Just for fun!
dianarasmussen
Diana Rasmussen is a Faith Builder, Worship Leader, Veteran’s wife, and a Certified Peer Specialist. At her blog Prayers and Promises she shares from her heart on how to find hope in this crazy world!
Trending
Hi Diana: I just want to share this short clip of my favourite song. The actual CD is long.
Thank you Perpetua, I have never heard this song, so I looked it up. It has quite a history…
This is from:
http://www.gavinbryars.com/Pages/jesus_blood_never_failed_m.html
Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet
In 1971, when I lived in London, I was working with a friend, Alan Power, on a film about people living rough in the area around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo Station. In the course of being filmed, some people broke into drunken song – sometimes bits of opera, sometimes sentimental ballads – and one, who in fact did not drink, sang a religious song “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet”. This was not ultimately used in the film and I was given all the unused sections of tape, including this one.
When I played it at home, I found that his singing was in tune with my piano, and I improvised a simple accompaniment. I noticed, too, that the first section of the song – 13 bars in length – formed an effective loop which repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. I took the tape loop to Leicester, where I was working in the Fine Art Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an orchestrated accompaniment to this. The door of the recording room opened on to one of the large painting studios and I left the tape copying, with the door open, while I went to have a cup of coffee. When I came back I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping.
I was puzzled until I realised that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man’s singing. This convinced me of the emotional power of the music and of the possibilities offered by adding a simple, though gradually evolving, orchestral accompaniment that respected the tramp’s nobility and simple faith. Although he died before he could hear what I had done with his singing, the piece remains as an eloquent, but understated testimony to his spirit and optimism.
The piece was originally recorded on Brian Eno’s Obscure label in 1975 and a substantially revised and extended version for Point Records in 1993. The version which is played by my ensemble was specially created in 1993 to coincided with this last recording.
Gavin Bryars.
~~~~~~~pretty cool song girl, thank you for sharing it with us!
What a history. Thanks, Diana. I lent my CD to sister #5 and she teaches Rites for Adults to use in meditation class. Guess what, never returned. That’s okay, for Jesus, she can keep it. I’ll go listen to the full link.
🙂
Amen!
I passed this on to my friend, Jane, who is a worship leader and she loves it! You would really like her but, alas, she is not a “blogger” 🙂
Maybe someday…;) I never thought I’d be sharing all this personal stuff either!