Metropolitan Baptist Church morning hymn on 1/18/09 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (James Weldon Johnson, J. Rosamund Johnson). Jason Powell (organ) Steven Allen (piano).
This was far more than a performance; it was a tribute to the One who has carried us from where we were to where we are. What a masterful balance of organ, piano, and voice. Praise God.
Im only 15 and I first heard this song last year. Now I'm hearing it more when I go to meetings. When I first heard it the words didn't mean much to me. But now that I've studied the words and no what they mean I truly appreciate the struggle my people went through for the rights that I now have today. If it wasn't for them I would not be where I am today
I agree with @springhilbc, and I was there in the congregation with my two lawyer friends from Nairobi, Kenya who earned their law degrees in England while I earned my law degree at Harvard. We're still friends over 20 years now. God bless those musicians and those members of that congregation!! I bought the DVD and the VHS of this event the morning before the inauguration of Barak Obama for the very first time. God is good!!
Verse three is a scathing indictment upon our people. Many, if not most, of us have become drunk with the wine of the world, adopted its low moral standards, and forgotten God. Psalm 9:17 is STILL true. The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.
I was liturgist at our United Methodist church today and lead the unison prayer which was based on the third verse of this wonderful hymn. I love this rendition! Thank you for posting it!
Simply marvelous. Dr. King and Malcolm X would have loved to hear this rendition by the congregation. Happy Birthday to Martin Luther King Jr. Rest in power.
I love all good versions of this great anthem, and this is definitely one. I particularly like the tempo of the choir and instrumentalists as they sway through the third stanza. Intensely moving.
Unlike many renditions of this on youtube, this was a very good one. We sang it this morning (20 July 2014) in church (Episcopal). The congregation is about 95% white and I am white. However, I knew what it was and was probably more emotionally affected than most of the congregation.
Yes, exactly. Lift EVERY voice and sing. We sing this in our church for MLK day and on other suitable occasions. It's very moving. Of course there are specific references to slavery in the song-but oppressed urban workers suffered many of the same pains (nothing is worse than being owned by someone, though). I believe every American should be proud of the civil rights movement, it set a shining example of non-violence for the world and opened the way for women, other minorities, gay people. etc, to fight or equality.
For everyone who is going on about the pianist, hush!! This is one of the most beautiful renditions of this song and you obviously don't have a real appreciation of FINE music!!!
I first sang this at a United Methodist Conference in New Jersey on a memorable night during a visit when I and my dear friend, the then presiding bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Bishop Stanley Mogoba, were doing deputation work for our church in the United States. It was during the darkest days of apartheid, and this hymn spoke to Stan and me like no other. I shall never forget it, or the wonderful people of New Jersey.
I have been looking all over youtube and have not found another version like this one. This is simply beautiful. This has been on repeat for the past 8 hours. The last part of this song gets me every time.
This is beautiful!!! It is interesting that the pastor can conduct choir, congregation, and musicians in the congregational singing. I see your two pattern Pastor. Looks like he knows what he's doing. Kudos! Most pastors can't do that.
The absolutely most beautiful rendition of this hymn about liberation. MLK's dream still has yet to be fulfilled. There is much work to be done to end racism and bigotry in all of its forms. This is especially true as racist Caucasians try to prohibit the honest teaching of our country's racial history.
From COSTA RICA: I absolutely enjoyed this one!! Everyone was just inspired!! I like the arragement with the piano and organ but would have liked to hear a full organ for the final verse....
Great arrangement and performance! We did it for our church on the exact same day for MLK. I just posted it on youtube. it was interesting to see the same day posted.
Awesome and inspiring! Well done! We sang this Sunday at Kenmore (Buffalo, NY) United Methodist Church services as our closing hymn and were uplifted! Thank you for posting this on youtube!
Lift Every Voice and Sing BY JAMES WELDON JOHNSON Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won. Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chastening rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet Come to the place for which our fathers sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; Thou who hast by Thy might Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee; Shadowed beneath Thy hand, May we forever stand. True to our God, True to our native land.
Whether African_American or European-American or some other type of American, we are all able ; especially in the" United" States of America, to at least empathize and sympathize with this song in both its lyrics and musical score. All of may not be able to directly Identify with the struggle of which it speaks , but we can support those who do as we remember our own struggles as individuals and as community at large on all levels. I remember when I attended the worship service at Grace Episcopal church in Charleston,SC on Wentworth street. It was the time for the ceremony of The Kirkin of the Tartans. I remember how beautiful the song was and could see the time in my mind's eye as I listened. Trust me. All women mourn over the loss of theirs sons, husbands, nephews and uncles. What goes on in the city goes on in the field. Indeed, " We are much more alike than we are unalike." and , as my maternal grandmother used to tell me, "The pot can't call the kettle black cause they both settin in the same fire and the cloak aint no better than the robe cause the both cut from the same cloth." Now children, let us "Lift EVERY Voice & SING" from Moncks Corner , SC to Monterey, CA. Amen
An amazing anointed rendition of this song. I listen to it several times a day as it uplifts my soul. As we rejoice, then we are reminded of the past then brought to the present. It's time our children start to listen to this song and stop killing each other. So they can understand where we are now and what our ancestors went to. What city is this church located? I like how the preacher takes the lead to bring the words home a truly masterful performance. In Jesus Name
IM twelve and I have so much pride in my race but I am not pleased how our race is acting in this generation is acting they need to show some deginatey
Someone Stuck in time (Slavery Days. Trained people to beat their kind. Namely BLACKS. During USA slavery times slaves beat others at the command of the slave owner. AJM 1/29/23
Will just 1 Black man, woman or child sing this song at the FUNERAL of any of the 8,000 BLACK men, women or children who were murdered by another BLACK person each year? Nope, Not a peep.
Who knows...have you been or seen one those funerals? Or are you just a white troll talking out their ass per usual? I'm going to go with the latter. Worry about the hymns sang at the number of white children killed at the hands of a white mass shooter.
