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A Happy New Year/Happy New Year/'Tis a Happy New Year, Hallelujah!
Traditional Old-Time, Gospel;
ARTIST: "The story of the Jubilee Singers, including their Songs" 1874
CATEGORY: Traditional And Public Domain Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; 1877 "The story of the Jubilee Singers, including their Songs" also "All I Want Is A Little More Faith In Jesus" comes from the 1922 JOURNAL OF AMERICAN FOLK-LORE article- Negro Spirituals from the Far South by E. A. Perkins.
First Recorded in Fisk Jubilee Singers
RECORDING INFO: A Happy New Year
"The Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Volume 28 By Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute 1899"
"The story of the Jubilee Singers, including their Songs" (1903) by J. B. T. Marsh
OTHER NAMES: "Happy New Year" "'Tis a Happy New Year, Hallelujah!"
SOURCES: "The Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Volume 28 By Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute 1899"
"The story of the Jubilee Singers, including their Songs" (1903) by J. B. T. Marsh
NOTES: "A Happy New Year" is found in "The story of the Jubilee Singers, including their Songs" (1903) by J. B. T. Marsh, which was first published in 1877.
Marsh, J.B.T. The book is “the story of a little company [The Jubilee Singers] of emancipated slaves who set out to secure, by their singing, the fabulous sum of $20,000 for the impoverished school [Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee] in which they were students.”
The song was typically sung at a watch Meetign held on New Year's Eve at teh church. Here's more information from "The Southern Workman and Hampton School Record, Volume 28 By Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute 1899"
Folk-Lore and Ethnology
Watch Meeting
THE service of which we shall attempt to give a description is one that is held in reverence by our people, and in writing about it we do it with the greatest respect for it sacredness, and with no thought of sacrilegeousness. Aronnd it cluster many sweet recollections of the past.
Watch service among the colored people is usually observed on New Year's eve night. Before the time for the service to commence—sometimes two or or three days ahead, the more devout begin to make themselves ready for the occasion by fasting and prayer and a constant looking forward to the night, thus getting themselves in a spiritual frame of mind for the blessings toward which they look.
There is no great haste on the part of the audience or congregation to assemble at the meeting house at any particular hour, but as soon as a sufficient number is present to begin, an "awakening," some old brother or sister as the spirit may move him or her will start a shout or spiritual either by lining out a line.
Sing "Don't Leave me Behind Lord"
Another hymn is sung at this juncture, "Praise God, Hallelujah Glory, Hallelujah Sing, Hallelujah." By this time the preacher has arrived and nearly enough people ...
The leader of the shout or walk begins to move out in the aisle, while the audience continues to sing. He walks around with a swaying motion, others falling in behind and the line going around the church from aisle to aisle. The music and refrain swelling louder and louder. This is kept up until near midnight, when all is quieted down and every one waits eagerly in prayer and with groanings, for the hour of twelve to strike.
As the clock strikes a prayer of thanksgiving is offered and all rise and begin to shake hands and congratulate each other on seeing another New Year, singing as they move about the church,
"Dere's a great camp-meetin', etc."
Following hymn to the same tune as "Praise God, Hallelujah.
'Tis a Happy New Year, Hallelujah !
'Tis a Happy New Year, Hallelujah !
Gwine to love and serve the Lord.
When I was a sinner I loved my distance well,
But when I come to find myself I was on the road to hell
'Tis a Happy New Year, Hallelujah !
Better mind, my brother how you walk on the cross
For your foot might slip an' your soul get los'
'Tis a Happy New Year, Hallelujah.
After thus rejoicing for a few minutes each wends his weary but joyful way home.
No. 92. A Happy New Year- B. T. Marsh, The Story of the Jubilee Singers with Their Songs.
Chorus:
What a happy new year,
What a Happy new year,
What a happy, what a happy, what a happy new year.
1
I'm running thro' grace
To that happy place;
Thro' grace I'm determined
To see my Lord's face.
2
One thing I do find,
I'll keep it in mind,
He won't live in glory
And leave me behind.
3
O sinner, believe
Christ will you receive,
For all things are ready,
And you stand in need.
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