Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions (1996)

About this title: This four-disc set, drawn from the musical examples to Bernice Johnson Reagon's outstanding National Public Radio series on African-American gospel music, deals respectively with the concert tradition in spiritual singing, the 19th-century roots of African-American congregational singing, the pioneering composers, and community gospel. As ballet music lacks a dimension without the dance, the CDs lack a dimension without the powerful mind tying the whole thing together. And to have included some of the non-African-American roots Professor Reagon illustrated in the programs would also have made ... read more

Tracks:

1. There Is a Balm in Gilead [Dawson]
2. We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace
3. Roll Jordan Roll
4. I've Been Buked and I've Been Scorned [Dawson]
5. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot [Traditional]
6. Joshua Fit the Battle [Montague]
7. Wade in the Water [Simms]
8. Deep River [Burleigh]
9. Listen to the Lambs [Dett]
10. Every Time I Feel the Spirit [Dawson]
11. Oh, Freedom
12. Gospel Train
13. I'm A-Rolling Through an Unfriendly World [Dawson]
14. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
15. Steal Away
16. Go in to the Wilderness
17. Ezekial Saw the Wheel [Dawson]
18. Ain't Got Time to Die [Johnson]
19. Wade in the Water [Roberts]
20. Sign of the Judgement
21. Lay Down Body
22. Lay Down Body
23. Run, Mary, Run, You Got a Right to the Tree of Life
24. One Morning Soon
25. I Wanna Go Where Jesus Is
26. You Better Run to the City of Refuge
27. I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
28. Give Me Jesus
29. I Am a Soldier in the Army of the Lord
30. Am I a Soldier of the Cross
31. Early, My God, Without Delay
32. Come and Go to That Land
33. Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, Since I Laid My Burden Down
34. A Charge to Keep I Have
35. Traditional Prayer with Moans
36. Sit Down Servant [Two O Four]
37. Stand by Me [Live] [Tindley]
38. We'll Understand It Better By and By [Tindley]
39. What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? [Tindley]
40. Something Within [Campbell]
41. He'll Understand and Say Well Done [Campbell]
42. Touch Me Lord Jesus [Campbell]
43. It's a Highway to Heaven (Walking Up the King's Highway) [Dorsey]
44. Little Wooden Church on a Hill [Dorsey]
45. I Was Standing by the Bedside of a Neighbor (If You See My Savior) [Dorsey]
46. How I Got Over [Brewster]
47. Speak to Me Jesus [Brewster/Hoyle]
48. Does Jesus Care? [Morris]
49. Just a Closer Walk with Thee [Traditional]
50. God Is Still on the Throne [Martin]
51. God Specializes [Griffin]
52. Precious Lord [Dorsey]
53. Jesus on the Mainline
54. Ye That Without Sin, Cast the First Stone
55. Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
56. A Charge to Keep I Have [Wesley]
57. There'll Be Singing Over Yonder
58. Nearer My God to Thee
59. Put Your Trust in Jesus
60. Who'll Be a Witness (For My Lord)?
61. Lead Me, Guide Me [Akers]
62. God Is So Good (To Me) [Traditional]
63. Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
64. Peace in the Valley [Dorsey]
65. Hold to God's Unchanging Hand [Eiland/Wilson]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.