When I Can Read ... 2008-08-28

CLOates
28 August 2008
Norman, OK, USA

When I Can Read ...

Having tipped my cap to modern country music in my last posting, I'll return now to a favorite corner of my musical world, the hymnody of early America. I've been unable to find any sort of reasonable-sounding recording of a long-time favorite of mine, the Isaac Watts/Joseph Lowry song, "When I Can Read My Title Clear" (from The Kentucky Harmony, 1817*) since the Alice Parker-Robert Shaw Chorale vinyl album Sing to the Lord became unavailable decades ago.

Though I'm still unable to find any really good vocal or choral version**, I did come across a delightful instrumental (guitar) rendition by Tim Davey on iTunes the other day. It's titled "Nettleton (Come thou Fount of Every Blessing)/Pisgah (When I Can Read My Title Clear)." Now there's a catchy title!

Alas, the iTunes 30-second sample of Davey's work contains only the familiar Nettleton tune. You really need to hear the much less familiar Scottish tune, Pisgah (When I Can Read My Title Clear), too. The whole thing is available for the customary iTunes fee of $0.99, and it's well worth your crisp one dollar bill. My Irish/Scottish/Danish/Viking ancestry pulls me to melodies of this type, I suppose. I'm still a bit amazed, however, at how this tune is classified "New Age" by iTunes. I'd say "Ages Past" would be more accurate.

The lyrics, shamelessly lifted from cyberhymnal.org are displayed below.

Enjoy!

Prof. Oates

When I Can Read My Title Clear

When I can read my title clear to mansions in the skies,
I bid farewell to every fear, and wipe my weeping eyes.

Should earth against my soul engage, and hellish darts be hurled,
Then I can smile at Satan's rage, and face a frowning world.

Let cares, like a wild deluge come, and storms of sorrow fall!
May I but safely reach my home, my God, my heav'n, my All.

There shall I bathe my weary soul in seas of heav'nly rest,
And not a wave of trouble roll, across my peaceful breast.

________________________________________
*Isaac Watts (1674-1748), an English minister and hymnwriter, wrote the lyrics, apparently as a poem, long before Lowry put them to music in 1817.

**Andy Griffith's recording isn't all that bad, I suppose, but nothing can hold a candle to the power of Alice Parker's arrangement and the finesse of the Robert Shaw Chorale.

P.S. BTW, if anyone has or can somehow obtain an .mp3 of the Shaw Chorale's version on Sing to the Lord, I'd be eternally grateful. I still have the vinyl recording, but my turntable is very marginal and my pre-amp/amplifier combination, dead.

P.S.2 Thought: musical tastes like these were certainly helpful to my social life in high school! ;^)

"We don't know what the hell Chuck's talking about half the time, but we're pretty sure he knows." --overheard Sandie bandroom conversation