Thursday, December 24, 2009

'We'll Camp a Little While in the Wilderness' - in N.C. country Baptist church ... and link to mp3 of Sheila Kay Adams

In description of Lusk Chapel Baptist Church in Madison County, N.C., west of Asheville, "This little country church is still very active in the Spring Creek community," according to geneologist Fred D. Price, now of Michigan. It is affiliated with the French Broad Baptist Association.
Doc Plemmons taught singing schools at Lusk Chapel, where a person would
learn the old "Shape Note" type of singing. In the early years Lusk Chapel
had no piano or organ and they would not allow string instruments of any
kind in the church. They would give the pitch with a tuning fork, and
would sing songs such as "Camp A Little While In The Wilderness", "Careless
Soul", "Look Away Beyond The Blue", "In The Sweet Bye And Bye", "Wayfaring
Stranger", "I Will Arise And Go To Jesus", "Beautiful Home Sweet Home",
"Away Over In The Promised Land", and "I Am A Pilgram Of Sorrow". Songs
were sang without accompaniment. Lusk Chapel like a lot of the other
little country churches would have "All Day Singings" and dinner on the
grounds. Choirs, quartets, trios, and so on and so forth would come from
miles around and start singing about 10:00am and sing till noon. They
would stop long enough to spread their dinners on the grounds or on tables,
and people would visit with each other while eating lunch. After eating
some would go to the cemetery and decorate the graves with flowers while
reflecting of the memories of their loved ones buried there. Most of the
people would go back in the church and the singers would sing until about
4:00pm that evening.
Source: Fred D. Price, "Lusk Chapel Baptist Church" Western NC Genealogy Resource Center for Madison County http://www.goldenbranches.com/nc-state/madison/lusk-chr.html.

Sheila Kay Adams' version is included on the CD Old-Time Music on the Air, V. 2

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