Tim Eriksen: Wayfaring Stranger

[lennietristanojazz]

My first time hearing Tim Eriksen.

Amazing.

[bookchick84]

so cool. I love this type of music.

[jfvt21]

Had no idea he was such an awesome clawhammer player

[bigbeasty338]

does he tour?



[mouldybear]

Great version by one of best performers of traditional music. Don't ignore version by Estil C Ball recorded by Alan Lomax.

[muddybanjo]

wow! Great acoustics in there..awesome sound..



[rncc1970]

Simply amazing. And what an amazing setting

[ChordsFromTheVoid]

this kid of reverb is sacred, you cant hear it anywhere else but chapels... A++++

[benhanbury]

Please tour in London soon!

[benhanbury]

Please tour in London soon!

[batfancy]

@benhanbury I'm coming at the end of March- can't wait!

[benhanbury]

@batfancy Thanks for the reply! Looking forward to the London gig!

[batfancy]

@benhanbury Me too! Fish and or chips- driving on the wrong (uh...other) side of the road- just the tip of the iceberg...

[01landscaper]

My wife and I got the chance to see you play a concert at ASU in Boone NC on the 12th and I have to say that it was the highlight of our trip. I could have sat there till morning listening to you!!

[ARMYSARGENT2013]

we are wayfaring strangers

until we find our Lord jesus Christ

[koiching]

This man is gifted.

[JeffateaSnickers]

You have such an incredible voice.

[TimJakeGl]

Yes many thanks for this. Brings a shiver ...like much of your music. i heard a long interview with you on KPFA when u did a gig somewhere on the West coast in October 2009. You sang a song on that program which -- if my memory serves me right -- was a song to autumn, a very ornamented versiion. Have not found it here.

Tim-Jake (London)

[OceanicLoveLetters]

I too am very appreciative of everything you have done... your music resonates so ... I wish I could hear you in a setting like this, at midnight... I heard you live only in your Cordelias Dad days through Laura Risk on the west coast... and became a life-long fan. This comes about as close to religion as it gets for me... Thank you for the positive life force.

[dunciad01]

more, more, more!

[capnhowdy66]

catholic church surprise?

[TheGratefulDread14]

and they say you can't play blues on a banjo. this proves them wrong

[willwkrueger]

who ever said that? there is a rich tradition of blues banjo. it was brought over by slaves after all. listen to dock boggs' recordings, thats as low down as blues can get or the great roscoe holcomb who played and sang in the 'kentucky high lonesome' style which is basically blues with a danceable beat. blues music and banjo music developed together.

[crazygolfmonkey]

One thing I dont understand....why do you even bother with instruments, you have enough talent in your voice that people would listen without them, I like the way you put feeling in the music, Thanks Bud

[1stInLine1979]

I love your renditions of these songs. I was pleased to find out that in addition to being a phenomenal vocalist, you are an outstanding clawhammer banjo player.

[MrJrondeau]

great video, Tim we should play sometime.. I live right near Amherst haha

[Pfranklin28]

Sweeeet !

[banjoman32]

good job!!!keep up the good pickin man!!

[booth805]

wow

[celtica99]

Tim, your music fills my soul - many many thanks, brother!

[batfancy]

@celtica99 Glad you like it- thanks to you too...

[rodgeComAu]

That sounded great. What a find!

[willwkrueger]

yes! folk music must revived and even progressed because the vital link of artistic authenticity between popular music and social relevance has been all but severed. ive been a fan of your videos for years, got a banjo and am learning to play in this (clawhammer) style. syncopation frees the spirit and the mind!

[jtallen12345]

@willwkrueger banjo playing is my meditation, the only time when i can focus my mind fully is when i'm frailing!

[stigandr5]

Tim,

I'm in full agreement with your assessment of the public opinion on folk/roots/&c. music. It's far too limiting to what the genre encompasses as well as the numerous variables in how it's performed. Even the repertoire itself tends to get pared down to what best sates the nostalgia of a time few can relate to.

[VictorLepanto]

That is a beautiful alter setting. What church is this? I bet Wayfaring Stranger doesn't get performed too much in Catholic churches.

A question for Tim: As you perform this old Gospel song in this church, I have to wonder, what do you think of the common Catholic habit of changing the verse in Amazing Grace from "...a wretch like me," to "someone like me?" Me, personally, I hate it.

[pgallagher901]

@VictorLepanto I am about to be ordained a Catholic priest and have never seen the lyrics changed. One could make the case to change if you take it the original lyrics to reflect the Calvinistic doctrine of Total Depravity which the Catholics as well as other many other Christian denominations do not ascribe to. But, like I say I have never seen it changed.

Tim see you at the Singing School in Ohio!!

[VictorLepanto]

@pgallagher901: Well, every Catholic hymnal I've ever seen has "someone." It is interesting that some think it should be altered for doctrinal reasons. I've heard the Shaker hymn "Tis a Gift to Be Simple" also performed & the verse suggesting a a pre-mortal existance in that song is always retained.

As for any Calvinist implications, my understanding is that its author John Newton was Methodist in tendency. That would make him Arminian.

[pgallagher901]

@VictorLepanto I should have said I have never heard the lyrics changed. The Calvinistic thing was just a quick guess. I am with you on not changing it. The hymnals we have here say "and set me free" as alternative lyrics at the bottom of the page, but I can't think of a time I have ever heard the lyrics changed. I am now thankful I haven't had to put up with that trash. Maybe it's cause, by God's grace, I'm Southern and you know, we don't take kindly to people changing our hymns. God bless!

[VictorLepanto]

@pgallagher901: So, "...saved & set me free," would be the alternative? I think that is worse then "...someone..." as it is meaningless. It is a redundancy, what else does Christ's saving us do if it does not make us free? I really hate this kind of monkeying around w/ old songs.

Another one is the last stanza of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. "As He [Christ] died to make men holy, let us die to make men free," is changed to "...let us LIVE to..." Ruins the whole point.

[mh605]

The beeches in the beginning look like a scene from Narnia or The Lord of the Rings.

[TreasureOne]

"Rocking chair injury"! Hahaha. I agree with you. Sometimes at folk clubs, I just want to reach over and stabilize peoples' vocal chords :-D

You are fabulous!

[LSI155]

Fantastic how you can sing behind the rhythm....

[joeburton77]

A-MAZING

[baanjoguy]

Just super Tim.!! What a great place to perform.

[MarthaH605]

I've sent the link to this video to Cindy Kissee, whom you may remember. She has a few days or weeks left on this earth. Her memorial service was today, and she was there to experience it. It was an amazing outpouring of love and light. Her husband Charlie said that their hearts were not big enough to hold all the love they had received, but that was OK because, "It's all one heart. We're all one."

Blessings to you,

Martha

[MarthaH605]

Beautiful as always. I love the banjo arrangement -- how it sounds so random, because it's not quite rhythmically in synch with the voice -- but actually, it fits the music quite well.

I love the beeches in the beginning. That shot looks so ethereal and serene, and almost unreal. It's beautiful. It looks like a painting.

I totally agree with you about the wobbly-voice idea -- total claptrap, in my opinion.

[gordmusical]

Love to hear the banjo. I know a lot of people go on about Scruggs and Fleck, but sincerely, this man is amazing!!

[kernelhead1]

Thanks for posting this Tim, sounds amazing in that Church

[jculpep3]

Great music Tim! Are you playing that in sawmill tuning?

[batfancy]

Uh... probly. It's the same tuning as Sugar Baby...

[AubreyMcfate]

by the way, i may have sounded semi-pretentious in my last comment...

i first encountered the song on the computer game "oregon trail."

ha

[PLBrayfield]

Love your comments on causes of 'singing in a wobbly voice monotone'! I'm sending a Sacred Harp version. No wobbly voices or monotones there!

[batfancy]

Yup, nothing wobbly there for sure. (although I didn't mean it as a dis- just different ways of singing...)

[porkpiemariner]

Genius!!!!!!

[danzax1]

Nice rendition Tim!

[GlenAnne99]

You always fascinate and amaze me.

This is outstanding in every way...love it very much :)

[almondjoy71]

That clawhammering seems simple but a great background to Tim's singing. Nice Video.

Come back to Seattle!

[art2liv4]

I like the background provided by the church!

[sungis]

This was beautiful. Glory to God :)

[sanjuancb]

I have to say, this is indeed better than the "wobbly" versions. Wayfaring Stranger is perhaps my favorite song, but there are so many versions that are just bleh...this is not among those!

[AubreyMcfate]

I am so happy about this video. This has been one of my favorite songs since I was little.

[kasumiheyes]

darn! I was trying to give this a thumbs up, not down!

[coolanddark]

My goodness!!! Incredible performance!! These old classics are the greatest!!! #1 fan!!!

[iceprincessfm]

my fav song!

[kevinjb7]

I love that picking pattern