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 Swing low, sweet chariot

I learned this well known gospel as a Rugby song in my childhood and remember singing it in 23 Mess, H.M.S. Victorious in the early sixties. We sang it straight but accompanied the song with comic gestures some of which were lewd and would be considered offensive outside naval and Rugby circles. I have a vivid memory of Arthur Copus, at that time a 3rd class shipwright, performing what I consider the definitive version of this "song with actions". I leave it to your imagination, dear surfer, to work out a gesture to match the word "coming"!
We move from the ridiculous to the sublime when we listen to the most beautiful rendering by Steffi Lubrich and her sisters Ina and Anna.
The version that I still sing (and without actions these days!) can be found in Lieder, Songs und Gospels 1. The lyrics of this version are identical to those found in The Story of the Jubilee Singers.
I was highly delighted in February, 2002, to be introduced to a recorder version which can be found in Gerald Schwertberger's Mississippi-Suite (1980) by Petra Meyer. This is also in the realms of the sublime when compared with those distant days of the early 1960's.
"Swing low, sweet chariot" has been recorded by:
CD tracks/info Geoff Grainger on "Ditty Box" CDs at Ditty Box Enterprises
CD tracks/info The Herminas on "The Herminas" CDs at Ditty Box Enterprises
CD tracks/info Joan Baez on "Rare, Live & Classic 1958-1989" RealAudio amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "Wade In The Water" RealAudio amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Joan Baez on "Diamonds" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Douglas Jimerson on "Stephen Foster's America" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Let's Party on "Ultimate Party Album" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "World in Union 2003" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Various Artists on "The Voice of Wales" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Norman Luboff Choir on "Songs Of The South/Songs Of The Sea" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Jessye Norman on "Spirituals in Concert" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info The Oxford New College Choir on "Early One Morning" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Raffi on "Corner Grocery Store & Other Songs" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Paul Robeson on "Paul Robeson" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Paul Robeson on "Paul Robeson - Song Recital" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info The Robert Shaw Chorale on "Amazing Grace - American Hymns & Spirituals" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Pete Seeger on "American Favorite Ballads" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info The Sons of the Pioneers on "Songs Of The Prairie" amazon.com amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca
CD tracks/info Paul Robeson on "Great Voices of the Century- Paul Robeson" amazon.co.uk amazon.de amazon.fr amazon.ca