Death is Awful - Vera Hall

Check out another recording of this same song, same singer, same time period:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PuIH472464

This is Vera Hall singing on the porch of the home of Mr. & Mrs. W.P. Tartt, Livingston, Sumter County, Alabama in May 1939.
I got this recording from the Library of Congress call number: AFC 1939/001 2682a2.
Recorded by John and Ruby Lomax.

Photo is of the dust jacket from the field recording, also from the Library of Congress

Category:

Music

Tags:

• blues
• old blues
• spirituals
• historical recording
• ehtnographic recording
• cappella

[blindboyblue]

Oh, this has just made my day. Thanks for responding with this. She sings this, as always, beautifully and with an interesting variation to the one I've posted. Great post!!

[GingerDrums]

@poopyscoopy5 perfect pitch, beautifully resonant vibrato, blah, detail. its emotionally charged, convincing art on so many levels. Everyone can relate to this. its beautiful craft and technique, but I feel like the motives for singing like that are more honest than most. Thats what makes it powerfull for me

[yenbadcito]

this is as pure as gets! i love it. its funny how these songs will always live on. (death have mercy by harry manx is the same thing but i didnt know that)

[thekkl]

@RosieKeepinthepromis Do you have a higher quality or cleaner version you could send my way?

[psycho4334]

this made me cry.

[Sahbisun]

She or should I say Tracy Chapman sounds a lot like her.

[paulgad]

She just has a voice that pulls you in.

[poopyscoopy5]

What is it that makes her voice so intriguing... I think it is the sliding.

[poopyscoopy5]

@oledapra

gay

[oledapra]

i agree. death IS awful....

moved me to tears the other day when a young kid said it was a stupid invention.