Sheldon Smith, Jan 16, 2015
-snip-
This video shows a soloist and four other members of Calvary Tabernacle UPC (Jamaica), a Jamaican Apostolic church choir singing the old hymn, "I'd Rather Be An Old Time Christian". They are accompanied by a snare drummer, two electric guitarists, and a person playing a keyboard are seated in an enclosed area. The other young musicians.The soloist and the four other singers are standing apart the rest of the choir who are in the choir stands. The video doesn't show them until around 1:14. The soloist is standing in a rather wide empty area between the podium and the congregation who are seated in pews. The quartet is also standing below the podium but they are in front of it , and apart from the quartet. At around 1:14 in this video, the choir begins to march down from the podium while they sing. The quartet joins this march but, at least for a time, the soloit continues singing but doesn't join the march. At portions of the march, the still singing choir moves sideways or marches with their backs turned to the congregation. This is the first time I've come across videos of a praise and worship march like this.
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This pancocojams post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series that highlights examples of repetitive songs in contemporary Black worship services collection marches (processionals).
This post showcases a video of a Jamaican Apostolic church doing a march to the chorus of the gospelized hymn "I'd Rather Be An Old Time Christian."
"Gospelized hymn" is my term for a hymn that is sung in a Gospel style.
This post includes the lyrics for the complete song. For comparison's sake, this post also includes a rendition of this song by a White American choir from a First Assemblies Of God church.
Selected comments from the discussion thread for this video is also included in this post.
Addendum #1 of this post includes information about St. Andrews parish, where the Jamaican church that is showcased in this post is located.
Addendum #2 of this post presents my description of two AME church collection marches that I observed in Pleasantville, New Jersey in 2019.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composer/s of this song. Thanks also to Calvary Tabernacle UPC (Jamaica) for their ministeries. Thanks to Sheldon Smith, the publisher of these videos on YouTube.
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DISCLAIMER: "Repetitive songs in Black worship services" does not mean that these songs aren't sung by non-Black people.
Click the "repetitive songs in Black worship services" tag to find additional pancocojams posts in this series.
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LYRICS: I'D RATHER BE AN OLD TIME CHRISTIAN
(composer, when composed ?)
Verse-1:
IN THIS WORLD I’VE TRIED MOST EVERYTHING
AND I’M HAPPY NOW TO SAY.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE RELIGION IN THE GOOD OLD-FASHIONED WAY
I AM WALKING IN THE OLD-TIME WAY
AND I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW.
THAT I’D RATHER BE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
THAN ANYTHING I KNOW.
Chorus:
I’D RATHER BE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
THAN ANYTHING I KNOW.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
WITH A CHRISTIAN LOVE TO SHOW.
I’M WALKING IN THE GRAND OLD HIGHWAY
AND I’M TELLING EVERYWHERE I GO.
THAT I’D RATHER BE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
THAN ANYTHING I KNOW.
Verse-2:
ALL THE WORLD IS BRIGHT SINCE I GOT RIGHT
NOW I SING AND PRAY AND SHOUT;
ALL MY BURDENS HAVE BEEN LIFTED SINCE THE SAVIOR BROUGHT ME
OUT.
I WILL TELL THE WORLD BOTH FAR AND NEAR AS I TRAVEL HERE
BELOW
THAT I’D RATHER BE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
THAN ANYTHING I KNOW.
Online Source:
LINK TO A COMPARISON RENDITION
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
Numbers added for referencing purposes only.
1. Nordia Richards, 2016
"I love this choir and their ministry.keep on singing for the
lord."
**
2. Debbie Campbell, 2016
"amazing move of the holy ghost..it goes to show its not about the crowd or large
choir it's all about the anointing....love it."
**
3. N. w, 2018
"Fire of God is there keep stomping I rather be old time Christian Jesus"
**
4. Marcia Mitchell, 2018
"i would love the words of this song"
**
5. Patricia Henry, 2018
I’D RATHER BE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
THAN ANYTHING I KNOW.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
WITH A CHRISTIAN LOVE TO SHOW.
I’M WALKING IN THE GRAND OLD HIGHWAY
AND I’M TELLING EVERYWHERE I GO.
THAT I’D RATHER BE AN OLD-TIME CHRISTIAN
THAN ANYTHING I KNOW."
**
"Holy ghost bless them so them serve you"
**
7. Tamara Turner, 2019
"I really want to get back to this level of worship... Blessings sis"
8.
"This is the old time church."
9. Opal Allen, 2020
"
**
10. Thomas Just, 2020
"wow this is amazing, they are indeed filled with the spirit"
**
11. Daughter Of Omega, 2020
"Where do I find this church? Mi like it holy ghost is moving there."
**
Reply
12. Nadine Mitchell, 2020
"Luna UPC is in St. Andrew. Calvary Tabernacle UPC is in St. Ann's Bay"
-snip-
This comment is written in response to another one which mistakenly indicated that this church is located in St. Ann's Bay, a parish in Jamaica. Read information about St. Andrew, a parish in Jamaica in the Addendum below.
13. Woman Of Purpose, 2021
"Anointed singing,love it"
14. Veron Watkis, 2021
"
ADDENDUM #1
From
"Saint Andrew is a parish, situated in the southeast of Jamaica in the county of
Surrey. It lies north, west and east of Kingston, and stretches into the Blue
Mountains…
The parish has a rich musical tradition, with numerous
well-known musicians and developing popular types of Jamaican music. The Studio
One studio founded by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd is in Saint Andrew.
Mavado, Sean Paul, Buju Banton, Elephant Man, The Mighty Diamonds, Monty
Alexander, Beres Hammond, Lady Saw, Sugar Minott, Bounty Killer, Mr. Vegas,
Richie Spice are some of the parish's current musician residents.
The area of Trenchtown became famous for such residents as The Wailers (Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and Bob Marley), and Toots Hibbert, who created reggae music. Waterhouse is another hometown to many musicians, including Keith Hudson, King Tubby's, U Roy, Sir Jammy's, Black Uhuru, Dennis "Senitor" Allen, Early B. Super Cat, Shabba, and Beenie Man. It is also the home of Olympic gold medalist, Shelly-Ann Fraser.
[…]
The area of Norbrook was once the plantation of George William Gordon. The Bob
Marley Museum is located in a mansion on Hope Road that was once owned by
businessman Chris Blackwell. It is now open for guided tours."...
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ADDENDUM #2
After watching YouTube videos of at least ten Black church collection marches, here's what appears to me to be the basis formation pattern for Black church collection (offering) marches
Based on a number of YouTube videos that I've watched, it appears that most church choir marches for collections appear to follow a similar marching pattern:
1. the choir marches in single file from the choir stand
2.The choir remains in single file and imarches up one aisle (usually the right aisle)
3. The choir marches down the center aisle still in single file. When they reach the people standing with collection plates, members of the choir put their collection envelope into the collection plate
4. The choir remains in single file andmarch down the left aisle to the top of the center aisle
5. The chori remains in single file to march down the center aisle again.
6. The choir marches to the choir stand.
However, this showcased video reminds me that there are variations in how these Black church collection marches may be done. I observed a different formation pattern of church collection marches (except for the song) on two Sundays in 2019 at St. Paul's AME church in Pleasantville, New Jersey (March 10, 2019 & Sunday June 9, 2019) This is a description of the collection march that I observed on June 9, 2019.
These choir collection marches ("march around")
occurred after all those in attendance at that church -starting from the back
pews- stood up and walked in single file to the front of the church for the
main offering. People placed money in one of two gold colored collection plates
that were held by two female ushers standing on either side of the altar. This
was the second collection, the first being the missionary offering. For that
offering, people remained seated and ushers passed a collection plate to the
end of each pew.
After the congregation returned to their seats, the choir marched out of the choir stands in single file from the left and the right while singing the classic Gospel song "Highway To Heaven". The body stance of each choir member was erect, and not the leaning forward with heads down stance and chugging forward movement which was done by the Black Canadian choir from Abiezer Pentecostal Church's collection march as shown in this 2009 YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ5xSuIMfuo.
After the two lines of choir members exited the choir stand,
one line marched up the right aisle and one line marched up the left aisle. The
two single lines met at the top of the center aisle. Then the choir marched in
twos down the center aisle. When they reached the bottom of the center aisle,
the person to the right placed her offering in the collection plate held by one
usher, and the person to the left placed her offering in the collection plate
held by the other usher. The line on the right and the line on the left then
marched to their respective aisles. When they reached those aisles, the
marchers faced backwards while moving up those aisles. At the top of the
aisles, the marchers faced forward again and then marched to the top of the
center aisle. At the top of the center aisle the two single lines combined to march
in twos down that aisle. The combined line then separated at the bottom of the
center aisle to march back towards the right and the left to re-enter the choir
stand. When they reached the choir stand, they continued standing to sing their
song.
-snip-
These notes was originally posted on the this pancocojams post:http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/two-videos-of-new-jersey-church-choir.html .
Read more of what I wrote about collection march arounds in other Pleasantville, New Jersey churches and choir processions in those churches and in my "home" church of Union Baptist Temple Church in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Additions and corrections are welcome.
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