FC2064
Down in the river to pray
Music: Trad. arr. Frances Cockburn, Words: Trad. American
Voicing: SSA
Performance time approx: 2m 45s
Range S1: a – f'' / S2: a – c'' / A: f – c''
Price code: C
Complexity:
This song, made famous by the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, has a 19th century African American origin. A very similar song entitled ‘The Good Old Way’ appears in the 1867 collection Slave Songs of the United States, compiled by abolitionists. Numerous variants exist. Frances Cockburn’s SSA arrangement gives the tune to each section in turn and uses different harmonies each time. Canasg also publishes her slightly different arrangement for SSAA.
As I went down in the river to pray,
Studying about that good old way,
And who shall wear the starry crown, [in alternate verses: robe and crown]
Good Lord, show me the way.
Oh sisters, let’s go down,
Let’s go down, come on down,
Oh sisters, let’s go down,
Down in the river to pray.
As I went down in the river to pray…
Oh brothers….
As I went down in the river to pray…
Oh fathers….
As I went down in the river to pray…
Oh mothers….
As I went down in the river to pray…
Oh sinners….
Traditional