Unreleased recordings
by William Appling Singers & Orchestra

Two concerts presented by William Appling Singers & Orchestra have had selections released on CDs. WASO’s 1999 “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals” is represented on “Shall We Gather” (Albany Records), and the 1996 “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration” on “Wake Ev’ry Breath” (New World Records). Please click on these titles to purchase the CDs; they are also available at for purchase at Amazon, Apple Music (iTunes) and all online locations.

Because of CDs’ restricted time lengths, it was not possible to include the complete concerts on the original recordings. Consequently nine selections from each concert have never been released, until now(!), and we hope you will enjoy these “bonus tracks” posted below.

Here are the original program books for each concert, which may be downloaded as PDF files:

From “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals,” February 26, 1999 - Christ & St. Stephen’s Church, NYC

Roll, Jordan, Roll
Spiritual, composer and author unknown

My brother sittin’ on de tree of life,
An’ he yearde when Joran roll;
Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, roll!

O, let no false nor spiteful word
Be found upon your tongue;
Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, Roll, Jordan, roll!

Chorus
O march de angel march,
O march de angel march;
O my soul arise in Heaven, Lord,
For to yearde when Jordan roll.

Roll, Jerd’n, Roll
Spiritual, composer and author unknown, arrangement by William Appling

Chorus
Roll, Jerd’n, roll,
Roll, Jerd’n, roll,
I want to go to heaven when I die
To hear old Jerd’n roll

Oh, brother, you oughta been there,
Yes, my Lord,
A sittin’ in the kingdom,
Just to hear old Jerd’n roll.

Chorus

Oh, sister, you oughta been there,
Yes, my Lord,
A sittin’ in the kingdom,
Just to hear old Jerd’n roll.

Chorus

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration,” October 7, 1996 - Christ & St. Stephen’s Church, NYC

Music and Text by William Billings
Arrangement by William Billings and William McClelland

Let horrid Jargon split the Air,
And rive the Nerves asunder,
Let hateful discord greet the Ear,
As terrible as Thunder.

Note: This is the first time Billings’s Jargon has ever been realized as the composer conceived it.
Click here to read how it was done.

From “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals,” February 26, 1999

Music and Arrangement - Lucius Chapin
Text - Charles Wesley

Come, O thou Traveler unknown,
Whom still I hold, but cannot see;
My company before is gone,
and I am left alone with Thee.
With Thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.

In vain Thou strugglest to get free,
I never will unloose my hold;
Art Thou the Man that died for me?
The secret of Thy love unfold;
Wrestling, I will not let Thee go,
Till I Thy name, Thy nature know.

‘Tis Love! ‘tis Love! Thou diedst for me!
I hear Thy whisper in my heart.
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
Pure Universal Love Thou art.
Thy mercies never shall remove,
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration”

(Performed in the concert as an instrumental)

Text - Rev. Dr. Mather Byles

Great God, how frail a Thing is Man!
How swift his Minutes pass!
His Age contracts within a Span;
He blooms and dies like Grass.

And must my Moments thus decline,
and must I sink to Death?
To Thee my Spirit I resign,
Thou Maker of my Breath.

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration”

Text - Dr. Isaac Watts

My Flesh shall slumber in the Ground,
’Till the last Trumpet’s joyful Sound:
Then burst the Chains with sweet Surprise,
And in my Saviour’s Image rise.

This Life’s a Dream, an empty Show,
But that bright World to which I go
Hath Joys substantial and sincere.
When shall I wake and fine me there?

Text - Nicholas Brady and Nahum Tate

Thus saith the high and lofty One,
”I sit upon my holy Throne:
My Name is God, I dwell on high:
Dwell in my own Eternity.”

From “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals”

Music and Text - Spiritual, composer and author unknown
Arrangement by J. Rosamond Johnson

Same train, same train,
Same train carry my mother,
Same train, same train,
Same train carry my mother,
Same train be back tomorrow,
Same train, same train.

Same train carry my sister,
Same train, same train,
Same train carry my sister,
Same train, same train,
Same train carry my sister,
Same train be back tomorrow,
Same train, same train.

Same train a-blowin’ at the station,
Same train, same train,
Same train a-blowin’ at the station,
Same train, same train,
Same train a-blowin’ at the station,
Same train be back tomorrow,
Same train, same train, same train.

Music and Arrangement - Joseph Philbrick Webster
Text - Sanford Fillmore Bennett

There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.

Chorus
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

Chorus

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration”

Text - Sundry Scriptures / William Billings

By the Rivers of Watertown we sat down and wept,
when we remember'd thee, O Boston.
As for our Friends, Lord God of Heaven, preserve them,
defend them, deliver and restore them unto us again.
For they that held them in Bondage required of them to take up
Arms against their Brethren.
Forbid it, Lord God, forbid that those who have sucked Bostonian Breasts
should thirst for American Blood.

A voice was heard in Roxbury which echo'd thro' the Continent,
weeping for Boston because of their Danger.
Is Boston my dear Town, is it my native Place?
For since their Calamity I do earnestly remember it still.
If I forget thee, yea, if I do not remember thee,
Then Let my numbers cease to flow, Then be my Muse unkind,
Then let my Tongue forget to move and ever be confin'd;

Let horrid Jargon split the Air and rive my nerves asunder.
Let hateful discord greet my ear as terrible as Thunder.
Let harmony be banish'd hence and Consonance depart;
Let dissonance erect her throne and reign within my Heart.

From “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals”

Music and Text - Spiritual, composer and author unknown
Arrangement by John W. Work

Chorus
Calvary, Calvary, Calvary, Calvary,
Calvary, Calvary,
Surely He died on Calvary.

Ev’ry time I think about Jesus,
Ev’ry time I think about Jesus,
Ev’ry time I think about Jesus,
Surely He died on Calvary.

Chorus

Sinner, do you love my Jesus?
Sinner, do you love my Jesus?
Sinner, do you love my Jesus?
Surely He died on Calvary.

Chorus

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration”

Text - Song of Solomon / W. Billings
(This performance with instruments only.)

I charge you, O ye Daughters of Jerusalem,
that you stir not up nor awake my Love till he please.
If you see my Beloved tell him I am sick of Love.

What is thy Beloved more than another,
O thou fairest among Women?
My Beloved is white and ruddy,
the Chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely;
his Head is as Gold, and his Eyes are like Doves,
and his Hair is as black as a Raven.

From “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals”

Music and Text - Traditional Spanish Devotional Song, composer and author unknown

Qué preciosas mañanitas,
Cuando el Niño Dios nació
Le decían los pastorcitos:
Niñito, y a amane ció.

Dawning fair, morning wonderful,
When the infant Christ was born:
Tidings brought by humble shepherds,
Child beloved, child adored.

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration”

Text - Dr. Isaac Watts

Thus saith the high and lofty One,
”I sit upon my holy Throne:
My Name is God, I dwell on high;
Dwell in my own Eternity.”

From “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals”

Music and Arrangement - Credited to Z. Chambers (or Chambless) in the “Sacred Harp”
Text - “K” in Rippon’s Selection, 1787

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word,
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
Ye who unto Jesus for refuge have fled.

“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

“When thro’ the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.”

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration”

Text - Song of Solomon / W. Billings

I am come into my Garden, my Sister, my Spouse;
I have gathered my Myrrh with my Spice,
I have eaten my Honeycomb with my Honey;
I have drank my Wine with my Milk;
eat, O Friends, abundantly, and drink, O Friends, abundantly.

I sleep, but my Heart waketh;
it is the voice of my Beloved saying:
Open to me, my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my undefiled,
for my Head is fill'd with Dew and my Locks with the Drops of the Night.

I open'd to my Beloved,
but my Beloved had withdrawn himself, and he was gone.
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I call'd him, but he gave me no Answer.

Stay me with Flagons, Comfort me with Apples,
for I am sick of Love.
Make haste, my Beloved, and be like a Roe or a young Hart
upon the Mountains of Spices.

From “An Evening of Hymns and Spirituals”

Music and Text - Spiritual, composer and author unknown
Arrangement by John W. Work

Chorus
O bye and bye, bye and bye
I’m goin’ to lay down my heavy load.
O bye and bye, bye and bye
I’m goin’ to lay down my heavy load.

I know my robe’s goin’ to fit me well,
I’m goin’ to lay down my heavy load.
I tried it on at the gates of hell
I’m goin’ to lay down my heavy load

Chorus

O Christians can’t you rise and tell.
I’m goin’ to lay down my heavy load.
That Jesus hath done all things well
I’m goin’ to lay down my heavy load

Chorus

From “William Billings - 250th Birthday Celebration”

Text - Perez Morton

When Jesus wept, the falling Tear,
In Mercy flow’d beyond all Bound;
When Jesus groan’d a trembling Fear,
Seiz’d all the guilty World around.