Parting Hand

DESCRIPTION: "My Christian friends ... we must take the parting hand." "Your company's sweet." "How sweet the hours have pass'd away." "How would it would cheer my mind to stay but... we must take the parting hand"
AUTHOR: Jeremiah Ingalls (1764-1828) (source: Original Sacred Harp)
EARLIEST DATE: 1803 (according to Original Sacred Harp)
KEYWORDS: parting nonballad religious Jesus
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
ADDITIONAL: Benjamin Franklin White, E. J. King, et al., Original Sacred Harp (Atlanta, 1911 ("Digitized by Google") [correction and enlargement of 1869 edition copyright J.S. James], p. 62, "Parting Hand" ("My Christian friends in bonds of love") (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #12186
RECORDINGS:
Southeast Alabama and Florida Union Sacred Harp Singing Convention, "Parting Hand" (on USFlorida01)
NOTES [120 words]: "One of the songs that traditionally ends a sing or convention, 'Parting Hand' (p. 62 in all editions of The Sacred Harp) holds a special place in the hearts of shape-note singers" (Doris J. Dyen, "Looking Back/Looking Forward: Sacred Group-Singing Traditions," USFlorida01 liner notes, p. 197). - BS
I'm not entirely confident of the attribution to Jeremiah Ingalls, who compiled a hymn book, The Christian Harmony/Songster's Companion, 1805, and supplied some of the tunes but wasn't known for his texts. Hymnary.org appears to credit him only with the tune, and it is not listed among his the list of his most popular songs in W. K. McNeil, editor, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, Routledge, 2005, p. 193.
Last updated in version 6.5
File: RcPartHa

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