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Posted By: edshaw Near the Cross. Frances Crosby. 1869 - 07/02/20 02:44 PM
Popular post civil war hymn by Frances Crosby and William Doane. Published 1869
Near the Cross

Slow Swing Country Waltz 6/8
Rehearsal track two of three July 2020
Posted By: jptjptjpt Re: Near the Cross. Frances Crosby. 1869 - 07/03/20 12:27 AM
Cool recording. It had a ghostly quality to it that went along with the old time gospel tune.

p.s. I started humming Bob Dylan's "Oh, Sister" after hearing your recording. I wonder if he lifted his song from this? He's been known to do that on other tunes.
Posted By: edshaw Re: Near the Cross. Frances Crosby. 1869 - 07/03/20 10:28 AM
Originally Posted By: jptjptjpt
Cool recording. It had a ghostly quality to it that went along with the old time gospel tune.
p.s. I started humming Bob Dylan's "Oh, Sister" after hearing your recording. I wonder if he lifted his song from this? He's been known to do that on other tunes.


Thanks, good points. I have been experimenting with associating emotional associations with the various keys. Nothing too heavy, mind you, at my level of expertise, but let me say Band in the Box is the perfect tool for such work, for one reason, it allows us to correlate the timing of the chord changes, fundamental, with the impact of the lyrics. For example, that quality to which you refer can be associated with A Major and Ab, in specific, those changes from the one to the four. All laid out there, for all the world to see, in BiaB, at the touch of a button. (BTW, the effects pedal was set to "shimmer.") This one is in common chord, closely related to A, the 6th.
With respect to influences, it has become so plain to me over these years of playing PD Hymns they are a virtual treasure trove of melodic and musical ideas. In Dylan's case, he had certain gifts of improvisation that I maintain we all have, should we choose to value and develop them. Coincidentally, I was recently wondering what is the link between folk and hymn?
Which came first? How do the two influence each other? I know, this is a question for music history specialists, made more complicated by melody being out of fashion.


Nice Ed!

Great version.
Good interpretation.

We always enjoy your interpretation of old hymns.

Well done.

J&B
Posted By: Robertkc Re: Near the Cross. Frances Crosby. 1869 - 07/03/20 03:34 PM
Ed,
Warm and sincere; well done!

Robert
Posted By: Bawb Re: Near the Cross. Frances Crosby. 1869 - 07/03/20 05:18 PM
Hi Ed,

In my head, I can just picture this being played in some old wooden country church or maybe even in some big ole revival tent...

Great job...

Thanks for posting it...
Posted By: edshaw Re: Near the Cross. Frances Crosby. 1869 - 07/03/20 06:36 PM
Thanks folks. It is my pleasure to have entertained you. As you know, I follow each of your works, enjoy them, and learn from each of you.
Fanny Crosby is a study in herself. Blinded as a child as a result of medical error, she went on to compose over 8,000 hymns, among which, Blessed Assurance. https://www.azquotes.com/author/26216-Fanny_Crosby
Her residence was Massachusetts, a leading state of schools for the blind. Near the Cross. Think of it, 1869. The Confederacy ended in the Spring of 1865. The horror of that war was fresh in everyone's mind. Recent current events have caused me to visit web sites, etc., on that topic.
Bawb, I just started attending one of those old wooden churches at a crossroads in rural Ohio. We'll see if your prediction comes true smile
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