"Jesus came from the courthouse door": "General William Booth Enters into Heaven" and other, variously irresistible Ives songs

SUNDAY NOONISH UPDATE: Internet Archive seems to have recovered from its outage, so we're back in business.
MONDAY EVENING UPDATE: For "afterthoughts" on the performances
of "General William Smith Enters into Heaven," there's now an "afterpost."

Donald Gramm (1927-1983)  [photo by Christian Steiner]

. . . (Are you washed in the blood, in the blood of the Lamb,
in the blood of the Lamb, the Lamb, of the Lamb, the Lamb?)

Jesus came from the courthouse door,
stretched his hands above the passing poor.
Booth saw not, but led his queer ones,
round and round, round and round and round,
[or: "round and round the mighty courthouse square,"]
and round, and round and round, and round and round . . .

-- text from the Vachel Lindsay poem
"General William Booth Enters into Heaven"

Donald Gramm, bass-baritone; Richard Cumming, piano. Desto, recorded c1964

Donald Gramm, bass-baritone; Donald Hassard, piano. From their Town Hall (New York City) recital of Feb. 24, 1976

Nathan Gunn, baritone; Kevin Murphy, piano. EMI-Warner Classics, recorded in St. Mary's Church, Highgate, London, Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 1998

NOTE: We've already heard Donald Gramm's c1964 recording of Ives's literally heaven-storming song "General William Booth Enters into Heaven" in its entirety, but not the notably more theatrical 1976 live performance (please don't ask me to choose! based on just this excerpt, are you liking either better?), or Nathan Gunn's recording from his EMI "Debut" series CD. Note that between our singers we hear both text variants of the next-to-last line of this central excerpt from the song. Of course, eventually we'll hear/rehear all three performances -- and some others -- in their entirety.-- Ken


WHILE WE'RE AT IT, HOW 'BOUT THIS?

It's again music we've already heard, as the slow movement of a piece we heard previously in one fell swoop.

IVES: Adagio cantabile

Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos, recorded in Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, Apr. 29 & May 1, 1995

What it is, is the third movement of the Ives Second Symphony (which we heard complete in my much-loved 1959 Bernstein-NY Phil recording). I'm not so crazy about the rest of Järvi's Ives Second, which he seems to have been almost determined not to "hear" in a rootin' tootin' American way, but estimable musician that he is, he really digs into the Adagio cantabile.


LET'S HEAR THE COMPLETE "GENERAL WILLIAM BOOTH"

William Booth (1829-1929), you'll recall, was the first general of
the Salvation Army, which he cofounded with his wife, Catherine.

IVES: "General William Booth Enters into Heaven"

Booth led boldly with his big bass drum.
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
The Saints smiled gravely and they said, “He’s come.”
(Washed in the blood of the Lamb, the blood of the Lamb.)

Walking lepers followed rank on rank,
lurching bravos from the ditches dank,
drabs from the alleyways, drug fiends pale,
minds still passion-ridden, soul flowers frail:
vermin-eaten saints with moldy breath,
unwashed legions with the ways of Death.
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)

Ev’ry slum had sent its half a score
the round world over. (Booth had groaned for more.)
Ev’ry banner that the wide world flies
bloomed with glory and transcendent dyes.
Big-voiced lasses made their banjos bang;
tranced, fanatical they shrieked and sang:
“Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”

Hallelujah, Lord! It was queer to see
bull-necked convicts with that land make free.
Loons with trumpets blown a blare, blare, blare,
on, on, upward thro’ the golden air!
(Are you washed in the blood, in the blood of the Lamb,
in the blood of the Lamb, the Lamb, of the Lamb, the Lamb?)

Jesus came from the courthouse door,
stretched his hands above the passing poor.
Booth saw not, but led his queer ones,
round and round, round and round and round,
[or: "round and round the mighty courthouse square,"]
and round, and round and round, and round and round . . .

Yet! in an instant all that blear review
marched on spotless, clad in raiment new.
The lame were straightened, withered limbs uncurled,
and blind eyes opened on a new, sweet world.
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)

-- based on the poem by Vachel Lindsay

Donald Gramm, bass-baritone; Richard Cumming, piano. Desto, recorded c1964

Donald Gramm, bass-baritone; Donald Hassard, piano. From their Town Hall (New York City) recital of Feb. 24, 1976

Nathan Gunn, baritone; Kevin Murphy, piano. EMI-Warner Classics, recorded in St. Mary's Church, Highgate, London, Mar. 31 - Apr. 2, 1998

Gerald Finley, bass-baritone; Julius Drake, piano. Hyperion, recorded in All Saints Church (Durham Road), East Finchley, London, Nov. 10-12, 2004

And you recall these "bells-and-whistles" versions?

Archie Drake, bass; Gregg Smith Singers, Columbia Chamber Orchestra, Gregg Smith, cond. Columbia-CBS, recorded in Legion Hall, Hollywood, May 4, 1966

Donnie Rae Albert, baritone; Dallas Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Andrew Litton, cond. Hyperion, recorded in Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Jan. 19-22, 2006

Thomas Hampson, baritone; San Francisco Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. RCA, recorded live in Davies Symphony Hall, Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 1999

[NOTE: Again, for "afterthoughts" on the performances of "General William Smith Enters into Heaven," see the "afterpost."]


WE'VE HAD SOME OTHER IVES SONGS READY

It's been a tough way forward, or rather sideways, through the enduring spirit of Charles Ives, going back to those semi-innocent early posts: "A touch of Ives (featuring a bunch of questions -- not least: Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)" (June 19) and "Of those 'tunes of long ago,' Ives sings to us: 'I know not what are the words, but they sing in my soul of the things our Fathers loved'" (July 3).

YOU RECALL "THE THINGS OUR FATHERS LOVED"?
[Which we heard (July 3) sung by our "core" Ivesians]

I think there must be a place in the soul
all made of tunes, of tunes of long ago.
I hear the organ on the Main Street corner,
Aunt Sarah humming Gospels; summer evenings,
the village cornet band playing in the square.
The town’s Red, White and Blue,
all Red, White and Blue.
Now! Hear the songs!
I know not what are the words,
but they sing in my soul of the things our Fathers loved.

-- text by the composer

Here again are our "hardcore" Ives singers:

Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano; Gilbert Kalish, piano. Nonesuch, released 1976

Gerald Finley, bass-baritone; Julius Drake, piano. Hyperion, recorded in All Saints Church (Durham Road), East Finley, London, Nov. 10-12, 2004

Donald Gramm, bass-baritone; Donald Hassard, piano. From their Town Hall (New York City) recital of Feb. 24, 1976

Our "core" has expanded to include these fine singers:

Roberta Alexander, soprano; Tan Crone, piano. Etcetera, recorded in the Netherlands, released 1984
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano; Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano. EMI-Warner Classics, recorded in the Grosser Saal of the Vienna Konzerthaus, Nov. 6-8, 2003

Moving on, we have this utterly upbeat early song, sung for us by a quartet of our Ives stalwarts, all in fine-and-dandy form.

IVES: "The Circus Band"

All summer long, we boys
dreamed 'bout big circus joys!
Down Main street, comes the band.
Oh! "Ain't it a grand and glorious noise!"

Horses are prancing, knights advancing;
helmets gleaming, pennants streaming,
Cleopatra's on her throne!
That golden hair is all her own.

Where is the lady all in pink?
Last year she waved to me, I think.
Can she have died? Can! that! rot!
She is passing, but she sees me not.

-- text by the composer

Donald Gramm, bass-baritone; Donald Hassard, piano. From their Town Hall (New York City) recital of Feb. 24, 1976

Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano; Gilbert Kalish, piano. Nonesuch, released 1976

Samuel Ramey, bass; Warren Jones, piano. Argo, recorded in Henry Wood Hall, London, September 1990

Gerald Finley, bass-baritone; Julius Drake, piano. Hyperion, recorded in London, Feb. 16-20, 2007

And finally a "novelty" song, but a genuinely ingenious one, and even, I dare say, a charming one, which as we'll see occasioned a fair amount of explanatory comment from the composer -- a song that was used as the title song of Gerald Finley's second CD of Ives songs. I've seen the "Romanzo" described as a "parody," but I don't think that's it, is it? For one thing, it sounds so utterly sincere that "parody" doesn't seem to describe where it wants to go. I think perhaps it's more of "an affectionately wry take."

IVES: "Romanzo di Central Park"

Here's that "explanatory comment from the composer":

Leigh Hunt, in his Essays, "Rhyme and Reason," says: "Yet how many poems are there . . . of which we require no more than the rhymes to be acquainted with the whole of them? You know what the rogues have done by the ends they come to. For instance, what more is necessary of all the following gentleman has for sale than the bell he tinkles at the end of his cry? We are as sure of him as the muffin man." Then he quotes the beautiful text found in the song below. It is called "A Love Song,' but this is not enough; when attached to music it becomes a "Morceau du Coeur," a "Romanzo di Central Park," or an "Intermezzo Table d'hote." . . . Was there ever peroration more eloquent? Ever a series of catastrophes more explanatory of their previous history?

Grove, Rove, Night, Delight,
Heart, Impart, Pove, Love, Heart, Impart,
Love, Prove, Prove, Love,
Kiss, Bliss, Kiss, Bliss,
Blest, Rest, Heart, Impart, Impart, Impart, Love.

-- text by Leigh Hunt ("A Love Song")

Some twenty years ago, an eminent and sure-minded critic of music in New York told a young man that __________ was one of our great composers; what he meant by "our" is not recorded, nor is it remembered that this profound statement was qualified by the word "living" -- probably not, as this arbiter of tears and emotions is quite enthusiastic over his enthusiasms. The above collection of notes and heartbeats would show, but does so very inadequately, the influence, on the youthful mind, of the master in question.

Roberta Alexander, soprano; Tan Crone, piano. Etcetera, recorded in the Netherlands, released 1984

Samuel Ramey, bass; Warren Jones, piano. Argo, recorded in Henry Wood Hall, London, September 1990

Gerald Finley, baritone; Magnus Johnston, violin; Julius Drake, piano. Hyperion, recorded in London, Feb. 16-20, 2007

Three terrific performances, I think. As with the other Ramey Ives songs we've heard, it's a treat to hear that deeply anchored bass fill out the musical lines, and Finley is in something like his best Ivesian form, delivering an elegant as well as highly charged performance, which also benefits from giving us the optional violin obbligato, which reinforces what I might call the songs's "studied sentimentality." I think the "Romanzo" may have benefited from being saved for Finley's sequel Ives CD. I've gotten to know them in reverse order, and as I do get to know them, as I've suggested previously, I'm getting a sense that for the 2007 disc he tended to zero in more specifically on more the individual songs -- a whopping 61 in total! -- than he did for the 2004 disc.

I'm glad to offer another performance by Roberta Alexander (born 1949). As Finley would later do, the American soprano recorded two Ives albums, an LP first released in 1984 and a CD released in 1989, a total of 54 songs. Her "Romanzo" is a good sample of the vocal command and pleasure as well as artful sophistication she brings to the material, and the veteran Dutch pianist Tan Crone (1930-2009) proved a wise and, where called for, witty accompanist. (I believe Etcetera is still offering the whole thing as a two-CDs-for-the-price-of-one set -- at least it's listed as being available on the U.K. Presto Music website. Lately it's been offered for a song at Berkshire Record Outlet.)

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