Were You There Explained

"Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)" is an African-American spiritual that was first printed in 1899. It was likely composed by enslaved African Americans in the 19th century.[1]

The song was first published in William Eleazar Barton's 1899 Old Plantation Hymns[1] but was described in writings prior to this publication.[2] [3] [4] In 1940, it was included in the Episcopal Church hymnal, making it the first spiritual to be included in any major American hymnal.[5] [6] It is also unique in that it is the only African-American song included in the Catholic Church's Liturgy of the Hours.

As reported in Howard Thurman's autobiography, the song was one of Mahatma Gandhi's favorites.[7] The song has been recorded by artists including Paul Robeson,[8] Marion Williams,[9] Johnny Cash,[10] Roy Acuff,[11] Phil Keaggy,[12] Max Roach,[13] Diamanda Galás,[14] Harry Belafonte,[15] The Seldom Scene,[16] Diamond Version (with Neil Tennant),[17] Bayard Rustin,[18] Rajaton,[19] Millennial Choirs and Orchestras,[20] and Chris Rice.[21] A writer from the Indianapolis News wrote about Paul Robeson's rendition, saying that "It was as startling and vivid a disclosure of reverent feeling of penetrating pathos as one could imagine."[22]

Lyrics

The following lyrics are those printed in the 1899 Old Plantation Hymns;[23] other variations exist.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Raymond F. Glover . The Hymnal 1982 Companion . 1990 . Church Publishing . 978-0-89869-143-6 . 349.
  2. The Jubilee Singers the song at the 1898 Annual Meeting of the American Missionary Association according to The American Missionary - Volume 52 (1898) p. 160 (accessible on Google Books)
  3. Report of the First General Convention of the National Florence Crittenton Mission and School for Methods (Mountain Lake Park MD). July 1897, p. 100 accessible at https://babel.hathitrust.org
  4. "CRITTENTON'S FAREWELL,"Los Angeles Herald, Volume 25, Number 336, 1 September 1896, p. 3
  5. Book: LindaJo H. McKim . The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion . 1993 . Westminster John Knox Press . 978-0-664-25180-2 . 91.
  6. TIME . 1940-10-28 . Religion: Episcopal Archbishop? . 2024-06-16 . TIME . en.
  7. Book: Howard Thurman . With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman . 1981 . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 0-547-54678-5.
  8. Web site: Paul Robeson. Were you there?. 2008. Warner Classics.
  9. Web site: Ron Wynn . Can't Keep It to Myself - Marion Williams | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 2017-03-05.
  10. Web site: The Man in Black: 1959-1962 - Johnny Cash | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 2017-03-05.
  11. Web site: Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies, Roy Acuff, part 1 . 23 December 2016 . Praguefrank . 29 March 2021.
  12. Web site: Christ His Passion: Remembering the Sacrifice - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 2004-03-09 . 2017-03-05.
  13. Web site: Vincent Thomas . Lift Every Voice and Sing - Max Roach | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 2017-03-05.
  14. Web site: Brian Olewnick . The Singer - Diamanda Galás | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 2017-03-05.
  15. Web site: Harry Belafonte: My Lord What a Mornin' . . 2017-03-05.
  16. Web site: Scenic Roots - The Seldom Scene | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 2017-03-05.
  17. Web site: MUTE • Diamond Version • Release new album 'CI' on 2/3 June + Listen to first track 'Were You There' feat Neil Tennant . Mute.com . 2014-06-03 . 2017-03-05.
  18. Book: Bayard Rustin sings a program of spirituals: with scripture reading by James Farmer. (Musical LP, 1950s) . 2017-01-20 . 61832618.
  19. Web site: Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands . . 2017-03-05.
  20. Web site: That Easter Morn - Millennial Choirs and Orchestras | Songs, Reviews, Credits . . 10 April 2024.
  21. Web site: Untitled Hymn: A Collection of Hymns - Chris Rice Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic. en-us. 2020-02-08.
  22. Olwage . G . 2015. Listening B(l)ack: Paul Robeson After Roland Hayes . Journal of Musicology . 32 . 4 . 524–557 . 10.1525/jm.2015.32.4.524.
  23. Book: William Eleazar Barton. Old Plantation Hymns: A Collection of Hitherto Unpublished Melodies of the Slave and the Freedman, with Historical and Descriptive Notes. 1899. Lamson, Wolffe. 40.

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