Early 20th Century Gospel Song "Keep On The Firing Line" (Part II- Eight YouTube Videos From Various Countries)

 

Keep On The Firing Line (Mt Zion Apostolic Youth Choir)

1baw2009, Jul 10, 2012

Abiezer Youth Convocation Abiezer Pentecostal Church 94-96 Milvan Drive Toronto, Canada.  Sunday, July 8, 2012 (PM)

****

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about the early 20th century United States Southern Gospel song "Keep On The Firing Line". 

This post showcases eight YouTube videos of "Keep On The Firing Line" from choirs, choral groups, and/or congregations in Canada, the United States (two videos), Jamaica, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the Bahamas, and the Philippines. These videos are presented in chronological order with the oldest published video given first.

The Addendum to this post presents my comments about this song.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/02/early-20th-century-gospel-song-keep-on.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about and lyrics for That early 20th century religious song is credited to Bessie F. Hatcher (sometimes listed as Thatcher) or to Otis Leon McCoy. Both of these composers of religious music were White Americans.

The content of this post is presented for religious and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of this song. Thanks to all those who are featured in this videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Bill & Gloria Gaither - Keep On the Firing Line [Live] ft. Anthony Burger

 

Gaither Music TV, Nov 1, 2012 [This church is in the United States.]

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Church On The Rock Kingston - Kerron Ennis- Keep on the Firing Line

 

Kerilee scars, Mar 17, 2014

Kerron Takes you back with this old time song [Kingston, Jamaica]

****

SHOWCASE VIDEO #4- Keep On The Firing Line St Peters Native Baptist Church The Bahamas



Saint Peter, Apr 27, 2019 [The Bahamas]

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #5- Keep on the Firing Line | I Love the Lord | Church & Pastoral Anniversary 2019 

 G-Street Church, Oct 12, 2019

1632 Germany St, Columbia, SC 29204 [This is an Apostolic church in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.]
-snip-
For comparison's sake, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q4sPGQi_FU for a 2013 YouTube video that showcases a White American Baptist church music group from Charleston, South Carolina singing "Keep On The Firing Line". 

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 -Keep On The Firing Line

FBCFI Hong Kong, Jan 25, 2021

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #7- Keep on the Firing Line

Baptist Heritage, May 13, 2024 [Christian college in San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines]
 
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #8 - Keep On the Firing Line: Choir March Is Back

 

General Assembly Apostolic Church UK, Jan 15, 2025 
#generalassemblyapostolicchurch

#generalassemblyapostolicchurch [London, United Kingdom]

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES ABOUT SOME OF THESE VIDEOS.
These videos were somewhat randomly selected from other YouTube examples. After I published these videos, I noticed that most of the renditions that feature Black singers were from Apostolic Christian churches  (Videos #1,Video #3, and Video #8.)

I also noticed that the music and singing for those Apostolic churches' renditions of "Keep On The Firing Line" reminded me of Jamaican Ska music. As per comments in their YouTube video discussion threads, a number of people from the congregations of Black Canadians' and Black United Kingdom's Apostolic churches are from Jamaican Apostolic churches whose music has that Ska sound.

Video #4 and #5 are exceptions to the videos that feature Black singers performing "Keep On The Firing Line" with a Ska sound. Video #5 showcases an African American Baptist church that performs that song with an African American Blues flavor. Video #4 showcases a congregation from the Native Baptist denomination in the Bahamas. That rendition doesn't have either a Ska flavor or a Blues flavor.

As somewhat of an aside, notice that most-if not all- of the females who are part of the congregation of the Apostolic churches cover their hair with a hat or with a scarf. 

The female choir members in the Bahamas video also cover their hair. However, females in the African American church video aren't wearing hats or scarfs to cover their hair in church.

****
This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.