[78-L] FW: Just a Closer Walk With Thee

David Lennick dlennick at sympatico.ca
Sun Feb 10 06:06:41 PST 2013


And when played in "Treme", it's referred to as "Closer Walk".

On 2/10/2013 8:58 AM, David Lennick wrote:
> The mid 1800s, according to this:
>
> http://www.answers.com/topic/just-a-closer-walk-with-thee-vocal-classical-work
>
> Just a Closer Walk With Thee is a popular spiritual whose words and music come
> from anonymous sources. The melody is taken from a folk song, Closer Walk,
> which probably dates to the early nineteenth century and likely from the
> southern United States. The title and text of Just a Closer Walk With Thee are
> drawn from the Biblical passage from 2 Corinthians 5:7: "We walk by faith, not
> by sight." There are four verses to the song, though the refrain (second
> verse), which begins with the title words, is repeated twice, the first time
> after the third verse and once more after the fifth. The melody is sentimental
> and will appeal to those with a taste for folk-ish styles of gospel music. It
> comes in four phrases, the second and third starting higher than the last, the
> final one closing the melodic contour with a firm sense of resolution and
> triumph. The melody repeats throughout the song, much in the manner of those in
> other famous spirituals, such as He's Got the Whole World in His Hands and When
> the Saints Go Marching In. The text speaks of human weakness and asks Jesus for
> strength via "just a closer walk with thee." ~ Robert Cummings, Rovi
>
> Read more:
> http://www.answers.com/topic/just-a-closer-walk-with-thee-vocal-classical-work#ixzz2KVLIV448
>
> dl
>
> On 2/10/2013 8:54 AM, Julian Vein wrote:
>> On 10/02/13 12:51, Thomas Stern wrote:
>>> Forwarding this query from the ballad list - I think folks on 78 or ARSC
>>> list may have the answer.
>>>     What is the earliest recording?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> Best wishes, Thomas.
>>>
>>>     -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Fredamhran at aol.com [mailto:Fredamhran at aol.com]
>>> Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2013 6:21 AM
>>> To: ballad-l at list.indiana.edu
>>> Subject: Just a Closer Walk With Thee
>>>
>>>
>>> I wonder if anyone can resolve a dispute that's about to erupt on another
>>> message board.
>>>
>>> Someone there says that the spiritual Just A Closer Walk With Thee was
>>> written in 1939. However, gut feeling suggests to me that, while it might
>>> have been first copyrighted then, the song goes back way before then.
>>>
>>> Would anybody know who's right?
>>>
>>> Many thanks,
>>>
>>> Fred McCormick.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Composer shown as "W.S.Stevenson at
>> http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0094458
>>
>>           Julian Vein
>> __________________________________________


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