Deeper than the stain has gone

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Robert Vaughn

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Jun 9, 2016, 10:13:11 PM6/9/16
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Not a Sacred Harp question, but can anyone identify this "Deeper than the Stain" tune? See youtube here:

Thanks!
 
His glories sing,
Robert Vaughn 
Mount Enterprise, TX
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way
For ask now of the days that are past...
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.

Robert Vaughn

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Jun 10, 2016, 5:11:18 PM6/10/16
to Wade Kotter, Figura, Fasola Discussions
Paul, Wade--

Thanks for the information this tune. I agree that it appears to be an adaptation of LIFE'S RAILWAY TO HEAVEN. When I heard it on the video it sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I think the one I linked in the original message sounds less like it than the sheet music or some of the other videos on youtube.

My first interest in the song was the hymn, which I found attributed to Rev. Raymond Browning. Some online mentions attribute it rather to Adger M. Pace. The resolution I found is that Raymond Browning wrote the words and Adger M. Pace arranged the music. There is a 1956 copyright renewal by Browning's wife in Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third Series that attributes it that way.

His glories sing, 
Robert Vaughn 
Mount Enterprise, TX
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way
For ask now of the days that are past...
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.


From: Wade Kotter <wadek...@yahoo.com>
To: "rl_v...@yahoo.com" <rl_v...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2016 1:59 PM
Subject: Re: [fasola-discussions] Deeper than the stain has gone

Robert:

Several sources I located suggest that this tune is based on "Life's Railway to Heaven," a late 19th century gospel tune by Charles D. Tillman written for a text by M. E. Abbey beginning: "Life is like a mountain railroad." Here's one example:


Here's the hymnary.org page for the Tillman/Abbey song:


There does seem to be a relationship between the two. Interestingly, a version closer to Tillman's original tune is used in our current LDS hymnal as a setting for "Truth reflects upon our senses," a text by Eliza R. Snow that dates to 1841; M. E. Abbey's "Blessed Saviour" chorus was added to Snow's poem when it was set to Tillman's tune:


When I first listened this the youtube video, something sounded familiar - guess I might have been thinking of the LDS version. However, I like the tune as sung on the youtube video much better than Tillman's original. Interestingly, over 200 songs of Adger Pace (the author of the "Deeper than the stain" words) are listed as hymnary.org, but not the one in question.

Here's another youtube version that might help make the relationship clearer: https://youtu.be/1oCOAXp4-7k

Wade
 
Wade Kotter
South Ogden, UT
"Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord"


From: 'Robert Vaughn' via Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
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Sent: Thursday, June 9, 2016 8:25 AM
Subject: [fasola-discussions] Deeper than the stain has gone

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Wade Kotter

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Jun 10, 2016, 10:44:05 PM6/10/16
to rl_v...@yahoo.com, Figura, Fasola Discussions
The attribution of the text to Browning, which I now remember seeing in a couple of places, makes perfect sense. The WorldCat entry for "Trumpets of Jubilee" (1929), a James D. Vaughan gospel songbook, includes a song list which clearly gives Browning as the author and Pace as the composer (it doesn't distinguish between composer and arranger). Unfortunately, I can't find any evidence that this Vaughan song book has been scanned. Since renewal of copyright was done about every 25 years, this Vaughan printing could be one of the earliest.
 
Wade Kotter
South Ogden, UT
"Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord"


From: 'Robert Vaughn' via Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
To: Wade Kotter <wadek...@yahoo.com>
Cc: Figura <psfi...@gmail.com>; Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2016 2:20 PM

Robert Vaughn

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Jun 11, 2016, 8:15:40 AM6/11/16
to Wade Kotter, Figura, Fasola Discussions
In The Sanctified South: John Lakin Brasher and the Holiness Movement, Browning is mentioned as being inspired to write the hymn derived from a statement by Evangelist Brasher. 

The footnote might reveal when the hymn was written, but, alas, it is not one of the pages available on Google preview.

His glories sing,
Robert Vaughn 
Mount Enterprise, TX
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way
For ask now of the days that are past...
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.


Cc: Figura <psfi...@gmail.com>; Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2016 7:11 PM
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