Monday, October 7, 2024

Examples Of Douglas Miller's African American Gospel Arrangement Of The Late 19th Century Hymn "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior"



Douglas Miller, Dec 28, 2020

Provided to YouTube by Malaco Music Group

Pass Me Not · Douglas Miller · The True Way Choir C.O.G.I.C.

The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength

℗ 1982 Atlanta International Records, Inc.

Released on: 1982-06-15

Main  Artist: Douglas Miller

Featured  Artist: The True Way Choir C.O.G.I.C.

Composer: Douglas Miller

Music  Publisher: Songs Of Peer LTD|S R F Publishing Company

Auto-generated by YouTube.

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Edited by Azizi Powell 

This pancocojams post showcases one YouTube sound file & four YouTube videos of African American composer, singer, and choir director Douglas Miller's Gospel arrangement of the late 19th century hymn "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior". This religious song is also known as "Pass Me Not" and "Do Not Pass Me By".

This post also presents information about Douglas Miller.

The Addendum of this post includes a few examples of comments about choirs renditions of Douglas Miller's arrangement of "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior". 
 
The content of this post is presented for religious, inspirational, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Fannie Cosby,the composer of the lyrics for this hymn (in t868) and thanks to How­ard Doane the composer of the music for this hymn (in 1870). Thanks also to Gospel singer, arranger, and choir director Douglas Miller for this arrangement of this hymn. Thanks to the producers and publishers of these examples on YouTube and thanks also to all those who are featured in these videos and all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click 
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/11/versions-of-religious-song-pass-me-not.html for the 2012 pancocojams post entitled "African American Versions Of The Religious Song "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior". That post includes the lyrics to the hymn "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior". That post also showcases two traditional African American renditions and some videos of Douglas Miller's Gospel arrangement, and a contemporary African American Gospel/Hip Hop arrangement of that hymn.

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INFORMATION ABOUT DOUGLAS MILLER
From 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Miller_(musician)
"
Douglas Lee Miller (December 31, 1949 – February 5, 2021) was an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 1984, with the release of, I Still Love the Name Jesus, that was released by Atlanta International Records. This album along with five others placed on exclusively the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart. He released albums with A&M Records, Light Records, Word Records, Atlanta International Records, and Rejoice Music Group.

Early life

Miller was born on December 31, 1949, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania as Douglas Lee Miller, and was reared in the church singing in the choir.[1] He went to the University of Akron, and while there at the college, Mattie Moss Clark trained him how to hone his craft, and presented him at Midnight Musicals put on by The Church of God in Christ.[1] He became known for his baritone timbre.[1]

Music career

He started his recording music career in 1984, with the release of I Still Love the Name of Jesus by Atlanta International Records, and it placed at No. 5 on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart.[2][3] He would place five more albums upon that chart, with 1985's Unspeakable Joy at No. 6, while 1985's Redeeming Love peaked at No. 22, the next 1988's Sing until Morning went to No. 14 as did 1993's Victory, and 1990s Living at the Top got to No. 15.[2][3]"...
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This Wikipedia page is incorrect that Douglas Miller started his music recording career in 1984 based on his "Pass Me Not" record that was recorded in 1982.

Based on YouTube videos and some YouTube discussion thread comments, it appears to me that Douglas Miller's arrangement of "Pass Me Not" is the Gospel arrangement of that late 19th hymn that is most often sung by African American church choirs. 

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SOME YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF DOUGLAS MILLER'S ARRANGEMENT OF "PASS ME NOT"
These YouTube videos are given in chronological order with numbers added for referencing purposes only.


YOUTUBE EXAMPLE #2 - 
Pass me not OLD SKOOL THROWBACK

hammondxc3, Oct 19, 2009ct 19, 2009

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YOUTUBE EXAMPLE  #3- 
"Do Not Pass Me By" 1.11.15 - Min. Ricky Dillard



Ebenezer AME Church, Jan 13, 20154,755,542 views • Jan 13, 2015

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YOUTUBE EXAMPLE #4 - 
NEW BIRTH // "DO NOT PASS ME BY"



SAVE THE BLACK CHURCH, Feb 7, 2023

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YOUTUBE EXAMPLE #5 - 
Brighter Day Community Choir -- "Pass Me Not"



Brighter Day Community Choir, Dec 27, 2023

Brighter Day Community Choir of Charlotte, North Carolina. "Back 2 Basics" (Throwback) Concert - November 5, 2023, Reeder Memorial Baptist Church, Charlotte. Performing "Pass Me Not" by Douglas Miller and The True Way Choir... 

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ADDENDUM- EXAMPLES OF COMMENTS THAT INCLUDE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN VERNACULAR ENGLISH WORD "SANG".

These comments are from the discussion threads of three of the YouTube videos that are showcased in this pancocojams post.

All of these comments include the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) word "sang" or forms of that word.  My definition for the AAVE meaning of "sang" and "sangin(g)" is "to sing very well, especially to sing soulfully very well". In contrast to the standard English past tense word "sang", in African American Vernacular English, the word "sang" is present tense and the word "sangin(g)" is a present tense of that AAVE meaning of that word. Both "sang" and "sangin(g) can be considered to be updated forms of the AAVE meaning of the word "sing" and "singing" (for example "They are singing that song" which means They are really singing that song very well".

Like the word "sing", in African American Vernacular English, the word "sang" is often used as an exhortation (for example "Sing it!" and "Sang it!" both mean "Keep on singing very well, especially singing soulfully very well".
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Click 
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/linguistic-alert-another-verncular.html for the 2014 pancocojams post entitled "What "Sang", "Sanging", & "Sanger" REALLY Mean In African American Vernacular English"
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These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Discussion thread "A".
from Showcase Video #3 in this pancocojams post

3 comments:

  1. Here's some information about the hymn "Pass Me Not O Gentle Saviour" from the discussion thread for the video given as #3 in this pancocojams post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJ8k_i99RM

    @rogercook58, 2020
    "So let me give you a little known facts about this song. In 1868, a lady named Fanny Crosby wrote the lyrics to this hymn. It was set to music 2 years later by William H. Doane. She said she came up with the idea to write this when she visited a prison. As she was walking by the prisoners cells, she heard one of them cry out, "Please don't pass me by." And now you know."

    ReplyDelete
  2. African American still use the word "sang" as the standard English past tense of the word "sing". Here are three examples of that past tense meaning from
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJ8k_i99RM [the discussion thread for Showcase video #3 in this pancocojams post (Numbers added for referencing purposes only ]

    1. @queeniestarz21, 2020
    "That tenor that’s jumping meant what he sang!! Amen thank you lord! Do not pass me by!"

    2. @thewomynwhowrites5310, 2022
    "Do not pass me by! Savvvvvior. Savvvvior. Here my humble cryyyyyyyyiiiii. Now on others thou art calling - do not pass me by! <3 Sang this at my college gospel choir. So good."

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    3.@DuchessAnastasia, 2023
    "This song was the song of my Christian childhood! Every church we went learned this song and sang it often and it brings back the most precious memories❤❤❤"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Here's an example of "sanging" that is used as an adjective (The second comment in this comment exchange from the discussion thread for a video of Rev. Timothy Wright's now classic 1989 Gospel song "Who's On The Lord's Side"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hbKoFhcb_U

    @rainbowrose9299, 2022
    "Marguerit Holland is the freestyle singer and the church is now called New Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Brooklyn NY. This Pastor Timothy Wright is now in Heaven."

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    Reply
    @karenscales5077, 2024
    "Thank you. I was wondering who she was. With her SANGING SELF. She blessed my soul. ❤❤❤❤".

    ReplyDelete