Monday, October 18, 2010

Old Song Book

I remember that they were never called "hymnals". Open up your "song books" to page 92, the "song leader" (as opposed to "choir director") would say.

This book was given to my grandmother's nephew in October of 1933. That would have been my great-grandmother, Belle Pate. How it survived the flood of 1937 I can't imagine. I would love to know that story.

The price of the book was thirty cents. It is titled "The Revival No. 3" by Charlie D. Tillman, suitable for all kinds of religious meetings, half a million preceding numbers now in use. Atlanta, Cincinnati and Kansas City.



This morning I took a page from it and made this little framed collection. I can imagine my folks singing this "song".

The beautiful little trim on the left side came from Forget-Me-Not Thrift Store in Lincoln Park. She knows exactly what I like. Don't miss her store if you live in the area. Near Outer Drive on Fort Street.

If there is a song in you today, sing. Happy Monday.

4 comments:

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Blessed Assurance is one of my favorites! I love the way you displayed it in the frame. I think it looks something like an old hankie. I have several of those around, but I don't know that I'd want to take a page out of the song book that I have. My mom had one that she passed along to me. Now I'll have to look at the date and see just how old it is. I hope your Monday is a bright and Merry one!

Wanda..... said...

That's lovely Peggy. I too have an old 1939 yellowed with age Radio and Revival Hymn book by R.E. Winsett of Tenn. It belonged to my grandmother!

Linda ★ Parker's General said...

It is so beautiful. I am loving it! I even think I have the makings for one. You have inspired me!
★Linda★

OneBigHappy said...

You might not realize it, but I could sing "Blessed Assurance" in my sleep. We sang it over and over when I was a kid. Along with Amazing Grace, Give Me That Old Time Religion, I'll Fly Away and the endless list of country music that arose out of the church during the second great awakening and on into the Great Depression. Something about the line "Oh what a foretaste of glory divine" is powerful to me. It has always stood out as a perfect piece of lyric. All part of the southern Gospel tradition. Cool stuff. We do contemporary at our church, as you know, but I like to think it's all a part of this tradition of trying to make the gospel and the truth of the Bible something that the average person can tap into with common music. High church aficianados always have something negative to say about it, but it makes sense to those who are a part of the folk idea. Martin Luther did it with popular songs of his day, putting Christian lyrics to bar songs and anything else he could use to get the teaching across. It just made sense. -- okay. I'll stop now. Great post!