“Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me, Yet”.
The Great Learning Orchestra.
Available on YouTube
By: Gavin Bryars.
“In 1971, when I lived in London, I was working
with a friend, Alan Power, on a film about people
living rough in the area around the Elephant and Castle,
and Waterloo Station, in London.
“In the course of being filmed, some people broke
into drunken songs - sometimes bits of opera, sometimes sentimental ballads. One, who did not drink, sang a Religious Hymn, entitled “Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me, Yet”. This Hymn was not ultimately used in the film and I was given all the unused sections of tape, which included this particular bit of singing by a tramp.
“I took the tape loop to Leicester, where I was working in The Fine Arts Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an
orchestrated accompaniment to it.
“The door of the Recording Room opened onto one of
the large Painting Studios, nearby, and I left the tape copying onto the continuous reel of tape, while I went for a coffee.
“When I returned, I found the normally lively and
noisy room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping.
“I was puzzled, until I realised that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man's singing. This convinced me of the emotional power of the music and of the possibilities offered by adding a simple orchestral accompaniment that respected the homeless man's nobility and simple Faith.
“The tramp died before he could hear what I had done with his singing. The piece remains as an eloquent, but understated, testimony to his spirit and optimism.
“All profits, from the ticket sales at this Concert,
were given to an organisation to help homeless people.
“The Concert was sold out.
More than 700 people were in the audience”.
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