17. The Twelve Apostles- Hamrick (WV) 1925
17 - THE TWELVE APOSTLES
Communicated by Miss Jessie McCue, Hookersville, Nioholas County, November 10, 1925. Obtained from a family named Hamrick, that came from out in the mountains. Music noted by Miss Lydia I. Hinkel. Sung as a duet.
Statement: Come, and I will sing you.
Question: What will you sing me?
Statement: I'll sing you one,
Question: What is your one?
Statement: One of them is God alone and still He remains one.
Statement: Come, and I will sing you.
Question: What will you sing me?
Statement: I'll sing you two.
Question: What is your two?
Statement: Two of them was lily-white babes, wrapped in morning green, one of then is God alone and still He remains one.
[In similar manner the succeeding stanzas are built up with cumulative effect to twelve. The lines added are as follows:
3. Three of them was strangers.
4. Four was the gospel preachers,
5. Five was the ferryman in his boat.
6. Six was the cheerful waiters.
7. Seven was the seven stars in the sky.
8. Eight was the eight archangels.
9. Nine was the moon shining bright and fair.
10. Ten was the ten commandments.
11. Eleven was the good man gone to heaven.
12. Twelve was the twelve apostles.
The twelfth set goes as follows:
Statement: Come, and I will sing you.
Question: What will you sing me?
Statement: I'll sing you twelve,
Question: What is your twelve?
Statement: Twelve is the twelve apostles,
Eleven was the good man gone to heaven,
Ten was the ten commandments.
Nine was the moon shining bright and fair,
Eight was the eight archangels,
Seven was the seven stars in the sky,
Six was the cheerful waiters,
Five was the ferryman in his boat,
Four was the gospel preachers,
Three of them was strangers,
Two of them was lily-white babes, wrapped in morning green,
One of them is God alone and still He remains one.
In msnr music text for phrase in line 5 (statement in answer to the question, "What is your one?") read alone He still remains one. Regular text read alone and still He remains one, (Herzog). The original notation did not indicate how all the lines fitted to the tune. The first beat of the lines for 6, 8, 10, and 12 probably-splits into an eighth and two sixteenths, as in the lines for 4, 5, 7 , 9 and 11. The music for line 1 was given as the same as for line 7; a slight change was made to accommodate "moon shining," (Cox).
See NC II 199.