[Dixielandjazz] More about "Lily of the Valley" than you ever wanted to read

[Ingemar Wågerman]

Dick, Bill, Ginny...

Many thanks for your interesting comments!

Prince´s band made the first recording of a song called Lily of the Valley 
in July 1917, Columbia A2327 "Lily Of The Valley Jazz One-Step". This is the 
Friedland / Gilbert song, and probably the Jimmy Dorsey recording from 1950 
is the same, according to Bill Haesler´s reply.

There is a spiritual "He's the lily of the valley, Oh! my Lord . . . King 
Jesus in the chariot rides..." which was published in "Jubilee Songs" 1872. 
It was recorded by Texas Jubilee Singers (with Arizona Dranes!) in 1928.

The very first Salvation Army band master Charles Fry wrote another song 
with the lyrics  "I have found a friend in Jesus, He's everything to me, 
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul...  He's the Lily of the Valley, 
the Bright and Morning Star, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul."  
The tune is "Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane" by William Shakespeare Hays 
(sic!).  The first recording was made by John McGhee and Frank Welling in 
1928 on Vocalion 5251. (I have not been able to trace the Superior-2700 by 
E. Hanks, mentioned in Dick´s reply!)

The Barbarin tune from 1951 probaly originates from "Everybody Ought to  
Know". The lyrics of the chorus is almost the same as the Fry song:  "He's 
the Lily of the Valley, He´s the Bright and Morning Star, He's the fairest 
of ten thousand, Everybody Ought to Know". The origin of the melody (first 
strain) is not known, but the melody of the chorus is the same as "What A 
Friend We Have In Jesus"... Rev. F.W. McGee recorded "Everybody Don´t Know 
Who Jesus Is" in 1930, only one chorus of the first strain. I guess that 
Barbarin had heard this version. The verse is slightly different from 
Everybody Ought To Know" - in fact it´s almost the same as "O Happy Day". 
The chorus is also a little different from "What a Friend..." (The reverends 
McGee, Rice et al often changed / simplified the melodies!)

Barbarin´s version seems to be the only one played by traditional jazz 
bands. The remaining question is: Who wrote "Everybody Ought To Know Who 
Jesus Is"?? Ginny says "Southern Baptist children's chorus ". I heard it 
here in Sweden in the late 50´s, I guess it came with the "Maranata" 
movement.

There are also lots of other songs titled "Lily of the Valley". The "Music 
for the Nation" database lists at least 10 different ones from the 19th 
century (secular songs with no connection to Salomon...). There are also 
some modern christian songs with the same title.

Ingemar Wagerman
Gota River Jazzmen
Gothenburg, Sweden
http://listen.to/gotariver







>From: Gluetje1 at aol.com
>To: bhaesler at bigpond.net.au, gota_river at hotmail.com,        
>dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>CC: box2 at twotonbaker.com, anton.crouch at optusnet.com.au
>Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] More about "Lily of the Valley" than you 
>everwanted to read
>Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2006 23:43:49 EST
>
>Apologies if repeating something as I have not followed this exchange that
>closely.  Here are the words to Everybody Ought To Know as learned in my
>childhood--it is considered a Southern Baptist children's chorus among 
>whatever
>other attributes might belong with it.  Writing in the tune and chords, key 
>  of F
>
>F                           C7
>Everybody ought to know
>                               F
>Everybody ought to know
>                              C7
>Everybody ought to know
>
>Bb     C7     F
>  who Jesus is.
>
>He's the lily of the valley.
>He's the  brighter morning star.
>He's the fairest of ten thousand.
>Everybody ought  to know.
>
>The last four lines are to the tune of "What A Friend We Have In  Jesus".  
>In
>some hymnals those words are printed printed as one  of the stanzas.
>
>  The tune of 3 "verse" lines is: (In F)
>  c-c, d-d, c- c, e  (3/4 time, 8th note first bar, dotted quarter  2nd 
>bar);
>Everybody ought to know
>  c-c, d-d, c-c,  f  (same as above)
>  c-c, d-d, c-c,  g
>Bb, a, g, (quarter notes) F (dotted quarter)
>Change the rhythm to jive it up and suit yourself, the notes, too.  :>)
>
>The only published copy I can currently locate of hymn I knew since
>childhood as (The) Lily of the Valley attributes no one for lyrics or 
>music,  simply
>says "English Melody".  I have hear DL groups do both these tunes to  the
>melodies that I am talking about--I'm thinking of Jeanne Kittrell groups 
>for
>example.
>
>Pass the plate, send the contributions to my agent, Larry, and in return I
>will omit the sermon and the altar call.
>Ginny
>
>