Sacred Harp Song, 'Come Little Pilgrim, Take My Hand' (blue book 392)

'Come, little pilgrim, take my hand, Walk with me to Canaan's land; As we travel, sweetly sing/ Praises to our Heavenly King.' This newer shape note song in old-fashioned Sacred Harp style was composed by Alabama shape note singer John Newton Merritt in 1987. It is included in the 2006 edition of the B.F. White Sacred Harp (otherwise known as the 'Cooper book' or the 'blue book'). This song was video-recorded at the 2010 Harrod's Creek 3-book singing in Brownsboro, Kentucky, as led by one of our 'little pilgrims.' This edited version adds a number of still photos of other youngsters at all-day singings and conventions in various places, selected from my 'archives' of the past 10 years. Some of the youngsters seen as toddlers in the photos are now, of course, adolescents or young adults.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Sacred
• Harp
• shape
• note
• fasola
• singing
• Kentucky

[JanCan]

We regret to inform you that John Merritt passed on to be with the Lord this day, January 12, 2012.

A memorial service will be held in the Birmingham area in the next several days, the arrangements are pending.

As I am sure you know John was a great lover of Sacred Harp music and composed several songs. Little Pilgrim, page 392 in the Cooper Revision was written for his three children, Kate, Dana and Ryan, and Higher Ground was published in the 2010 Christian Harmony book on page 547.

-B. Hogan

[PLBrayfield]

@JanCan I am shocked and saddened by this news. What a loss to us all! I was among the singers at Terre Haute, Indiana's 'Higher Ground' singing when John brought his song of that title, still in handwritten form, for us to try out. He will be sorely missed.

[JanCan]

@PLBrayfield We will sing this song in memoriam at this month's meeting in Toronto.