On this wonderful Resurrection Sunday, I was blessed by a letter sent in by SurvivalBlog reader A.W. I’d like to share it with you too:
Hi Hugh,
I discovered “How Can I Keep From Singing?” in Rawles’ novel Patriots and have been curious about its origin. His book says it’s a Shaker hymn and other sources claim it’s a Quaker hymn, so I was surprised to learn [by a determined google search] that it was actually written in the mid 1800s by Robert Lowry, a Baptist minister, who also wrote “Shall We Gather At The River” and three others that are in my Baptist Hymnal but not familiar to me.
Although I’ve listened to Enya’s version, I find the echo effect she uses to be way too fuzzy for the song. I have found an MP3 by a voice that fits the song and nestles just right in my soul.
James Loynes is a Welsh baritone who has a mellow voice and good diction and conveys a sincere feeling for the music and lyrics. This url has both sheet music versions and a vocal with quiet accompaniment
I am so happy to have found this that I felt urged to send you the info. – A.W.
Lyrics
My life flows on in endless song
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet, tho’ far-off hymn
That hails a new creation
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?
What tho’ my joys and comfort die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth
What tho’ the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night He giveth
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that Refuge clinging
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?
I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin
I see the blue above it
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart
A fountain ever springing
All things are mine since I am His
How can I keep from singing?
JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that Enya omitted the name of Christ in her version, perhaps in an attempt to make the hymn more palatable to a wide audience. She should have displayed more backbone!
o o o
Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
- A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
- A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
- Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
- A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
- A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
- A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
- A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
- A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
- Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
- KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
- APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
- TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.
Second Prize:
- A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
- A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
- Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
- The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
- $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
- A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
- A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
- Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
- Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
- Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
- TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
- Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.
Third Prize:
- A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
- A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
- Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
- Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
- A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
- Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
- Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.
- SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
Round 52 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.