Some Early Versions Of The African American Gospel Song "Where Shall I Be When That First Trumpet Sounds"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the African American Gispel song "Where Shall I Be When That First Trumpet Sounds" (also given as "Where Shall I Be".

This post presents a few early versions by African Americans of the African American Gospel song "Where Shall I Be When That First Trumpet Sounds" (also given as "Where Shall I Be").

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/youtube-examples-of-where-shall-i-be.html for Part I of this series. That post presents five YouTube examples of the African American Gospel Song "Where Shall I Be When That First Trumpet Sounds" (also given as "Where Shall I Be").

The content of this post is presented for religious, historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of this song. Thanks to Charles Price Jones, the African American minister whose 1895 adaptation of this Spiritual is credited as the source for later examples of this song. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. 

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SOME EARLY VERSIONS BY AFRICAN AMERICANS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN GOSPEL SONG* "WHERE WILL I BE WHEN THAT FIRST TRUMPET SOUNDS (with lyrics)

*Most online sources categorize this religious song as a Spiritual. However, I consider African American religious songs that were originally composed or adapted after the 1870s to be early Gospel songs. Maybe the versions of this song that are given here are examples of gospelized Spirituals. 

1895

1 When judgment day is drawing nigh,
Where shall I be?
When God the works of men shall try,
Where shall I be?
When east and west the fire shall roll,
Where shall I be?
How will it be with my poor soul;
Where shall I be?

Refrain:

Oh, where shall I be when the first trumpet sounds,
Oh, where shall I be when it sounds so loud?
When it sounds so loud as to wake up the dead?
Oh, where shall I be when it sounds?

2 When wicked men His wrath shall see,
Where shall I be?
And to the rocks and mountains flee,
Where shall I be?
When hills and mountains flee away,
Where shall I be?
When all the works of men decay,
Where shall I be? [Refrain]

3 When heav'n and earth as some great scroll,
Where shall I be?
Shall from God's angry presence roll,
Where shall I be?
When all the saints redeemed shall stand,
Where shall I be?
Forever blest at God's right hand,
Where shall I be? [Refrain]

4 All trouble done, all conflict past,
Where shall I be?
And old Apolyon bound at last,
Where shall I be?
When Christ shall reign from shore to shore,
Where shall I be?
And peace abide forevermore,
Where shall I be? [Refrain]

Source: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: an African American ecumenical hymnal #601

Adapter: Charles Price Jones [African American], adapted from earlier African American Spiritual around 1895

Charles Price Jones born December 9, 1865, near Rome, Georgia. He grew up in Kingston, Georgia, and attended the Baptist church. He was converted in 1884 while living in Cat Island, Arkansas. In 1885 he was called to the ministry and began preaching. In 1888 he attended Arkansas Baptist College and taught school in Grant County, Arkansas. He preached and pastored several Baptist churches. After asking God for a deeper experience of grace and fasting and praying for three days, Jones experienced a closeness with God, and in 1895, along with other Baptist holiness adherents, who taught that a second work of grace can cleanse the Christian of original sin. They started a holiness movement in the Baptist church, and he began teaching holiness"
-African American minister Charles Price Jones adapts an earlier African American Spiritual. The first verse and the refrain (chorus) for this version has become standard lyrics for that Spiritual. 

Online Source: https://hymnary.org/text/when_judgment_day_is_drawing_nigh “When Judgment )

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1905

"WHERE SHALL I BE WHEN DE FIRS' TRUMPET SOUN'?

CHORUS: Where shall I be when de firs' trumpet soun'?
Where shall I be when it soun' so loud,
Soun' so loud till it wakes up de dead?
Where shall I be when it soun'?

1. Moses died in de days of old.
Where shall I be?
Where he was buried has never been told.
Where shall I be?

2. God gave de people de rainbow sign.
Where shall I be?
No more water, but fire next time.
Where shall I be?

 From Religious Folk Songs of the Negro as Sung on the Plantations: New Edition by Thomas Putnam Fenner, Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (Hampton, VA: The Institute Press, 1905), page 172—where it appears with musical notation for 4 voices:
-posted by Jim Dixon.26 April 11, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=79315 "Where Shall I Be (Spirituals)

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1909?

Where Shall I Be When de Firs' Trumpet Soun'? [title]

Refrain

Where shall I be when de firs' trumpet soun',
Where shall I be when it soun' so loud,
Soun' so loud till it wakes up the dead,
Where shall I be when it soun'?

Solo

Moses died in de days of old,
Where shall I be?
Where he was buried has never been told,
Oh Where shall I be?

God gave de people de rainbow sign,
Where shall I be?
No more water, but fire next time
Where shall I be?

With music, p. 173. This song was not in the 1874 edition, but was added in a later edition, probably that of 1909 (fifth ed.) when some 25 songs from Fisk and elsewhere were added. A new and enlarged edition had previously been published in 1891."
-posted by Q (Frank Staplin), 15 March o5, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=79315 "Where Shall I Be (Spirituals

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1925 

"Lyr. Add: WHAR SHALL I BE?

Moses lived till he got old,
Whar shall I be?
Buried in de mountain, so I'm told,
Whar shall I be?

Whar shall I be when de first trumpet sounds?
Whar shall I be when it sounds so loud?
When it sound so loud that it wake up the dead,
Whar shall I be when it sounds?

Well, God showed Noar de rainbow sign,
Whar shall I be?
No more water but fire nex' time,
Whar shall I be?

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Whar shall I be?
Tole me whar my Saviour gone,
Whar shall I be? 

John declar'd he saw a man,
Whar shall I be?
Wid seben lamps in his right han',
Whar shall I be?

The authors consider this to be a later song, "a general mixture of old songs and new songs, old traits and new traits, the Negro sings a beautiful song which he has called "Whar Shall I Be?" The usual imagery is seen."

Howard W. Odum and Guy B. Johnson, 1925 (and reprints), The Negro and His Songs," Univ. North Carolina (later Greenwood and Negro Universities Press, 1976), pp. 134-135."
-posted by Q (Frank Staplin), 15 March o5, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=79315 "Where Shall I Be (Spirituals)
-snip-
This is the first example from Q (Frank Staplin) in his comment that begins "Several versions of this spiritual, which sometimes incorporates verses from other songs". 

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1927

lyrics Of "Where Shall I Be When The First Trumpet Sounds" - recorded by African American Blues Singer Blind Lemon Jefferson (in 1927)

Where shall I be when the first trumpet sounds?
Where shall I be when it sounds so loud?
It sounds so loud, oh, and it wakes up the dead
Where shall I be when it sounds?

Look over yonder what I see
Where shall I be?
It′s a band of angels askin'
Where shall I be?

Where shall I be when the first trumpet sounds?
Where shall I be when it sounds so loud?
It sounds so loud, oh, it wakes up the dead
Where shall I be when it sounds?

I′ll be trying on my garment when the first trumpet sounds
Trying on my garment when it sounds so loud
It sounds so loud, oh, it wakes up the dead
Where shall I be when it sounds?

So little I thought he was gon' die
Where shall I be?
This cute little baby laugh and cry
Where shall I be?

Where shall I be when the first trumpet sounds?
Where shall I be when it sounds so loud?
Sounds so loud, oh, it wakes up the dead
Where shall I be when it sounds?

I'll be trying on my robe when the first trumpet sounds
Trying on my robe when it sounds so loud

It sounds so loud, oh, it wakes up the dead
Where shall I be when it sounds?

Where shall I be when the first trumpet sounds?
Where shall I be when it sounds so loud?
It sounds so loud, oh, it wakes up the dead
Where shall I be when it sounds?

God told Noah by a rainbow sign
Where shall I be?
It′s no cool water but fire next time

Where shall I be?
Where shall I be when the first trumpet sounds?
Where shall I be when it sounds so loud?
It sounds so loud, oh, it wakes up the dead
Where shall I be when it sounds?"
-snip-
From https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Blind-Lemon-Jefferson/Where-Shall-I-Be "Where Shall I Be" BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON (1927)"

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

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