save My Children From Destruction,” and “Secret Lover,” co-starring Ms. Melba Moore.

His albums include “Douglas Miller and the Texas Southeast State Choir” (featuring Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark and which stayed on the billboard charts for 157 weeks); “The Joy of The Lord Is My Strength” (which went all the way to number one on the billboard charts); “I Still Love the Name”; “Unspeakable Joy”; “Sing Until Morning”; “Victory”; “Living On The Top” (featuring a duet of the title song with gospel great Shirley Caesar); “Live in Houston” (which earned him a Grammy and Stellar Award Nomination); and “Do Not Pass Me By” (which gave Mr. Miller the distinction of being the first gospel artist ever to have a song on the American Music Awards when it was performed by M.C. Hammer in 1991. Other songs such as “Unspeakable Joy,” “Worthy is the Lamb,” “I Want to Be Holy,” and the incomparable “My Soul is Anchored” have all become main-stays in gospel music."

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Example #4: Bowie State University Gospel Choir - Do Not Pass Me By



TerrenceJamal, Uploaded on Apr 23, 2008

On Saturday April 19, 2008, the Bowie State University Gospel Choir of Bowie State University (Bowie, MD) performed a concert for Solomon A.U.M.P. Church and The Brotherhood Club in Hurlock, MD. This is their performance of Do Not Pass Me By.

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Example #5: Mc Hammer - Do Not Pass Me By



sanchodarko, Uploaded on Jun 15, 2007

Artist: MC Hammer (feat. Tramaine Hawkins, Trina Johnson & the Voices) [1991]
-snip-
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdpl3DLV7Ac for a video of MC Hammer, Tramaine Hawkins, and the choir performing this song at the 1991 Grammy Award Ceremony.

Here's an exchange that was posted on this video's viewer comment thread:
"WHAT is the meaning : "While on others Thou art calling Do not pass me by"?
-Dennis Chen, 2012
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"Meaning: "While on others thou art calling, do not pass me by." WHILE(Meanwhile, at the same time) on OTHERS (strangers, friends, family) THOU(You the Lord) ART(are) CALLING(visiting, helping, bringing comfort to, fixing healing, etc), please do not PASS ME BY(do not forget me, skip or pass over me; do not ignore, forsake, postpone, leave, bypass or overlook me. Do please remember me Lord and stop by me and help me too." This of course is just one of many possible interpretations."
-mammothsquido, 2012

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the lyricist, composer, and arrangers of this hymn. Thanks also to the transcriber of this song's lyrics, those who produced and uploaded the sound files & videos that are featured in this post, and those persons whose posted information and/or comments I have quoted.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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