We, the Primitive Baptists Associations, located in the Appalachian Mountains, cherish this type of singing and we sing this way at each church service.
These hymns tell a solemn truth that Appalachian people know all too well: that a good life isn't guaranteed to anybody and the only real salvation is through Jesus. We're born, we toil, and we die but through Jesus we may be given a second chance.
I have had the privilege of attending service at The Little Jewel Regular Baptist Church in Boyd, County Kentucky before it passed from existence. It was wonderful.
This most definitely is Ralph Stanley on lead vocals. I was born in Hazard, Ky and spent many childhood days in and around that area. Perry County and Leslie County. Bluegrass Gospel is etched in my soul.
I believe that by lining the verse of the hymns out before the singing of it provides the very young and the old and those who might be blind with the words that they might be able to to sing along the sweet praises to our our Dear Heavenly Father and His Presious Son our Savior Jesus Christ ! I believe in the old days there was not many songbooks in the little old Baptist Churches that were scattered about that information has been handed down through the ages , there was a song leader or one who could read well and he would call out the words to the hymn with a clear and distinct voice and the congregation would then sing each verse in that manner. At the church meetings that I have been blessed to attend , the Precious Spirit of the Almighty God and the Comforter whom Jesus promised to send was present in the song service and in the preaching service to follow ! The blessings received were most precious !!!
We just called it "lining it out". The song leader would line out the song as explained by the others posting. Thank you for posting this. Sadly, this style of singing is almost gone. There are churches who still sing this way, but mostly this plaintive sound is gone.
I first heard this sung by Andreas Scholl in a more classical arrangement. I didn't even realize it was a spiritual. His is beautiful, this is beautiful! Great music. I love discovering music that sounds so amazing in very different styles.
I also think I hear an echo of some of the work songs men sang while building the railroad or doing other heavy work, whether they were convicts or just a regular work gang. Maybe it's that call-and-response effect.
@pickingmybanjo It is more likely the congregations had one or only a few hymnals to read from. The leader would sing the first verse and the others would repeat it.
The singing style comes from the Gaelic speaking areas of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and is a remnant of the old Celtic Church.Martyrs - Gaelic Psalm
This wasn't just a Gaelic style of singing, but European. The Anabaptist groups like the Amish brought the same style of singing with them when they came to America from Switzerland and Southern Germany. This is much how the Psalms were sung by early Christians.
I did not grow up with this but I love it and want to take part and experience it in person. A few years ago I tried to turn my Pastor on to this (I'm Canadian) but he wasn't interested. I don't attend that Church any more :) (to be clear I didn't stop going to that Church for that reason but I thought it was funny so I wrote it like that)
@pickingmybajno no sir it was not because most of the congregation could not read... it was more common to only have one songbook in the entire church... i have done my research... my source is the history of the salem primitive baptist church in texas
well the tradition probably started because of illiteracy but persisted for myriad reasons through the centuries, although was largely replaced with regular singing in most mainstream churches by the 1700s due to larger availability of texts and higher literacy.
@relilly007 Sorry folks for not posting the source. This song was found on the Indian Bottom Association Of The Old Regular Baptist Church website. You can google for more tunes. I asked permission before using. It does sound a lot like Stanley.
Does anyone know for sure when and where this was recorded? The most distinct voice on the repeating sounds so much like my grandfather. Who passed away earlier this year. He was a primitive baptist from right Across the border from Ky. Can anyone confirm who was singing?
@pickingmybajno I don't know how accurate this statement is, "This form of singing was formed because back in those days most people in the congregation could not read." Do you have a source for that? It is my understanding that most folks could read their Bibles, and many would even attend Shape Note singing schools at around that same time. I don't believe your statement is correct, I could be wrong, but I'd like to see a source posted for your info.
this sounds a lot like Gaelic (Scottish) Psalm singing, check it out! There is a quality to it that reminds me of some football (soccer) singing from England and elements that remind me of Welsh men's choir. I think there is a painful suffering emotion to it that could be also influenced from black Americans but to me it sounds like traditional Scottish Psalm singing (and other European) that has taken on a new American life of its own. Black Americans are part of America therefore there could very well be some black influence too but that didn't jump out at me (doesn't mean its not there).
We, the Primitive Baptists Associations, located in the Appalachian Mountains, cherish this type of singing and we sing this way at each church service.
These hymns tell a solemn truth that Appalachian people know all too well: that a good life isn't guaranteed to anybody and the only real salvation is through Jesus. We're born, we toil, and we die but through Jesus we may be given a second chance.
Proud to die for the gospel, Jesus Christ,
Very good singing ❤
I have had the privilege of attending service at The Little Jewel Regular Baptist Church in Boyd, County Kentucky before it passed from existence. It was wonderful.
+Linda Fields Forgive me, I forgot to mention that the preacher sang the sermon which I had never heard before.
This most definitely is Ralph Stanley on lead vocals. I was born in Hazard, Ky and spent many childhood days in and around that area. Perry County and Leslie County. Bluegrass Gospel is etched in my soul.
Proud to be an old regular baptist (ceased grove old regular baptist church) in south eastern ky!
Peace
I believe that by lining the verse of the hymns out before the singing of it provides the very young and the old and those who might be blind with the words that they might be able to to sing along the sweet praises to our our Dear Heavenly Father and His Presious Son our Savior Jesus Christ ! I believe in the old days there was not many songbooks in the little old Baptist Churches that were scattered about that information has been handed down through the ages , there was a song leader or one who could read well and he would call out the words to the hymn with a clear and distinct voice and the congregation would then sing each verse in that manner. At the church meetings that I have been blessed to attend , the Precious Spirit of the Almighty God and the Comforter whom Jesus promised to send was present in the song service and in the preaching service to follow ! The blessings received were most precious !!!
We just called it "lining it out". The song leader would line out the song as explained by the others posting. Thank you for posting this. Sadly, this style of singing is almost gone. There are churches who still sing this way, but mostly this plaintive sound is gone.
Saved by grace, Baptist by conviction.
I first heard this sung by Andreas Scholl in a more classical arrangement. I didn't even realize it was a spiritual. His is beautiful, this is beautiful! Great music. I love discovering music that sounds so amazing in very different styles.
fabulous ! i'm onboard.
The old regular Baptist live by the bible .
I also think I hear an echo of some of the work songs men sang while building the railroad or doing other heavy work, whether they were convicts or just a regular work gang. Maybe it's that call-and-response effect.
@pickingmybanjo It is more likely the congregations had one or only a few hymnals to read from. The leader would sing the first verse and the others would repeat it.
The singing style comes from the Gaelic speaking areas of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and is a remnant of the old Celtic Church.Martyrs - Gaelic Psalm
This wasn't just a Gaelic style of singing, but European. The Anabaptist groups like the Amish brought the same style of singing with them when they came to America from Switzerland and Southern Germany. This is much how the Psalms were sung by early Christians.
If you didn't grow up in an old regular Baptist church this is probably not what you are use to
I did not grow up with this but I love it and want to take part and experience it in person. A few years ago I tried to turn my Pastor on to this (I'm Canadian) but he wasn't interested. I don't attend that Church any more :)
(to be clear I didn't stop going to that Church for that reason but I thought it was funny so I wrote it like that)
Member of Peoples Baptist in Bruns., Oh. Like this.
@pickingmybajno no sir it was not because most of the congregation could not read... it was more common to only have one songbook in the entire church... i have done my research... my source is the history of the salem primitive baptist church in texas
well the tradition probably started because of illiteracy but persisted for myriad reasons through the centuries, although was largely replaced with regular singing in most mainstream churches by the 1700s due to larger availability of texts and higher literacy.
Beautiful singing. Do you by chance know where this song was recorded?
i dont know where it was recorded, but i think it might be Ralph Stanley on lead vocals.
this song was by the old indian bottom association way better than ralph older than the most of us listening great song.
Do you know what year. I swear I hear John Lane singing?
Awesome. Loe lined-out hymns, I prefer the "regular" vrsion better.
I doubt it was Stanely he is Primitive Baptist(Absoluter) not Old Regular, but both do sound pretty similar
@relilly007 Sorry folks for not posting the source. This song was found on the Indian Bottom Association Of The Old Regular Baptist Church website. You can google for more tunes. I asked permission before using. It does sound a lot like Stanley.
Does anyone know for sure when and where this was recorded? The most distinct voice on the repeating sounds so much like my grandfather. Who passed away earlier this year. He was a primitive baptist from right Across the border from Ky. Can anyone confirm who was singing?
Indian Bottom Association of Old Regular Baptist Churches
Do you know when and where this was recorded?
@pickingmybajno I don't know how accurate this statement is, "This form of singing was formed because back in those days most people in the congregation could not read." Do you have a source for that? It is my understanding that most folks could read their Bibles, and many would even attend Shape Note singing schools at around that same time. I don't believe your statement is correct, I could be wrong, but I'd like to see a source posted for your info.
Is this the Ralph Stanley version?
I hear an African-American influence here. Could it be? It does not sound particularly English or Irish or Scottish or Welsh.
this sounds a lot like Gaelic (Scottish) Psalm singing, check it out! There is a quality to it that reminds me of some football (soccer) singing from England and elements that remind me of Welsh men's choir.
I think there is a painful suffering emotion to it that could be also influenced from black Americans but to me it sounds like traditional Scottish Psalm singing (and other European) that has taken on a new American life of its own. Black Americans are part of America therefore there could very well be some black influence too but that didn't jump out at me (doesn't mean its not there).