Lift Every Voice and Sing!

Text by James W. Johnson

Original music and melody by John R. Johnson

Lift Every Voice and Sing! is a gospel swing arrangement of the original words (below) and music of James W. and John R. Johnson that were published at the very beginning of the 20th century.  The powerful, spiritual and deeply meaningful text and melody are widely known also as "The Black National Anthem."   It describes the struggle of a "dark past" but resounds with hope, faith and perseverance of a people who never wavered even against seemingly insurmountable odds.   Finally, Johnson's words remind us to never forget what we have learned from our past, an important lesson in any man's history.

Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast'ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee,
Shadowed beneath thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.

Arrangement:  Gospel Swing

SA Range:  C to Bb above the staff (majority of range between Eb and F);

Baritone Range: C to Eb above the staff (majority of range between F and Eb above the staff)

Difficulty: Intermediate - A skilled trio and choir can pull this off wonderfully.

Approx. 5 minutes and 22 seconds in length (incl. solo section w/ repeats)

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