Hymns and Such

This is a collection of hymns and folk songs arranged and performed with my friend Martha (with appearances by Kristen and the Stanford RUF worship band). Martha and I played together for four years in the RUF worship band, a group which plays a number of old hymns arranged in folk style with acoustic guitars and fiddle. After taking Stanford's Music 181 class with Marsha Genensky, we began to work on arrangements of our own, seeking to bring a new sound to the rich poetry of the old hymns. This is a set of recordings made primarily with the built-in microphone of Martha's laptop.

1. By The Mark
2. Amazing Grace
3. Jesus, Lover of My Soul
4. O Sacred Head Now Wounded
5. Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

By the Mark

This was the first song that Martha and I performed together, for Music 181, a folk-music class at Stanford. It is not a hymn per se, but it was written in the music tradition of folk spirituals. The first recording is from our original performance with Music 181 at Stanford. The second version is a live take recorded on Martha's laptop.

Words and Music by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

Live at Stanford, 6.5.06


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Verse 1
When I cross over
I will shout and sing
I will know my savior
By the mark where the nails have been

Chorus
By the mark where the nails have been
By the sign upon his precious skin
I will know my savior when I come to him
By the mark where the nails have been

Verse 2
A man of riches
May claim a crown of jewels
But the king of heaven
Can be told from the prince of fools

Verse 3
On Calvary Mountain
Where they made him suffer so
All my sin was paid for
A long, long time ago

Amazing Grace

After playing together with Music 181, Martha and I decided to meet weekly to continue playing. This is one of the first songs we played together, a new tune of "Amazing Grace," written by Martha several years earlier. We recorded both a multi-track and a live version on Martha's laptop.

Words by John Newton, 1779 and John Rees (verse 4), 1790. Music by Martha.

Multi-track


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Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
’Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

This is a new arrangement based on an old tune for this song called Aberystwyth, written by Joseph Parry. We recorded both a multi-track and a live version on Martha's laptop.

Words by Charles Wesley, 1740. Music by Joseph Parry, 1879. Arranged by Martha and David.

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Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, ’til the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head In the shadow of Thy wing.

Thou, O Christ, are all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

O Sacred Head Now Wounded

Martha's vision for this song was to combine Bach's beautiful arrangement with modern motifs. Our friend and fine singer Kristen joined us for this song. The live take has a slower, pensive atmosphere, while the multi-track version is slightly faster.

Words by Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091-1153. Translated by James W. Alexander, 1830. Music by Hans Leo Hassler, 1601. Arranged by Johann Sebastian Bach, 1729. This arrangement by Martha, David, and Kristen.

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O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory what bliss ’til now was Thine
Yet though despised and gory I joy to call Thee mine .

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe me to Thy grace.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
My Lord of Life, desiring thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

What language shall I borrow to praise Thee, heavenly friend,
For this my dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
Lord make me Thine forever, nor let me faithless prove
Oh let me never, never abuse such dying love

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

This song was arranged for our friend Frank, who lives with AIDS. Frank loves to sing this song - now we can play along with him! The first version of this song is a live recording, when the Stanford RUF worship band played it as an offertory at Grace Presbyterian Church. The second is a live take recorded on Martha's laptop.

Text by Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915. Music by William H. Doane, 1832-1915. Arranged by David and Martha.

Live at Grace Pres, 5.20.07


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Verse 1
Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Chorus
In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.

Verse 2
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Verse 3
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

Verse 4
Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.