Folksong for March, 2018

 Camptown Races
Wade in the Water

I'm going to share two traditional songs to try this month, mainly because as I was working on sharing the one we have scheduled, late at night in the dark of my room, using headphones so as not to disturb my husband next to me, I caught an ear-worm and kept finding myself playing different versions of a very different song and I had to exorcise, er, share it.

Because I know many of our members enjoy hearing some of the little behind the scenes, how things happen details, I want to explain why I was up doing the folksong and hymn for March at 2 a.m.  Besides the fact that I tend to procrastinate a bit- not on purpose, but because I just genuinely don't really experience time passing and so every month the end of the month astonishes me.  I was doing this late at night because my husband and I are sharing a power cord at the moment.  There was a power surge (apparently, according to people who know these things), and my laptop plug made a loud wailing, hissing noise and then there was a noise between a pop and a boom, and the extension cord, which was on the bed, turned black and smelled horrible and scorched my sheets, and my poor power cord- one of the metal prongs actually melted a bit. It all smelled very bad, too.  Happily, my husband and I share the same brand of laptop, so I use his power cord in the evening and at night, so he can take his laptop touse at work in the morning.
Teamwork.

We do plan on getting me a replacement, but we live in the Philippines, so it's not quite that simple.  We may have a lead on one, however, and as soon as we have the time we'll take a cab over to the store that tells us they have one, and we'll see if that is indeed the case (so often, it isn't).

Also, because we live in the Philippines in a recently developed neighborhood, our internet is sometimes unreliable, and we have a finite limit.  It's the end of Febrary, so we're near the end of our monthly allotment, which means I cannot play and replay the youtube videos as often as I would like in order to get it all correct.  I've tried to listen carefully and type fast, but there are typos in the lyrics posted below and I believe a couple of missed or repeated lines, more than I would like.  If anybody else cares to listen and check, leave a comment with your suggested correction and I'll fix the errors you find.

Now about the folksongs.... on the schedule, we have Camptown Races by Stephen Foster (1826-1864). Foster was known as America's songwriter. He essentially created the profession, and struggled to support himself due to weak copyright protections.  If you're interested,you can read more about him and his life and goals for his music here.  However, it's not required. It's fine to just sing the songs.


Here's a version by the 2nd Carolina String Band, Civil War Re-enactors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ynyKZuUSpM 

Another version

Johnny Cash

The setting is the Camptown Racetrack, and the singer is going to watch as many race as he can and hopes to win some money (in some versions he *has*) through betting on the horses- specifically, the 'bob-tailed nag.' 

Lyrics, though there are some variations between performers:


The Camptown ladies sing this song
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
The Camptown racetrack's five miles long
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

I come down there with my hat caved in
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
I go back home with a pocket full of tin
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

The long tail filly and the big black hoss
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
They fly the track and they both cut across
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

The blind hoss sticken in a big mud hole
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Can't touch bottom with a ten foot pole
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

Old muley cow come on to the track
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
The bob-tail fling her over his back
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

Then fly along like a rail-road car
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Runnin' a race with a shootin' star
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

See them flyin' on a ten mile heat
Doo-dah! Doo-dah!
Round the race track, then repeat
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay

I win my money on the bob-tail nag
Doo-dah! doo-dah!
I keep my money in an old tow-bag
Oh! doo-dah day!

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the bay
Lyrics taken from this page

Johnny Cash sings 'bound to run all night...'   In an attempt to duplicate the southern black dialect, Foster originally wrote 'going to' as 'gwine to' which is an approximation of 'goin', though not a particularly happy or successful one, IMO.

If you are old enough to remember Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, you know he hummed this song all the time.  Here's a compilation of many of those moments.

Bob-tailed is a horse with its tail cut short. Nag is a synonym for horse. Originallyit referred to a smaller horse for riding.Eventually it came to mean any older, run-down horse. Perhaps our singer doesn't have enough money to bet on a better horse?  A bay is a reddish brown horse with black main, lower legs, and ear edges. It's a very common colouring.
The singer goes to the races with his hat caved in-  symbol of povety, and returns with a pocket full of tin, or money.

It's a fun, humorous song with a catchy refrain and tune, not meant to be taken seriously.  It's easy to catch on to the chorus and sing along pretty quickly. It's a good song for expressing exhuberant feelings and happiness over some unexpected turn of good luck.  It's not social commentary.

Foster's ideas and practices evolved and grew over time, but one thing that never changed is that he asked his performers not to mock slavery or slaves, and he never allowed crude characatures on his published sheet music. His attempts to accurately depict a southern black dialect never were very successful and he eventually dropped them altogether.  Keep in mind that in the days before radio or television, the accented speech divisions between the south and north were even stronger than they are now- one of the most common complaints among soldiers in WW1 is that the northerners and southerners couldn't even understand each other.  Foster was from Pennsylvania, not the south.  For more information, see this page.


Somehow in the domino effect that happens when chasing down information on the internet I ended up clicking a link to Wade in the Water, a favourite of mine since childhood days.

There are a lot of variations to this one, both to the lyrics and the tune, although the basic heart of the song is always:
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.

According to Wikipedia, ""Wade in the Water" (Roud 5439) is the name of a Negro spiritual first published in New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers (1901) by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J. Work (see Fisk Jubilee Singers). It is associated with the songs of the Underground Railroad."

(The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditional spirituals, but included some Stephen Foster songs. The original group toured along the Underground Railroad path in the United States, as well as performing in England and Europe. Later 19th-century groups also toured in Europe.)

Listen and Learn:

Wade in the Water by the Jeeemeys, the alter-ego of musician and teacher Jimmy Rossi
https://youtu.be/HeLur5K_Hwo

Mr. Rossi put the lyrics in his video so it's easy to follow along. This version is also fairly simple and easy to follow as it lacks the wonderful improvisation that often accompanies Wade in the Water.

Wade in the Water by Ella Fitzgerald and the Goodwill Spiritual Choire

https://youtu.be/vg_8L96E3eU (Wade in the water) (Wade in the water) Wade in the water Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water, God is gonna trouble these waters See that band all dressed in white God is gonna trouble these waters It look like a band of the Israelite God is gonna trouble these waters

Wade in the water Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water, God is gonna trouble these waters

See that band all dressed in red God is gonna trouble these waters Look like a band that Moses led God is gonna trouble these waters

Wade in the water Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water, God is gonna trouble these waters
My Lord delivered Danuel, Danuel, Danuel Didn't my Lord deliver Danuel Then why not every man? Now didn't my Lord deliver Danuel, Danuel, Danuel Didn't my Lord deliver Danuel Then why not every man? Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river Went down there for to pray Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river To wash his sins all away Washed all day, washed all night Washed till his hands were sore Washed all day, washed all night Till he couldn't wash a-no more (Hey) Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river Went down there for to pray Man went down to the river Man went down to the river, Lord Man went down to the river Washed his sins all away Wade in the water Wade in the water, children Wade in the water God is gonna trouble these waters Wade in the water Wade in the water, children Wade in the water God is gonna trouble these waters God is gonna trouble these waters God is gonna trouble these waters


 Here's a version by the Blind Boys of Alabama
 Wade in the water
 come on and wade in the water, children
wade in the water
My Lord, my God's gonna trouble the water

 Come on and Wade in the Water
Come on and Wade in the Water , children
Wade in the water
My God's gonna trouble the water

 If you hear tell of me dyin'
 I don't want nobody to cry
All I want you to do for me
and that's to close my eyes.

 Well, Come On and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
My Lord, my God's gonna trouble the water.

 Well in my dying hour
 I don't want nobody to mourn
All I want you to do for me
 and that's to give that (bell at dawn?)

Well,  Come On and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children!
Wade in the water.
 My God's gonna trouble the water.

 When I get in Glory
I'm gonna shake my brother's hand, Oh, yes
I'm gonna tell all about my troubles while traveling through this land.

 Come On and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
My God's gonna trouble the water.

 Come on and wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water.
My Lord, my God's gonna trouble the water.

 Wade in the Water by the Staples Singers:
 Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water,
He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 See that host all dressed in red?
He's gonna trouble the water.
Must be the host that Moses led.
He's gonna trouble the water.

 You don't believe I've been redeemed
He's gonna trouble the water
Well, follow me down by the Jordan stream
He's gonna trouble the water.

 Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
 He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 Wade in the water
Wade in the water, children
Wade in the water
 He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water

 See that host all dressed in white
He's gonna trouble the water.
 It looks like the children of the Israelites
He's gonna trouble the water.
I looked over yonder and what did I see?
 He's gonna trouble the water.
 A band of angels coming for me
He's gonna trouble the water

 Well, why don't you Wade in the water?
Wade in the water, children
 Wade in the water
 He's gonna trouble the water
He's gonna trouble the water




 
St James Missionary Baptist church in Canton, 1978
Turn it up

Oh, I've got my ticket in my right hand
And I'm on my way to the promised land.

You can talk about me just as you please
And the more you talk, I'm gonna bend my knees...

You know you don't believe I've been redeemed
Follow me down to the Jordan Stream

Ohhh, who is that yonder dressed in red?
oooh, just like the children that Moses led.

Who is that yonder dresed in blue?
It look like the ones that made it through (I think, can somebody double check?)




 Topher Keene teaches an audience how to sing it in 3 part harmony, a very good teaching/learning recording for those who want extra help (could be fun with an AO/CM co-op): https://youtu.be/4xeDemvhekc

What does it mean?  Depends on who you ask, and also on who is singing.

Some of the reference are obvious:

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had., John 5:4

Moses led the Israelites out of slavery.

Under the surface: it's probably a spiritual celebrating freedom and encouraging it as well, literally.   Harriet Tubman was the Moses of her people.  The Ohio River had to be crossed to reach freedom, and often references to the Jordan River were coded references to The Ohio River.  It's giving hints on how to get to freedom- wade in the water to keep the blood hounds off your trail, follow our Moses, cross the Ohio river, make it to the other side.  

When God troubles the water... is that a reference to conditions being right to make a run for freedom?  

The background is meaningful and important- but if you only have time for one thing, make it be singing the song (s)

Sing!

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Hymn for March, 2018

Lyrics (written by the joyful Isaac Watts): When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! * All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 

 (This next verse is often omitted) 

His dying crimson, like a robe, Spreads o’er His body on the tree; Then I am dead to all the globe, And all the globe is dead to me. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. 

 You can listen here to pick up the tune, but please don't stop at listening. The hymns are meant to be sung. It's not as scary as it may seem. Just try to sing along once a day for a week or two, every day, and before you know it, you'll be singing while rocking the baby, peeling the potatoes, on long drives, while washing dishes, and more. This is a precious legacy to give your children. Please don't measure it out with a cramped, stinting hand. Be strong, be bold, banish fear and doubt, and SING! 

https://youtu.be/2ps2DBrJHEk This is a simple congregational singing recording, easy to hear the parts, especially tenor and melody. The dying crimson verse is omitted. I believe this is the easiest one to learn the hymn from. Here: https://youtu.be/Tkx8WAycYAc Fernando Ortega- he sings the first verse alone and acapella. The second verse adds a chorus and some simple background music. The third verse returns to Ortega singing solo, until the final two lines, with more complex background music. The 'dying crimson verse is omitted, there's a musical interlude before the next verse ('were the whole realm...') Here: https://youtu.be/X-LilSiunWA The Breath of Life Quartet- they omit the final verse above, and also the verse about dying crimson. Their voices are powerful and strong, and this rendition is gorgeous. They step up the tune at the second verse and seem to omit the melody and highlight the harmonizing parts. They do take a few liberties with the tune, but not many. *some versions say 'Christ my Lord.'

What Can Happen When You Sing Hymns

by Wendi Capehart

My eldest daughter and her husband have been singing with their kids forever.  Okay, not literally forever, as her kids are not very old- 5, 4, 3, and 1.  However, from the childrens' perspective it is forever, because she was singing hymns to them when they were still in the womb.  I have a vivid memory of her singing to her firstborn while he was being resuscitated after being born gray, limp, and unresponsive. I am positive he stayed with us to hear more of his mother's songs.

   Very recently this busy family has been working specifically on the hymn Trust and Obey. This mainly means they make sure to sing it every day in a more focused, intentional way. I could tell Trust and Obey was their current hymn because while the grandchildren were visiting me recently, they gathered themselves and their baby cousins together on my stairs and sang most of the hymn together, and my grandma heart was warmed to the core. Imagine the joy of hearing your small grandchildren spontaneously singing hymns together just for fun, because they want to.

A couple of days ago, the four year old unfortunately did not obey, and this resulted in an unplanned trip to the emergency room where she had to have a blood draw to determine just how dangerous her disobedience had been.  To be honest, it  was a pretty rough experience for them all, and perhaps especially for our small grand-daughter..

Her brother was born with a medical condition requiring regular blood draws, so she knows more about it than most four year old children.  When she saw the white-coated staff coming toward her, she knew what to expect, and she was upset. Her mama offered to sing to her to help her think about something else, and asked what song she would like Mommy to sing. 

She was still thinking about what song she wanted when the process began. It wasn't their fault- the ER room was swamped, and other patients were waiting.  The staff was as kind as possible, but they were forced to rush.  They began with back to back. simultaneous and brutal sticks- again, not their fault. She is not an easy stick.  It was at the moment this torture began that my grand-daughter  blurted out her answer to her mama's question- she sobbed out "Trust & Obey!" as the hymn she needed her mommy to sing.

Paul and Silas sang hymns in prison, and they were able to do that because they already knew hymns and were used to singing them.  She was able to come up with that hymn when she needed it because she already knew it.  It's a recent part of her family stock of songs. She endured while Mommy sang. But more was yet to come.  They took the finished blood draws and dashed out of the room so they could quickly get it to the lab and move on to other patients.  Not much later a nurse returned, saying, "Bad news. one of them clotted before they could analyze it. I'm afraid we need another draw."

Can you imagine how my little grand-daughter must have felt when she heard this?  What do you suppose she was thinking when  someone else came in and chatted gently with her while looking for another vein to jab in this petite morsel of a four year old?  

Would you believe that she was thinking of another hymn to sing and even choosing the order (she is a bit of a control freak at times)?

 While the nurse was searching for her vein, my nervous and fearful grand-daughter asked her Mama, "Can you sing Jesus Loves me & Trust & Obey? Sing Jesus Loves Me until she puts the needle in and then sing Trust and Obey."   She then started chatting with the nurse about this song her family listens to on the computer and then sing together at home, and how it goes... and she sang a good chunk of Trust and Obey on her own to the nurse.  My daughter tells me the nurse listened for a while and then said, "I just think it's so special that you sing with them like this! 

We are all very encouraged and inspired by this story, although the irony is not lost upon us that she had this opportunity to share this 'testimony' with the nurse precisely because she had not obeyed.  She is not a holier than thou, priggish miss who never does anything she shouldn't.  She is much more like the little girl in the Longfellow poem, the one with the curl in the middle of her forehead ('when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid!')

There are many children, and adults, too, who might find deep comfort and sustenance in singing these old hymns in times of trial (or in expressing joy).  But they cannot, because they have never learned these hymns.  Some Christians don't really even see the point in learning hymns. It smacks of rote religion, I suppose, or perhaps it brings a faint whiff of fusty, musty, dead faith. I do not know why- I grew up in a family where a hymnal was a standard part of our 'things to do in the car' on trips and we sang hymns while doing dishes as naturally and easily as we argued over whose turn it was to do the dishes.  It may be something 'not done' any more, but that doesn't mean it's outdated and old fashioned.  It means we are cut off from our roots.

Is any among you happy?  .... merry? .... sing praises.... (James 5:13)

I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. (1 Corinthians 14:15)

...sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19

About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.  Acts 16:25

Matthew 26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

 Regular singing, both personal and congregational, of Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs has been part of the Christian tradition from the dawn of Christianity. It is the birthright of every child from a believing family. But we, like Esau, have squandered our heritage for a mess of pottage, very much like Esau, in fact. Esau didn't want to bother to prepare or fetch his own food, and we don't think we need to sing our own songs any longer.  In fact, we think we can't because we don't sound like trained musicians and we don't have dub-step at home, so we might, at best, listen to somebody perform these songs once in a while.  Listening to a performance may lift our spirits, but Christianity is not a spectator sport. It's personal. It's intimate. It's relationship.  

We think the hymns that sustained the believers who went before us are  too hard, too old fashioned, out of date, irrelevant, especially to little children.   My grand-daughter is, of course, quite advanced for her years.  She is bright beyond her chronology.  Nevertheless, she is still only four years old.   She was near panic in a very frightening and painful situation, and yet, even in that traumatized state, she was encouraged, strengthened, and comforted by a hymn over 100 years old. In fact, it is the hymn that came to mind first for her.  This happened because she knew the hymn, because her parents did not decide for her that she could not relate to it or understand it.  

In a CM education we build relationships, develop good habits and nurture affinities to complex ideas and practices such as singing hymns, personally engaging in observation for nature study, poetry, art, and great books.  We do these things when the children are young so that these connections are already there for the children to draw on when they need them.   While God can, of course, work miracles, most often, he works with us where we are. Just the right hymn coming to mind when and where we need it is more likely to happen when those hymns are already a natural, integrated, whole part of our lives. 

Please. Sing with your children.

P.S. Grand-daughter's bloodwork all came back fine, and she left the ER saying to her mum, "I guess next time I should.... obey."

Thank-you to my oldest daughter for many things- permission to share this story and edit your words for an AO publication and for being the mother you are to those precious children, and for choosing the good man you did to father those darlings.  A big thank-you to all the mothers of my grandchildren, because you all sing hymns with your children regularly and you all have married good men, so a story like this could have come from any of you.

Hymn Singing and playlist for the 2015/2016 School Year

We know that not all our members are Christian, but we are, and Charlotte Mason was a member in good standing with the Church of England and a woman of strong and deep faith and love for the Lord, and she included hymns in her programmes, and so do we.

On our FB group today, somebody asked for help finding hymn links that have both words and music together, because she doesn't know the hymns and does not read music, so it's hard to learn them from just a midi file with lyrics.
When you click on the title on our website, that usually takes you to the hymn lyrics and a midi file online. But when you click on the asterisk after the song title at our website, that should take you to a youtube version. We *usually* try to avoid instrumental only versions. Sometimes, of course, you all are ready for the hymns before we're all caught up on fixing broken links and finding current youtube versions (sometimes they don't stay put!)

Another suggestion- search acapella versions- that will help you match the words to notes. You can also find acapella versions by looking including in your search terms Primitive Baptist, church of Christ (all three words in quotations), Mennonite, Sacred Harp, OR Shaped Note Singing. The first two groups sing without instruments, so all their hymn selections will be acapella, or voice only, which makes it easier to learn a new melody. Mennonites often do (depends on the group), and Sacred Harp or Shaped Note singing is the fa sol la tradition, and also acapella.  

Here's my play list- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2IR3x_bkyR76SlbAs-Ak5wWO7GCOL5Wr

Something you should know when I pick youtube videos:

I grew up in an acapella singing church, so that's my first preference. I can't even figure out where to sing along with songs that have really strong instrumentals.

I also tend to prefer somewhat unpolished, average joe and jane versions because I want the children not to be intimidated out of singing the songs- and singing the hymns, not just listening to them, is our goal.  

When we added hymns to the line up nearly 15 years ago, we discussed our varied backgrounds in hymn singing. I'm not the only one who grew up acapella, singing hymns with the family on long car trips, while doing the dishes, to comfort ourselves in time of need. But you needn't grow up acapella to have that rich treasure. One of us told the others lovely stories of her mother and aunt singing through the hymns they knew while they did the dishes in a tiny apartment that I always picture looking exactly like the kitchen in The Honeymooners).

We want that for you, too. We want our members and their children to feel like these are songs they can sing by themselves in their rooms, in the morning while getting dressed, while driving somewhere- in their living rooms with their family, anywhere, any time, without being afraid they don't sing well enough, and whether or not they have somebody who can play an instrument. After all, pianos are not portable, but you nearly always have your voice with you.=) 

But you don't have to use my playlist. I won't know if you pick your own unless you tell me and if you do, I will only rejoice over you caring enough about the hymns to pick a line-up that speaks to you.  

In the book of Acts in the New Testament, Paul and Silas were in prison (chapter 16, verse 25). Do you know what they were doing? They were singing. Their hands and feet were bound, so they weren't playing any instruments. The Word does not say, but I it's pretty safe to believe the Jailor was not accompanying them with a psalter (he was not yet converted). They were singing- and I must surmise they were able to do this because singing was already their practice and they already knew the words. That's also something we hope for with AO's students- that hymns will be there to sustain them in joyful and heartbreaking times, that their souls will be nourished by learning- and singing- these songs of the Christian faith.

On this specific playlist, you should also know:

A Charge to Keep I Have will be confusing, I think, because I included more Black American versions than anything else. They have a gorgeous 'lining out' hymn tradition that gives me delicious goose bumps, it's so pretty. But it's not what most people who have never been in black congregations in the south will be used to.

There are two tunes I am used to singing with Take My Life, and I used both of them.

Several of the hymns have variations in their lyrics, or have multiple verses, and one group might sing three of them, and another four, or one may choose a different grouping of verses.

If you sing the hymns, you can't fail.

 

If you falter, miss a beat, go up when you should have gone down, create a new verse by combining the first half of one verse with the last half of another, go down when you should have gone up, hear your voice catch and crack- none of that is not failing. 

If you cannot carry a tune in a bucket or you get your pitch by scraping your shoe on a rickety wooden floor, or even by scratching chalk on chalkboard- that's not failing.  

There is not doing it wrong or doing it right. There is only singing and not singing.  

Not singing? Now, that's doing it wrong. There's really only one thing you have to do:

St. Patrick's Breastplate Hymn Lyrics for a Hymn from AO School Year 2015/16

 ST.  PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE

I BIND unto myself today

The strong Name of the Trinity,

 By invocation of the same,

 The Three in One and One in Three.

 I bind this day to me forever,

By pow'r of faith, Christ's Incarnation;

His baptism in  the Jordan river;

 His crucifixion for my salvation;

His bursting from the spicèd tomb;

His riding up the Heav'nly way;

His coming at the day of doom;

 I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power

Of the great love of Cherubim;

The sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;

 The service of the Seraphim,

 Confessors faith, Apostles' word,

 The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets scrolls,

 All good deeds done unto the Lord,

 And purity of virgin souls.

    I bind unto myself to day

 The virtues of the star-lit heaven,

 The glorious sun's life giving ray,

 The whiteness of the moon at even,

 The flashing of the lightning free,

 The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,

 The stable earth, the deep salt sea,

 Around the old eternal rocks.

 I bind unto myself to-day,

 The pow'r of God to hold, and lead,

 His eye to watch, His might to stay,

 His ear to hearken to my need

The wisdom of my God to teach,

His hand to guide, His shield to ward;

 The word of God to give me speech,

 His heavenly host to be my guard.

 Against the demon snares of sin,

The vice that gives temptation force,

The natural lusts that war within,

 The hostile men that mar my course;

Or few or many, far or nigh,

 In every place, and in all hours,

 Against their fierce hostility,

I bind to me these holy powers.

 Against all Satan's spells and wiles,

 Against false words of heresy,

 Against the knowledge that defiles,

 Against the heart's idolatry,

 Against the wizard's evil craft,

 Against the death wound and the burning,

 The choking wave,  the poison'd shaft,

 Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

 Christ be with me, Christ within me,

 Christ behind me, Christ before me,

 Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

 Christ to comfort and restore me,

 Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

 Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

 Christ in hearts of all that love me,

 Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

    I bind unto myself the Name,

 The strong Name of the Trinity;

 By invocation of the same,

 The Three in One and One in Three.

 Of Whom all nature hath creation;

 Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

From Poems, by Cecil Frances Alexander Macmillan and Company, New York, 1897

 
My playlist for this year's hymns (not yet complete)