Farewell My Dear Brethren

DESCRIPTION: "Farewell my dear brethren, the time is now at hand That we must be parted from this social band. Our sev'ral engagements now call us away. Our parting is needed and we must obey." The singer bids farewell to the "soldiers" going away
AUTHOR: (see NOTES)
EARLIEST DATE: 1940 (Boette-SingaHipsyDoodle); it appears in several hymnals from the nineteenth century
KEYWORDS: religious separation soldier
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Boette-SingaHipsyDoodle, pp. 78-79, "Farewell My Dear Brothern" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #16539
NOTES [90 words]: The Hymnary.org site lists this as by Thomas Cleland, seemingly based on the Sacred Harp, but none of the other old hymnals it cites appear to credit Cleland. Those that list an author generally list Josiah Hopkins (although that might be an arranger credit). My 1871 Sacred Harp, which calls the tune "Imandra," lists no composer and says that no source lists the author of the words. Several hymnals link the song to James 5:16, or at least the words "pray for one another" in that verse. A pretty feeble connection, if you ask me. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.3
File: Boet078

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