Alison Krauss & the Berklee Gospel Ensemble – Down to the River to Pray (Live)

Thank you my friend CW5 Jack Cardwell for posting the music video of Alison Krauss & Berklee College of Music Gospel Ensemble performing their rendition of the traditional song "Down to the River to Pray"

Song background "The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867.[1] The song (#104) was contributed to that book by George H. Allan of Nashville, Tennessee, who may also have been the transcriber. The lyrics printed in this collection are:

As I went down in the valley to pray,
Studying about that good old way,
When you shall wear the starry crown,
Good Lord, show me the way.
O mourner, let's go down, let's go down, let's go down,
O mourner, let's go down,
Down in the valley to pray

Another version, titled "Come, Let Us All Go Down," was published in 1880 in The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs, a book about the Fisk Jubilee Singers.[2]


Version of the song as sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers
This version also refers to a valley rather than a river; the first verse is:

As I went down in the valley to pray,
Studying about that good old way;
You shall wear the starry crown,
Good Lord, show me the way.
By-and-by we'll all go down, all go down, all go down,
By-and-by we'll all go down,
Down in the valley to pray."
References
[1] Slave Songs of the United States at Internet Archive
[2] "Come, Let Us All Go Down" Archived October 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine in The Story of the Jubilee Singers; With Their Songs, NIU Libraries Digitization Projects"

FYI SMSgt Lawrence McCarter Sgt Albert Castro Sgt Vance Bonds 1SG Joseph Dartey 1SG John Highfill SPC Margaret Higgins LTC (Join to see) SPC Nancy Greene SPC Randy Zimmerman Cpl (Join to see) Sgt Jackie Julius SFC John Lich Col Carl Whicker SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC John Shaw SSG William Jones SSG Franklin Briant CPL Dave Hoover Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D.

Great song!

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Maj Marty Hogan TSgt David L. CW5 Jack Cardwell Cynthia Croft Col Carl Whicker LTC Stephen F. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price SMSgt Lawrence McCarter CPL Dave Hoover SPC Douglas Bolton LTC Greg Henning Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT Steve McFarland PO3 Phyllis Maynard Sgt John H. PO3 Lynn Spalding SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Alan K.

Love this song.