by Eric
(St. Paul)
I love this tune! I'm so glad I found out about it. I'm wondering if there is a name for the tune by which it is distinguished from the traditional (Walker) tune.
Second, I am unfamiliar with guitar tabs, but I'm learning mandolin. How can I "translate" the tabs I see on your sheet music into chord names that I am learning?
Oh, a third question: I read somewhere else that Walker only put one verse into "The Southern Harmony" but later published "The Christian Harmony," in which he included six verses! Short of buying the book, do you know of where those other two verses might be found?
Thanks for anything you can tell me!
Dana:
Hi, Eric,
Apparently the traditional tune is called "Holy War," but I don't know what this less common tune is called.
I have found more verses, at a site called HymnWiki.org. There are several hymnbooks with slightly differing lyrics: The Christian's spiritual song book, by J. Stamp, 1845, The Hesperian Harp, 1848, by Dr. William Hauser, The Golden Harp, Or, Camp-meeting Hymns, Old and New, 1857. Here are the seven - not six - verses from "The Christian's Spiritual Song Book:
(Page?) 229
Tune—Holy War.
P.M.
1. What wondrous love is this? O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul?
What wondrous love is this?
Which caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse,
For my soul.
2. When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down,
Beneath God's awful frown,
Christ laid aside his crown
For my soul.
3. When I began to pray for my soul, for my soul,
When I began to pray for my soul,
When I began to pray,
Thus the word of God did say,
Christ is the truth and the way,
For thy soul.
4. He shed his heavenly light in my soul, in my soul,
He shed his heavenly light in my soul,
He shed his heavenly light,
To disperse the gloom of night,
Now it shines with radiance bright,
In my soul.
230. The same continued.
1. Ye winged seraphs, fly, bear the news, bear the news,
Ye winged seraphs, fly, bear the news,
Ye winged seraphs, fly,
Like comets through the sky,
Fill vast eternity
With the news.
2. Ye friends of Zion's king, join in praise, join in praise,
Ye friends of Zion's king, join in praise;
Ye friends of Zion's king,
With hearts and voices sing,
And strike each tuneful string,
In his praise.
3. And when from death made free, we will sing, we will sing,
And when from death made free, we will sing,
And when from death made free,
We'll sing and joyful be,
Through all eternity
We will sing.
Regarding mandolin chords, this song happens to be a one-chord song. Choose a minor chord that works well for your voice and make that the chord. If you want to play melody notes, then you need to go to a mandolin site and increase your learning! I do have a couple of guitar tab/piano notation charts for free download that will help you if you understand music notation... good luck!